USA Today investment columnist says goodbye

John Waggoner, the investment columnist for USA Today, is taking the paper’s buyout offer and leaving.

In his column posted Friday afternoon, Waggoner writes, “Which brings me to one of my best investments: working as a columnist and reporter at USA TODAY for a quarter of a century. My long-suffering editors have let me make bad jokes and write far too much about bonds. And I’ve worked with some wonderful friends, who are also some of the best writers in the business.

“My real pleasure, though, has been writing for USA TODAY’s readers, a tough and sophisticated audience, but also a kind and appreciative one. It has been an honor.

“This is my last column for USA TODAY. My company has offered a generous buyout package for those of us who started writing when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and I’ve taken it. But I haven’t retired, and will be writing elsewhere. Google ‘John Waggoner’ and you’ll find me, along with references to lemurs and Venusian Brain Garglers. And investing. You can always reach me at johnmwaggoner@gmail.com. And thank you.”

Read more here. Waggoner covered stocks, mutual funds, bonds and the economy on daily basis, typically producing 130 or so stories a year — not including web-only stories. He’s the author of three books: “Bailout: What the Rescue of Bear Stearns and the Credit Crisis Mean for Your Investments,” “The Fast Forward MBA in Investing” and “Money Madness: Strange Schemes and Extraordinary Manias on and off Wall Street.”