David M. Thomas, M.A.

Content Governance & Editorial Systems
FINRA/SEC-Aligned • FS & Retirement • Enterprise Operations

Where creativity meets compliance—and scales.

Governance & systems

Regulated content

About & philosophy

Editorial & content creation

Trusted editorial leader and escalation partner for Compliance, Legal, and executive management in high-stakes financial communications.

Scale regulated content velocity without increasing risk—AI-enabled workflows, governance models, and disciplined controls.

Translates complex and emerging concepts (AI, digital assets) into accurate, investor-safe narratives.

Content governance

Reduce review friction and escalations with clarity, lifecycle alignment, and tone boundaries designed for investor safety.

Aligns Legal, Product, Risk, and UX around consistent, comprehensible outcomes that protect the institution.

Lead enterprise editorial operations for retirement, wealth-management, and advisor communications under FINRA/SEC oversight.

Licensed & Certified

CFA Institute — Investment Foundations Certificate (2025)
FINRA Series 6 & Series 63 — Passed; not registered in a rep capacity
Google AI Essentials
Google UX Design Foundations
HubSpot — Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Inbound Marketing, SEO
Meta Marketing Analytics Foundation
NIH Plain Language Certificate
ACES: The Society for Editing — Member

Governance & Systems

Investor exploitation

Protect yourself against financial exploitation

While everyone is at risk, those experiencing cognitive decline and older Americans with accumulated wealth are the most vulnerable. All investors of any age are at risk—scammers don't shy away from opportunities to steal even small amounts of money.

Creative brief and execution

Savings account brief + strategy + execution

BANK X is launching a cross-channel campaign to promote a high-yield savings account, targeting younger audiences in the Greater Philadelphia area. The goal is to drive new account openings and position BANK X as a top financial choice in the region. Brief, concepting, and video scripting.

Finance and lifestyle

Money and marriage: Build your finances together

Money and marriage aren't always a perfect pair, which can sometimes add to the financial stress you might already feel. Fortunately, there are some benefits to joining finances with your life partner.

Domestic policy

Navigating the post-election environment

History suggests that investors shouldn’t be concerned about material asset return differences under different political administrations. A portfolio of 60% equities and 40% fixed income has produced an annual compound return of 8.1% since 1860 with a Republican president and a 7.8% annual compound return with a Democratic president.

Taxes

Effective tax-saving strategies for investors

There are many factors to consider when picking investments for your portfolio. When it comes to your nonretirement accounts, such considerations are costs and tax eﬃciency.

Geopolitical economics

What to do when markets drop

Sharp or sustained market drops like we’ve experienced in recent years can be hard to stomach. But investing in the stock market has been a prudent long-term strategy for many.

Financial planning

Are annuities right for me?

You’ve spent a career building your nest egg for retirement. But at some point, you’ll stop saving for the future and start living off that money. Since this is an important stage for retirees, now's a good time to see if purchasing an annuity as part of your retirement income strategy makes sense for you.

Annuities

Create your road map to retirement

Retirement is complex and full of important questions. Can you afford the retirement you want? Will you run out of money? How will you cover your future health care costs?

Investments

Benefits of consolidating your investment accounts

Consolidating your assets may sound like just another item on your to-do list, but the benefits might be worth the effort and help you create an even stronger legacy.

Health care costs

6 factors affecting your retirement health care costs

Average health care costs, even with Medicare, could surpass $5,000 per year, according to a model we developed in partnership with Mercer Health & Benefits.

U.S. economics

Presidential elections matter but not much when it comes to investing

Markets efficiently "price in" current events. It's difficult to predict volatility or blame it on one specific cause, because there are dozens of potential factors. Market reactions reflect changes in economic expectations and efficiently price in current events, including elections.

U.S. economics

2025 Roth IRA income and contribution limits

There are no income limits for a traditional IRA, but how much you earn does determine how much you can contribute to a Roth IRA.

Editing

Various • July 25 2025

Monsters of Any Kind - Anthology

Stories from global authors, translated to Italian, translated to English. I edited the final galleys for linguistic consistency and translation accuracy.

Jack Ketchum & Lucky McKee • February 12 2011

The Woman

*Adapted to film* From the World Horror Convention Grand Master, the man Stephen King called "the scariest writer in America," Jack Ketchum provides an interesting exploration of the human psyche, our own endurance levels, and confronts the question of what it is to be human.

Marjorie Liu • January 1 2009

The Fire King: A Dirk & Steele Novel

Chosen for her ability to communicate in any language, Soria works with ancient king Karr, who has unwillingly awakened from a long sleep haunted by the fire that destroyed everything he ever loved. By the best-selling author of The Wild Road. 350,000 first printing.

Covenant • November 23 2004

John Everson

*Bram Stoker Award Winner*
town of Terrel, he stumbles upon a web of mysterious teen suicides that somehow connect a ring of five women.

Daniel Keyes • July 5 2025

The Asylum Prophecies

From the acclaimed author of "Flowers for Algernon" comes a novel of suspense. A disturbed and suicidal young woman with multiple personalities is the only person who can stop an impending terrorist attack against the United States and must fight to free herself from her captors, and her mind, to save thousands of innocent lives.

Tim Waggoner • June 25 2016

The Winter Box

*Bram Stoker Award winner*
It’s Todd and Heather’s twenty-first anniversary. A blizzard rages outside their home, but it’s far colder inside. Their marriage is falling apart, the love they once shared gone, in its place only bitter resentment. As the night wears on, strange things start to happen in their house—bad things.

Nicole Cushing • May 1 2013

Children of No One

*Shirley Jackson Award nominee*
From Bram Stoker award-winning author Thomas Ligotti: “The confidence and expertise so blatantly evident in Nicole Cushing’s writing is astonishing."

Multi-author • July 25 2025

Erotikós: Female anthology of dark fiction

*Special short story from legendary writer Brian Lumley* Erotikós was an ongoing erotic horror fiction series published featuring some of the best established and upcoming female writers in the sub-genre to mix elements of lust and horror into original tales that will leave you shaking…one way or another.

Michael Boatman • September 24 2013

Revenant Road

Award-winning actor ("Spin City") Michael Boatman's first novel explores the complex character of Obadiah.

Jeff Mariotte • November 26 2013

River Runs Red

A reporter for an independent weekly newspaper in El Paso finds herself strangely thrilled to cover murder stories.

Daniel Mills • August 15 2012

Unhallowed Ground

In the summer of 1891, Henry Feathering travels to Bittersweet Lodge at the invitation of his reclusive widower uncle.

Luke Walker • October 29 2013

Mirror of the Nameless

For thirty years, three monstrous gods have ruled over the planet and turned it into a living nightmare.

Kristin Dearborn • October 29 2013

Sacrifice Island

Jemma and Alex are paranormal investigators, writing a book on hauntings around the world.

Greg Gifune • June 25 2017

Dangerous Boys

Part coming-of-age tale, part dark crime thriller, Dangerous Boys is the story of a group of young punks with nothing left to lose, fighting to find themselves, their futures, and a way out of the madness and darkness before it’s too late.

Simon Wood • July 21 2025

Paying the Piper

After an 8-year hiatus, the elusive serial kidnapper dubbed the Piper is once again commanding headlines in San Francisco after abducting Sammy, one of newspaper reporter Scott Fleetwood’s young sons. However, where the Piper’s previous crimes had been motivated by money—kids returned unharmed in exchange for millions in ransom—this one appears to be personal.

Ronald Malfi • July 5 2025

The Floating Staircase

Strange noises wake Travis at night, and his dreams are plagued by ghosts. Barely glimpsed shapes flit through the darkened hallways, but strangest of all is the bizarre set of wooden stairs that rises cryptically out of the lake behind the house. Travis becomes drawn to the structure, but the more he investigates, the more he uncovers the house’s violent and tragic past, and the more he learns that some secrets cannot be buried forever.

Steve Savile • September 25 2013

Shiftling

One summer in 1985, the fun fair came to the sleepy rural town of Ashthorpe.

Michael McBride • July 21 2012

Snowblind

Four old college buddies embark upon their annual elk hunting trip into the Rocky Mountains. This promises to be their last, for the passage of time is as merciless and unpredictable as the Colorado weather. And they’re not alone.

Michael Louis Calvillo • June 13 2012

I Will Rise

The story of Charlie, a frustrated and disillusioned line chef who's trying to fit into a world he doesn't like.

Testimonials

For Dave Thomas. Thanks for polishing it up and making me look good.
—William Meikle

"A rare tale powerful enough to make you think through every word and turn them into something more meaningful than just another story."
—Examiner.com

Thank you, Dave, for your support, hard word, and dedication to producing high-quality fiction for the masses.
—Brian Hodge

"Hodge’s writing is tight and suspenseful with the right amount of jolts."
—The Writerly Reader

Finalist: Best novella

Thanks to Dave Thomas, who took a shot on a writer from across the Atlantic. You're faster than my monster and must have as many hands!
—Gary Fry

" ... would've made a great Twilight Zone episode."
—British Fantasy Society

I'd like to thank Dave Thomas, a cracking editor. Without him, this story would've never reached you. Thanks, Dave.
—Craig Saunders

"Grab a copy, lock the doors, switch on the lights, and have your ax-proof duvet handy."
—NetGalley

Thanks to Dave Thomas for making me look good.
—John Everson

"Everson’s writing is fast paced, the characters vivid, plus wall-to-wall chills and moments that will haunt any claustrophobic.”
—BookReview.com

Winner: Best debut novel