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WANT TO BE A PERSONAL finance columnist? I can’t claim expertise on many topics, but this is one where I draw on a lifetime of experience.
And it isn’t just as a writer. At HumbleDollar, I have a hand in editing every piece that appears, plus I get to see the numbers on which articles catch readers’ attention—and which get the cold shoulder.
To be sure, popularity isn’t necessarily the best way to gauge an article’s quality. Sometimes, a HumbleDollar article garners big traffic because it gets mentioned on a far larger website. Sometimes, the day an article appears is one with big breaking news or terrible stock market performance, and readers are spending their online time elsewhere or they simply don’t want to think about their finances.
Still, I’ve come to have a pretty good sense for which articles will be well-received by readers. Want to write a personal finance piece that gets decent traffic? It doesn’t need all 10 attributes listed below. But the more of these elements a piece has, the better read it’s likely to be.
1. Relevant. If you write an article that covers recent market action or addresses legislation just passed by Congress, it might strike folks as a must-read. But a “news peg” isn’t the only way to be relevant. The key issue: Is the article important to the reader’s life? A piece that discusses how to squeeze more happiness from vacation spending may strike folks as more relevant to their life than a piece that analyzes the latest bond market trends.
2. Revealing. As a columnist, you shouldn’t simply report the facts. Instead, you need to offer an opinion on those facts, and often the best way to offer an opinion is to talk about what you’re doing with your own money. The more personal the piece, the more likely you are to engage readers. This isn’t always a comfortable thing to do. Still, if you want to buy yourself broad readership, the price may be a small piece of your soul, plus some specific details about your finances.
3. Relatable. Most folks don’t have seven-figure portfolios. A quick way to lose readers: Talk about wealth and spending in ways that they simply can’t relate to.
4. Likeable. This is in the same vein as “relatable.” If you mention your oversized portfolio, mansion or six-figure car, you’ll lose readers in a hurry. Nobody likes a braggart. Of course, if you write about personal finance, readers assume you’ve done reasonably well with your own money. But if your columns tend toward boasting, while failing to mention your struggles and mistakes along the way, don’t expect to garner many readers.
5. Smart. After writing about personal finance and investing for a while, you’ll realize the basics are pretty straightforward and it’s tough to say anything original. As I’ve joked occasionally, “There are only 20 personal finance stories—which means that, by the time I left The Wall Street Journal after penning more than 1,000 columns, I’d written each of those stories 50 times each.” Still, if you can tell readers something they didn’t know before—or tell them about an old truth in a new, intriguing way—you may have yourself a winning article.
6. Surprising. Every so often, it’s good to surprise readers by, say, offering an article that seems off-topic—such as when HumbleDollar posts an article that has little to do with finance (though I’d argue that almost everything has a money angle). For instance, in 2022, we’ve run articles on wrestling, triathlons and joining the circus.
7. Anecdotal. Readers like stories, especially those that incorporate the telling details that make a story compelling. But the best anecdotes are those that tell the reader something about the broader financial world and which you can support with evidence from, say, an academic study, government data or a statistically meaningful survey.
8. Lists. There’s a reason I’ve numbered the points in this article. Readers love lists.
9. Accurate. Even a minor error in an otherwise accurate article will cast doubt on the veracity of the entire piece. Indeed, at the publications where I worked during my career, the gravest sin you could commit was to make a factual mistake.
10. Actionable. This is a word I loathe. It strikes me as yet another example of the corporate speak that has infected our otherwise lovely language. And don’t get me started on words like optimize, impacted and connectivity. You can read more about my pet peeves in HumbleDollar’s style guide.
That said, “actionable” is indeed a key element of a good personal finance article. Yes, readers want to be informed and entertained. But they also want to be told what it all means for the way they manage their money. Is this article actionable? For most readers, perhaps not. But I hope it’ll be helpful for anyone who wants to write for HumbleDollar.
Jonathan Clements is the founder and editor of HumbleDollar. Follow him on Twitter @ClementsMoney and on Facebook, and check out his earlier articles.
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Jonathan, I’ve been a long time reader of your articles and always trust your advice. I would like to suggest something for HD article. When I scan the most recent articles (blog page), I only see the title and first 2 sentences of each article. Many times, I can’t get a sense as to what an article will be about based on that. Would love to see topic tagging (e.g., taxes, asset allocation) or a 2 sentence article synopsis. No doubt, I’ve bypassed many articles which would be of interest because the initial scan didn’t give me enough clue as to what the article’s topic(s) would be about. hope that helps. happy holidays!
Thanks for the suggestion. All articles are divvied up by category on this page:
https://humbledollar.com/articles/
So, this article was OK! (I love your articles on equities, such as VT.) However, the reason why I love your website, blog, etc. is how optimized and impactful it is. In conclusion, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and this posting hasn’t upset you too much.
(Also, as a second parenthetical statement, one might notice that this article contains twenty-one capitalized characters to start, including letters, spaces, etc.)
Thank you for reading the style guide — and giving me a good laugh!
This is an oddly compelling site. I intend no disrespect, but I’ve seldom read anything new or useful on the site, and yet I like reading many of the posts. Perhaps it is the amateur contributor trying to navigate life and the markets the best they can that makes the articles so interesting.
Happy Holidays!
I would add attribute #11: Interactive.Writers who develop a reputation of inviting and responding to reader comments are a plus. I read articles primarily for the author’s thoughts but often the reader/writer exchanges add depth and nuance.
Jonathan,
Thanks for this list and I’ll put it next to the Style Guide for periodic review.
I’ve learned so much from HD, and before that from your WSJ columns. Thank you for making personal finance and investing understandable even for those of us who had problems with high school math.
Now, as an occasional contributor, your editing has taught me to be a better writer. Among other things, you’ve shown me the beauty of shorter sentences and paragraphs. Now, my wife says, if only I could learn to speak that way.
Have a great holiday and hope you get to take a few days off!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday, too — and I look forward to more articles from you in 2023.
Most of the style guide looks great but I disagree with:
1) Don’t start with However:
Use: “She wasn’t, however, convinced.”
To me:
” However, she wasn’t convinced.”
is much cleaner and less clunky
2) Don’t use etc., use “and so on.”
Seems excessively wordy to me.
3) Use 1 space at end of sentence.
To me, more white space makes reading much easier.
This is one of my favorite finance sites and I thank you for your work on this. I had to chuckle when you mentioned corporate words above. I immediately thought of how much I cringe when I see “reaching out” and there it was in your style guide. Today is my 35th wedding anniversary and I had an idea that would be relevant to young couples. I may send a proposal sometime in the new year. Again, thanks for a relevant and useful site. Happy Holidays!
I look forward to hearing your story idea. Best wishes for the holidays!
Jonathan, I’ve enjoyed Humbledollar as a reader, and even more with my small contribution as a writer. The encouragements from you and the comments from readers are bright spots in my life.
Ed, it was great to add you to the roster of writers this year!
Nice list, Jonathan. Happy holidays!
Jonathan, I’d like to posit why readers love lists. Developing a list avoids long tracts of stiff prose, and breaks up the narrative into bite-sized pieces that are easier to consume.
Many of your Getting Going columns were written this way and I, for one, found that style very helpful.
Thanks Jonathan. I especially liked your style guide. I still do a little writing in my retirement. Your style guide will be helpful for me to communicate more effectively with my audiences. I am sure you have cringed at some of my comments to articles. I strive to do better and am a work in process.
Merry Christmas.
John
I was a fan long before I became a contributor. I much appreciate having a talented editor who finesses and improves my copy. Thanks! And Happy 2023!
Thank you Ronald. I love it when people say exactly what I’m thinking., so I won’t repeat it.
Thanks to both of you for your kind comments — and many thanks for your contributions to the site this year!
Thanks and Merry Christmas to you, Jonathan, and to all your commenters and writers, here today and anytime. HD is a bright spot in my life, especially on Saturday. I’m looking forward to seeing an article by Sam Pittsburgh, and to reading the circus article that I missed!😊😉🎄
I’d add I like the 3 day rule for posting link!
I’m glad I saw that editorial type check list!
As you mention, you are HD sites editor.
Most posts have daily pertinence though.
Do you disagree JC?
Like a local paper with national interests.
I recall meeting an engineer for BOS Big Dig.
He said he read the times* weekly magazine, as reading option following your columns insights.
He saw the times newspaper on the subway as problematic.;)
A Holiday’s best to all.
Jonathan, thanks for great article. I reviewed the style guide again, and realize how much the editors improve anything I submit. Thanks for putting up with my technical jargon, corporate speak, and insistence on the Oxford comma. Writing for HD has been an unexpected retirement treat, and I truly appreciate the chance to contribute.and the interactions with the readers. If penning an article is something you are considering, give it a try. It’s a challenge, but very worthwhile. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to the HD community.
Rick: Many thanks for all your great articles over the past year — and (yes, this is a digression) congrats on grandchild No. 4!
Thanks Jonathan. Getting to spend Christmas Eve and morning with a three year old, and 2-week old, is the best present!
Jonathan, your link in the above article to the HD style guide was just as insightful as the the article itself. I now fully recognize that some of my posted comments over the years probably sent you into a stylistic conniption. Another resolution has thus been added to my 2023 list.
It’s great when a writer has a compelling story to tell, but it’s the stylistics of telling a compelling story well that seems to differentiate HD content from other financial websites. This requires multiple contributors who have both knowledge and passion for their respective topics. Likewise, it also requires the skilled touch of a seasoned editor, one who has whose witnessed, up close, what really good (and really bad) content looks in various newsrooms over decades in the ink trade.
Thank you for making our lives richer with this labor of love. Merry Christmas, Jonathan.
Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you Jonathan. I’ve learned so much from you over the years including one or two things on finance.
Johnathan Clements, I’d like to wish you wonderful holidays! I’ve listened to your interviews from several podcasts – recording them to listen while driving and walking the dogs. I like your insights into the use and meaning of money.
I printed off your call for writers above and hope to put together an aritcle or 2 for you to review. I’ve been at investing since the mid 80s. Perhaps I’ll have some nuggets of wisdom to provide.
Respectfully,
Sam Pittsburgh
Best wishes for the holidays to you, too, Sam. I look forward to reading your articles.