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WHEN READERS THINK of my younger brother Jonathan Clements, they often picture the longtime Wall Street Journal columnist or the founder of HumbleDollar. They remember the clear financial advice, the thoughtful essays and the quiet wisdom that helped millions make better decisions with their money.
But every writer has a beginning.
As I’ve been researching Jonathan’s life over the past several weeks, I’ve found myself drawn less to the career everyone knows and more to the people who helped shape it.
Before the books, the columns and the countless readers, there was a curious teenager discovering that he loved to write.
Jonathan’s journey began long before Wall Street, long before Forbes and long before HumbleDollar. It began with a school magazine at Bryanston School in Dorset, England.
As a teenager, Jonathan joined the staff of Saga, the school magazine. There he wrote an article criticizing Bryanston’s decision to spend money on a new pipe organ while other parts of the school needed attention. Years later, Jonathan looked back on that article with characteristic humor, saying it earned him “the enmity of a host of people.”
But he also said something far more revealing. That article, he believed, “was my entrée to becoming a journalist.”
More importantly, Jonathan had discovered not just that he enjoyed writing, but that he enjoyed asking difficult questions.
Reading those early Saga articles today, what strikes me isn’t simply Jonathan’s talent. It’s how familiar his voice already sounds. Even as a teenager, he questioned accepted wisdom with humor rather than hostility, weighed competing arguments fairly and cared deeply about priorities. Years later, readers would come to know him for helping them decide what mattered most in their financial lives. Looking back, those instincts were already there.
Journalism also ran in the family. Our father began his career as a journalist before becoming an economist, and Jonathan often said his example inspired him to pursue financial journalism.
After leaving Bryanston, Jonathan had almost a year before beginning his studies at Cambridge, our father’s alma mater. During that time, a family friend, Mrs. Dolezal, helped him secure a reporting job at the Potomac Almanac, a small community newspaper in suburban Washington.
For the next eight months, Jonathan did what young reporters often do. One day he covered education. The next, sports. Then police, then business. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it taught him the fundamentals of reporting.
Years later, Jonathan would describe those eight months as “the most fun and the most educational experience I had in journalism.” It wasn’t a large newspaper, but it gave a young reporter the opportunity to learn every aspect of the profession.
Even more importantly, it introduced him to the paper’s editor, Leslie Leven.
Decades later, after writing for Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and founding HumbleDollar, Jonathan was asked about the people who had influenced his career. His answer surprised me. Of everyone he had worked with, he singled out Leslie, describing her as “probably the most important mentor I had.”
Those words say as much about Jonathan as they do about Leslie. No matter how successful he became, Jonathan never forgot the people who had believed in him before anyone else did.
Cambridge came next, but by then journalism was no longer simply an interest. Jonathan later admitted that during one term he attended only four lectures because he was so immersed in editing the student newspaper, Varsity. Somewhere along the way, writing had stopped being a hobby and had become the work he wanted to spend his life doing.
After Cambridge, Jonathan joined Euromoney in London, his first full-time journalism position. It was another stepping stone that eventually led him to New York and Forbes, where he discovered the world of personal finance writing.
The years that followed are well known. After Forbes came nearly two decades at The Wall Street Journal, where Jonathan became one of the country’s most respected personal finance columnists. He later spent six years at Citigroup as Director of Financial Education, helping investors better understand their financial lives. But the entrepreneurial spirit never left him. In 2016, he founded HumbleDollar, creating not simply another financial website, but a community built on thoughtful conversation, generosity and the belief that money is ultimately a means to a richer life, not an end in itself.
Millions of readers came to trust his judgment and his remarkable ability to explain complicated ideas with clarity, humanity and compassion.
Growing up, I don’t think any of us could have imagined where Jonathan’s curiosity and love of writing would eventually lead. He was simply my younger brother; curious, thoughtful and always eager to learn. Looking back now, the path seems almost inevitable. At the time, it was anything but.
But as I’ve pieced together Jonathan’s early years, I’ve come away with a different appreciation of his career. I always knew where Jonathan finished. Only recently have I begun to appreciate where, and with whom, it all began.
Long before Jonathan became a mentor to countless writers and readers, someone had mentored him.
A family friend opened a door.
An editor patiently taught him his craft.
A small community newspaper gave him a chance.
We often celebrate the finished product. The successful journalist, the respected author, the trusted voice. Yet behind almost every accomplished life are people whose names are seldom remembered, people who quietly open doors, encourage talent and believe in someone long before the rest of the world notices.
Jonathan never forgot them.
Perhaps that’s why, years later, so many aspiring writers would tell similar stories about him. He answered emails, encouraged new voices, edited with kindness and opened doors for others just as doors had once been opened for him.
In the end, Jonathan’s story isn’t simply about becoming one of the world’s most respected financial journalists.
It’s also about the people who quietly shaped that journey.
Mrs. Dolezal opened the first door and Leslie Leven helped Jonathan find his footing as a young reporter. Those early opportunities gave him the confidence to pursue the career that followed.
Every accomplished life begins somewhere. Jonathan’s began with people who saw potential in a young man long before the rest of the world did.
After spending more than two decades building a successful landscaping business with his twin brother Nicholas, Andrew Clements retired in 2015 with a new appreciation for what matters most. Born in England, his essays draw on a life that has included growing up in England and Bangladesh, entrepreneurship, caregiving, family loss and travel. A regular HumbleDollar contributor, he enjoys tellingstories that remind readers life’s richest lessons often have little to do with money. Andrew is the older brother of HumbleDollar founder Jonathan Clements, whose life and legacy have inspired some of his most personal writing. He lives in Florida with his husband, Joey.
Thank you, Andrew, for this description of Jonathan’s formative influences. It all rings so true.
Jonathan was a model of “paying it forward.” I had been a reader and a fan of his for many years, so when he first accepted an article of mine for HD, it was an honor and a thrill.
As I continued to submit my amateurish offerings, I had the incredible luxury of being edited by one of the very best. That process taught me so much, and I will forever be in Jonathan’s debt.
Andrew
Thank you, Andrew. I know Jonathan would have smiled reading your comment. He genuinely enjoyed helping others become better writers, and he never saw it as a burden. One of the greatest parts of his legacy is the confidence and encouragement he gave to so many people, yourself included.
Andrew, thank you for this. I loved reading about Jonathan’s path in life. I only “knew” him from HD, and had no idea of his fame. He was kind to everyone, including me. Chris
Thank you, Chris. That kindness was simply who Jonathan was. Whether someone had written one article or one hundred, he treated everyone with the same respect. I’m so glad you had the chance to experience that firsthand.
Unlike many of his readers and followers, I discovered your brother (and his wisdom) only a year or so before his passing. Bought the book that was published last year to help the foundation support his legacy and work. This is such a kind and thoughtful post about your brother and his ‘humble’ beginnings. Thank you for sharing. He is missed.
Thank you Kristine. I’m so glad you found Jonathan’s writing, even if it was only during the last year of his life. His words continue to reach new readers, and I think he’d be humbled to know that his work is still making a difference. I appreciate your kind words and your support of his legacy.
He answered emails, encouraged new voices, edited with kindness
The last direct personal email I sent to Jonathan was during his final summer. His friendly reply came within minutes of my striking the ‘send email’ button. He was, at that moment, sitting with Elaine on the balcony of a cruise ship, looking out at the Atlantic. Had I known the timing of my intrusion, I would have waited for a more appropriate hour. So I want to take this opportunity to apologize to Elaine for my terrible timing, and to thank her for sharing her husband’s precious time with me.
Thanks, Andrew
Thank you Dan. No apologies necessary. I knew when I committed to Jonathan he came with his child, HumbleDollar.
Thank you Dan for sharing that memory. That was Jonathan, he always made time for people, no matter where he was. Elaine shared him with so many of us over the years.I know we all remain deeply grateful for her generosity and support and for her keeping HD thriving as Jonathan had wanted.
Thank you, Andrew, for your kind words, and for your beautifully written contributions. HumbleDollar would not be thriving without its community’s continued participation and reader engagement, loyal and outstanding writers like Adam Grossman, and committed HD team members Bogdan and James for their managing and technical support and expertise. I think Jonathan would be proud.
Thank you, Andrew, for the nice reminder that gratitude is a key to a wise life, and that “paying it forward” however we can both feels good and does good. Jonathan was an excellent exemplar. For a bit of anecdotal contrast, lately I’ve been interacting with a number of people who were born with and subsequently offered far fewer life resources, and who have struggled mightily to simply survive day to day with some sense of dignity. Even they, however, can practice gratitude for both people who have helped them move forward and people who have saved them from disaster. That’s true of most or all of us, on second thought!
Thank you Robert for sharing that. I think you’re right, gratitude isn’t reserved for those who’ve had easy lives. Some of the most grateful people I’ve met are those who have faced the greatest hardships. Jonathan never forgot the people who opened doors for him, and I think that’s one reason he was always so willing to open doors for others.
Andrew, thanks for the glimpse behind the curtain. Your closing observation about the potential of youth rings true. I’m forever grateful to the owner of the first business I worked for; he saw potential in me and helped set the course for my future career—even if that path eventually led me to compete against his organization when I founded my own business.
Thank you Mark. I think many of us can point to someone who saw something in us before we saw it ourselves. It’s amazing how one person’s encouragement can change the direction of a life. I’m glad you had someone like that early in your career.
It’s refreshing to hear celebration of how young talented people are recognized. When we have the chance, we need to help promote them now.
Thank you. I couldn’t agree more. A little encouragement at the right time can make an enormous difference. Jonathan was fortunate to have people who recognized his talent early, and I know he never forgot those who helped him along the way.