day 1 - "finding personal finance angles on any beat"

Show them the Money!

Finding personal financeangles on any beat

What makes a consumer finance story different?

Actionable informationStakes are higherPersonal, conversational; speak directly to the reader

Personal finance can be fun!

- Superstitions & good-luck charms - Garbage- Barbie- Compulsive tightwads-Yard sales

Big piece of art

To readers, nothing is sexier than a dollar sign!

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Earning

Spending

Borrowing

Saving

Investing

Taxes

Risk Management

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Use this outline as a checklist when you’re trying to develop consumer-interest material from companies or beats you cover.

Even if you’re primarily reporting hard news, you can generate reader-friendly sidebars, Web elements and infographics using the relevant dimensions.

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Earning Wages, benefits and perks

Careers, credentials, training

Employment tips and trends

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Spending Budgeting, basic food/clothing/shelter/transport

Assets, depreciating vs. appreciating

Problems, addictions: shopping, gambling, hoarding

Family life cycle: child care, activiites, education, recreation

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Borrowing Secured and unsecured debt

Credit reporting, credit scoring

Bankruptcy

Alternatives: Islamic lending, microlending, payday loans, pawn shops

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Saving Saving =/= investing

Deposit accounts, CDs, money markets

Cash flow, money management

Money-saving approaches

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

InvestingBrokerage accounts Retirement accounts Securities Misc.: metals, real estate

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

TaxesFederal income taxesState, local income taxesSales, excise and use taxesProperty taxesService taxes

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Risk management Insurance (property, auto,

medical, liability, disability, life) Retirement (pensions, SS, tax-

sheltered accounts) Estate planning Financial independence

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Remember, the Seven Dimensions are just a device to give structure to your story planning

Use them as a checklist when you’re pondering possible consumer angles

The rest of the week we’ll talk about personal finance angles on specific beats ~ if yours isn’t listed, please feel free to let me know what sort of brainstorming would help you the most

Tuesday: Basics and resources

Wednesday: Current events, residential real estate

Thursday: Transportation and health care

Friday: Financial services and personal finance storytelling

Please feel free to e-mail me with additional questions at MPreddy@aol.com.

Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat