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 [email protected].
Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat
