Financial writing is a wide niche, and it’s worth learning the ropes. I’ve written many features about finance and becoming more money wise; however, if you write about credit, cash, or cryptocurrency financial writing turns into a whole different world. Suddenly, it’s not like copywriting in Kansas anymore.

Here’s how to approach financial writing and enjoy it, with notes from my own work.

What To Avoid

Financial writing is full of scams, quick money opportunities, and jobs that ask for content eerily similar to pyramid schemes. Know financial and consumer laws, so that you know what these jobs could look like. Show these potential clients the door, assuming you give the time of day to start with.

The law stacks against pyramid schemes, bait-and-switch marketing, and deliberate customers misleading.

I’ve remained above the law, but have seen headlines of copywriters (and their customers) who fell for schemes or scams.

Companies who hire financial writers should have a history and appropriate licenses (if they are a financial institution). It takes five minutes to check your potential clients and avoid risks to you and your profession.

Glossaries, Acronyms, and Terms

Investors and CEOs have their own language. Financial writers have to adapt. You’ll see a lot of acronyms and jargon flying back and forth in business.

For instance, what’s an SME versus an ETF? Truthfully, the two have nothing to do with each other.

Resources like Investopedia, Finder.com, and Merriam Webster give fast, accurate definitions. Bookmark, and keep them open in the background when you’re doing calls or interviews. When you’re starting out, it helps!

Also, read financial publications to learn their terms. Stock markets are confusing for most at first glance, but the learning curve isn’t steep. Start with ones like the Financial Times and BBC News: Business.

Behind Industries & Headlines Are Finance 

Companies and industries boil down to financial decisions. Writing about money doesn’t always mean writing from a serious investor’s angle. There are ways to look beyond the technical for more creative ideas – the ones editors like more. 

For Moneyweb, I once interviewed the musicians of Cortina Whiplash about their financial decisions. For The Penny Hoarder, I penned an article about the financial business of tarot readings – and then another, about guitar lessons.

I’ve even written about money in one of its most ancient forms, traded as salt.

“Finance stories” might have a myriad of angles that are still about money, from human interest to the dark side of money..

The Financial World (In The News)

Mainstream news headlines only touch the surface of financial news. What this means is you should look at financial publications (and blogs) for money and investment news after you learn from the regular news that something is happening in the money world.

For example, watch for a quick rise or drop in stock prices, the quitting or hiring of new board members, news from new startups or old stalwarts. These headlines can mean there’s a story (or big change) somewhere.

In 2017, I took a closer look at the investors’ space race. Today, just look at the industry! Spot trends, and act on them with ideas.

Read financial publications too, and learn their terms. Stock markets are confusing for most at first glance, but the learning curve isn’t steep. Start with ones like the Financial Times and BBC News: Business

The Background

Always have background: search your source, read their biographies, check news, and find past press releases. There are few things worse than being unprepared when a source launches passionately into a talk about their new book, you had absolutely no idea there was a book to speak about. Prepare for interviews.

For instance, once during a live radio interview, the phone rang: it was a friend asking if I could please stop describing a revolutionary new form of braille I’d read about that morning – because it wasn’t new at all, and I was way off the mark.

I’ll never forget it.

Great journalists make sure they’ve checked into background (with their notes close by). Even good journalists, especially new ones, might still forget. Financial writing is no different than any other niche writing in this regard, sometimes even more so that other niches.

BIO
Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author, and proofreader. His features have been published in a wide array of international publications: Caribbean Compass, Bridge Canada, People Magazine, Writers Weekly, Yoga International, Great Bridge Links, and more.