Grab readers with an anecdotal lead
Starting your article or blog post with with a real-life story can draw in readers who’d otherwise ignore you. “The anecdotal approach, by framing [your topic] in personal terms, becomes instantly accessible and—more important—readable,” as Mark Ragan says in “How to write an anecdotal lead.” To write good anecdotal leads, Ragan suggests that you 1. […]
Tune up your writing skills on Nov. 10 or Nov. 19–or hire me to help you
Could your writing skills use a tune-up? If you work with investments, you’ll get useful tips from my November 10 lunchtime presentation to Boston Women in Finance (BWF) on “How to Write What People Will Read About Investments.” Lunch is included in the program cost. This program sold out the first time I presented it […]
3Q09 vs. Q3 09 –which is better?
You probably know that Q is the abbreviation for quarter. But what’s the proper way to abbreviate “third quarter of 2009”? I prefer 3Q09 to Q3 09. It seems cleaner to separate the 3 of third quarter from the 09 of 2009. I worry that readers will get confused if the numbers in Q3 09 […]
Advisors, now’s the time to build clients’ NON-financial emergency funds
Financial advisors, encourage your clients to set up a non-financial emergency fund, says Kol Birke, financial behavior specialist at Commonwealth Financial Network. The fund will help them to make better financial decisions. Plus, it’ll strengthen their bond with you. A non-financial emergency fund consists of family, friends, and activities such as volunteering and exercise. These […]
Estate planning for unmarried and same-sex couples
Estate planning for unmarried and same-sex couples is mighty complicated, as I explain in “Unwed and Planning,” in the October issue of Financial Planning magazine. Here’s a table that got squeezed out of the story due to lack of space. This data is frequently updated on the Human Rights Campaign’s Relationship Recognition Map. Some resources […]