GUIDE 2024

What Does a Financial Writer Do?

A financial writer creates content related to accounting, money, budgeting, the stock market, and the world of finance. Financial writers play an essential role in the financial sector and guide audiences toward important financial decisions.

The Financial Writer Role

A financial writer drafts informative and engaging content for the finance market. That sector includes financial planning, personal finance, or financial services. While researching finance, money, and the market, a successful financial writer must then relay their findings to their audience in easy-to-read yet comprehensive writing.

If you’re interested in learning more about the role via video, then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

Financial writers stay aware of recent market news and stories to produce content based on their findings quickly. The financial market is a fast-paced environment that demands passion for investments, money, finance, and reports. They take their knowledge and create content for digital or print publications. They can also write educational content, such as articles and learning guides, focused on financial markets.

Financial writers make their writing appeal to a broad audience. Depending on their audience, there can be different levels of in-depth knowledge that the writer can showcase. A successful financial writer knows how to communicate with their audience properly and what medium to use.

A financial writer reports facts while examining the market at the same time. They must have an excellent grasp and expertise on economics and journalism to create quality work. If you have a background in finance, such as financial planning, you might look into the career path of financial writers.

Financial writers can work in many areas:

  • Financial institutions: This includes creating educational articles about financial topics. Writers also have the opportunities to develop learning guides, curate comprehensive textbooks, and create e-learning modules.
  • News and media outlets: Writers working in this area use their writing skills to provide personal finance opinions in online and print outlets. You write blog posts, social media posts, or commentary pieces about finance and the ever-changing market. This type of job would enable you to create an impressive portfolio and showcase your writing skills.
  • Publishing houses: Publishers and publishing houses also hire financial writers. These jobs work for those interested in having different assignments on a contractual, freelance basis.
  • Investment newsletters and magazines: If you have experience as an investment writer, you can write for a newsletter or a magazine. You can create a steady income by writing for these outlets.
  • Freelance: If you have a strong portfolio, you can try being a freelance financial writer. There are many financial writer jobs available today. You can focus your skills on financial services, personal finance, or you can become an investment writer.

Essential Responsibilities

As a financial writer, these are some of your roles of responsibility:

  • Create and maintain documents and information about the financial industry in an array of formats.
  • Research current financial market trends and outcomes to create engaging content.
  • Use search engine optimization best practices when you make your content.
  • Publish your content using different outlets such as white papers, social media, blog posts, marketing, etc.
  • Ensure a consistent tone of voice that is in line with the brand and its audience.
  • Be well-versed in various financial topics and accustomed to describing financial markets, products, and economic activity in an easy-to-read manner.
  • Use strong project management, written, and oral communication skills.

Education Requirements

If you want to become a financial writer, you do not need a specific educational background in financial writing. Many financial writers have a four-year college degree in a related field such as business, journalism, or English. If you have knowledge of finance and experience in one of these fields is helpful to become a successful financial writer. A Master’s degree is unnecessary for financial writing, but it may help you get a job with higher pay.

You can also get a credible certification like the ones from Technical Writer HQ to help jumpstart the process.

Technical Writing Certifications

Valuable Skills

Financial writers have an investigative journalist’s talent to create high-quality, transparent, and coherent information. They can quickly dissect multiple pieces of information, be well informed about upcoming events, predict forthcoming market trends, and have an overall passion for financial writing.

These are some valuable skills that can help you succeed in jobs as a financial writer. A successful financial writer will fulfill all these needs on a daily basis:

  • Research and keep up with market trends. A financial writer is an expert voice in their field, so they should stay updated on recent changes in money matters.
  • Know accounting principles. You should search for business classes in your local community that can help further your education about finance.
  • Learn different methods to display your content. You should look into in-demand applications, explore new e-learning programs. Find other ways that your content can reach users and learn how to use the latest tools.
  • Have the ability to work with a team. Many financial writers work with other team members such as financial analysts or web designers.

How to Become a Financial Writer

The financial market changes rapidly, and financial writer jobs constantly surge. To become a financial writer, you must have a strong background and knowledge in finance. Work experience or higher education in the field will set you apart from the crowd, especially as a freelance writer getting started.

These are a few other things that can help start your career in financial writing:

  • Gain more knowledge. Sign-up for online classes about finance, read financial news daily about the changing market trends, and take certification courses.
  • Find your niche. You can focus your career in financial writing in different ways. Would you like to work on the web, with newspapers, or through market commentary? What will be your area of focus?
  • Learn the lingo. Financial writing is clear and comprehensive. Look at other financial writers and see their style. Note the language that they use and the way they form their documents.
  • Showcase your work. Create a strong portfolio that you can send to potential employers. Keep up-to-date on the market changes and write strong pieces with financial concepts that you can send to showcase your skills. If you don’t have any experience yet, try to use a personal experience and write about it. For example, you invested in cryptocurrency and want to tell others how you did it. You can write an article about it and get it published online for exposure and practice.
  • Network. Connect with people in the financial services field who can let you know of job alerts, trends, and opportunities.

Is It the Right Career for You?

If you have a thirst for finance, a passion for writing, and a desire for an exciting and evolving career, a career as a financial writer may be right for you. As a financial writer, you can work in many fields, through different mediums, and across exciting topics. You can work for different companies, news outlets, or try your hand at freelancing. Having a knack for business relations can maintain a steady client flow. Experience and education are the two essential components of becoming a financial writer.

The average salary is between $71,000 to 75,000. PayScale lists the average salary as $66,000, and Salary.Com says it ranges between $60,000 to $75,000. The world of a financial writer is vast and exciting. Are you ready to take the plunge?

 


If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.