Freelance finance writing is a very specific form of content writing that tracks and breaks down economic trends, market analyses, investment strategies, and personal wealth management tips. Like I said, very specific!
As the financial world becomes increasingly complex and intertwined with our ever-changing global economy, the demand for easy, clear, insightful, and reliable financial content increases. So, if you’ve got a knack for finances or a background in banking, investing, etc., now might be a good time to break into this specific writing field.
One day, you might be decoding the latest market movements for savvy investors, then offering personal finance advice the next. Believe it or not, finance writing plays a major role in educating and guiding both individuals and businesses regarding everything related to money.
In this guide, I cover details about the types of finance writing, tips to get started in freelance finance writing, opportunities for finance writers, and the skills required for freelance finance writers to make it in this industry. So, if you’re ready to learn about numbers and narratives driving the financial world and how to write about them, let’s get started!
What Is Finance Writing?
Finance writing encompasses a broad spectrum of content creation that focuses on finance, investing, and economics, all while incorporating proper SEO for finance content.
Industry-specific finance articles can include in-depth investment reports, financial news commentary, company earnings analyses, explanatory pieces on financial concepts and products, and even straight-up financial advice for saving and investing.
It’s not like general business writing, which usually covers a wider range of topics like management, operations, and marketing. Finance writing digs really deep into the financial implications, trends, and strategies that directly impact economic outcomes and investment decisions.
And it’s not just meant for business professionals or stock marketing shareholders. Finance writing can be for everyday people like you and me who want to understand more about how loans, investing, stocks, mortgages, etc. work.
What Are the Different Types of Finance Writing?
The different types of finance writing encompass personal finance, business finance, financial markets coverage, economic journalism, insurance analysis, and more. Each type will be discussed in detail below, along with other types of finance writing.
Personal Finance Writing
Personal finance writing is all about guides and advice on managing your personal finances, savings, investments, buying homes, paying off debt, retirement planning, and anything else that the everyday person deals with.
Business Finance Writing
This type of finance content sheds light on insights into business financial management, corporate budgeting, financial planning, small business loans, and analysis. The target readers here are self-employed individuals, small business owners, and people already in the business world who want to stay on top of trends and things.
Financial Markets Writing
This niche requires constantly studying and staying on top of daily trends. It involves analyzing and reporting on stock markets, bond markets, cryptocurrencies, and other investment platforms. You’ve got to be fully invested in this area to stay ahead of the game and regularly publish up-to-date content.
Industry-Specific Finance Writing
Have you ever had a clerical job in a hospital? Have you gained some experience in the costs of developing technology? This experience or “ins” could make you a great candidate for industry-specific finance writing. This type of content centers around the financials of specific sectors like healthcare, science, technology, or energy.
Economic Journalism
If straight-up numbers bore you, financial writing mixed with editorial journalism might be the path for you. Here, you’d do things like reporting on economic trends and policy changes, but with an angle of how their implications affect the global and local economies.
Insurance Writing
People want to know where to find the best insurance for their life and needs. But the verbiage in most insurance policies isn’t meant to be understood by the everyday person. This type of finance writer would create content like articles and guides that simplify insurance products, trends, and advice for both individuals and businesses.
Financial Education Writing
You can go a bit broader here. Anything financial that could be simplified in a way that teaches and informs, regardless of the audience, falls under financial education writing. This type of content is aimed at improving everyone’s financial literacy.
I remember the first time I bought a house. I was young and naive and knew nothing about interest rates, down payments, closed-term or open-term, etc. So, I read a ton of articles and guides made to educate people like me, and I felt more confident signing those papers.
Financial Technology (FinTech) Writing
If you love what Elon Musk is doing and think it’s fascinating enough to write about, this could be the area where you break into finance writing. It’s all about the coverage of the latest in financial technology innovations, startups, and digital finance trends.
Real Estate Finance Writing
I’ve actually done my fair share of real estate finance writing. I worked at the front desk of a real estate agency during my college years, so I learned so many ins and outs and most of the lingo. Some of my first freelance gigs were writing finance content for real estate, and I was surprised by how easily it all came to me.
If you have a background in real estate, I recommend starting here. Buying and selling properties is a whole different world than it was just a few years ago. People could definitely use content that helps explain how things work. You could create insights into real estate investment, market trends, financing, and economic factors affecting real estate.
Green Finance Writing
This type of finance content focuses on investments and financial products aimed at sustainability and environmental initiatives.
Credit and Lending Writing
Want to write articles on credit scores and lending products and give advice to consumers and businesses? Consider credit and lending content writing!
Taxation Writing
No one likes taxes, whether paying them or filing them. But we all deal with them each year. Younger people who are just starting their adult lives, self-employed individuals, business owners, and so many more would appreciate well-written and easy-to-understand content about taxes, the dos and don’ts, trends, how to file, etc.
What Skills Are Required for Freelance Finance Writers?
Freelance finance writers need:
- Proficiency in financial concepts and terminology
- Capability to simplify complex data into precise, understandable content
- Research proficiency to obtain reliable financial information
- Attention to detail and adherence to style guides
Strong Understanding of Financial Concepts and Terminology
This is ground zero. If you want to be a finance writer, you need a solid grasp of economic principles, investment strategies, and financial products.
Ability to Distill Complex Data into Clear, Accurate Prose
A great finance writer should be able to translate complicated financial data and trends into easily digestible, engaging content for anyone to read.
Research Skills for Gathering Reliable Financial Information
Make sure you know where to find accurate data, reports, and analyses to support your writing. When it comes to people’s money, you don’t want to lead them astray. They’ll come for you!
Attention to Details and Adherence to Style Guides
It’s not enough that you know all the inner workings and lingo; you have to understand them fully, too. Ensuring accuracy in numbers and terminology and following editorial guidelines are important for a specific type of writing like this.
What Opportunities Are There for Finance Writers?
Finance writers have various avenues for employment:
- Financial publications and websites: Give helpful analysis, news, and advice on a huge range of financial topics.
- Content marketing agencies specializing in finance: Get more specific and create branded content for finance companies and startups.
- Corporations and investment firms: This area involves developing reports, whitepapers, and market analyses.
- Freelance platforms seeking financial writing expertise: Cast your net and try freelance platforms like Upwork, where you can apply for hundreds of gigs centered around the type of financial content you make.
How Do You Get Started in Freelance Finance Writing?
To get started in freelance finance writing, create a niche within the finance industry, build a strong portfolio showcasing your expertise, network with professionals in the field, and consistently meet deadlines to establish credibility and attract clients.
Creating a Niche
Spend some time creating content and specializing in specific finance topics that interest you and for which there is a demand.
Building a Strong Portfolio
After you’ve done the first tip, publish them on social media or your personal blog or submit them as guest posts, etc. This is a good start for building a portfolio you can use to land bigger jobs.
Networking
I can’t say this enough: build your community, people! They say it takes a village to raise a kid. Well, it takes a whole network to grow a freelance career. You can’t do it on your own. Networking opens doors, gets you first in line, and puts you on the radar of others, so when they need a finance writer, they come to you.
Meeting Deadlines
Just because you’re a freelancer, making your own schedule doesn’t mean you can miss deadlines. Be professional, over-deliver, and always submit on time.
Do You Want to Become a Finance Writer?
Finance writing doesn’t have to be about boring numbers and figures. Combine it with your love of narrative writing and offer the world something new! Deliver breakdowns and guides to help everyone understand how our financial world works.
We covered what freelance finance writing is, dug into the different types you could do, and went over the necessary skills every finance writer should have. I hope my guide helped you make a decision! If you’re considering other areas of freelance writing, I have a ton of helpful guides right here on the site!