Let’s get possessive: A financial writing tip
Sometimes it pays for financial writers to get possessive. No, I’m not suggesting that you jealously hoard your office supplies or isolate your clients from other professionals. This is a writing tip. Instead, I’m suggesting that you use the possessive case to shorten phrases. For example, turn “The tone of the market improved by Friday” […]
Pictures can supercharge your message: A grasshopper story
People absorb messages better when words are complemented by an image. This is a rule that any writer can exploit. Take my dinner at Casa Oaxaca on a Mexican vacation. It was a multi-course tasting menu, so I could gloss over the chapulines in the taquitos de jicama con chapulines, quesillo y cuitlacoche. But then […]
WSJ video highlights plain English for financial advisors
The Wall Street Journal continues to highlight the case for plain English. An article, “A Tip for Financial Advisers: When Possible, Use English,” expands on the ideas introduced in the video. If you like this article-video combo, you may also enjoy former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt’s opinion essay, which I discussed in “The Levitt test […]
Projected: A word geek’s nitpick
Sloppy or mistaken word usage pops out at me. For example, “A projected 5,000 people hold shares in this mutual fund.” The sentence misuses “projected.” Projected refers to an estimate for the future. Here’s a correct use of the word. “A projected 5,000 people will hold shares in this mutual fund one year from now.” […]
Reader question: How can I ask clients to follow me to a new firm?
When financial planners, wealth managers, and portfolio managers change firms, they want their clients to follow them. But clients don’t fall in line as easily as ducklings following their mother. After an advisor asked me for advice about composing a letter asking clients to switch firms, I created the list below. Your letter should be […]