by Katerina Nikolas

Created on: May 17, 2010

If you choose to write personal finance articles for Helium the task comes with a certain responsibility, as readers are looking for accurate information to help them to make informed decisions. Incorrect information is misleading and may influence someone to make a financial blunder. Thus it is important to know the subject you are dealing with, rather than churn out a personal account of one particular experience you had with a finance institution. This may not reflect accurately on the subject.

Familiarity with financial terms is a must, along with the ability to decipher the real deal in financial advertisements. It helps no one to repeat some advertising blurb which announces a 5% cash deal unless you have waded through the terms and conditions and can accurately state that this offer begins when the customer has actually spent more than $5000. Few consumers take the time to acquaint themselves with the small print whereas it should be everyone’s first priority to understand the implications of a product completely.

It is hard to find the fine line between sounding patronizing to those who are well versed in financial dealings and helpful to those who are not well versed. However statistics show that 25% of Americans use no form of credit at all, and need helpful unbiased information as they become targeted with financial offers or look to take out their first line of credit. Further statistics reveal that only 3% of Americans are aware of their actual credit score: ironically often those with really bad credit have become very well informed too late.

Anyone can write finance articles on Helium: it is not restricted to those with specialized knowledge, but certainly writers who have worked in finance are more reliable sources as they can see the situation from both sides. They know the tricks which the financial institutions use to lure customers in and how they profit from them, and are able to guide consumers to the pertinent points to watch out for. Sometimes there will be articles from those who work in the business of debt consolidation and their advice needs to be balanced with articles by others who can see the pitfalls of such advice as it is not always impartial advice.

Rants which arise from personal experiences of dealing with a certain type of loan or finance institution should be placed in the memoirs channel of Helium, rather than in the finance section. These often evolve from a bad experience which could have been avoided if the person had been aware of the terms and conditions of any agreement they signed. It is one thing to advise others on how one dealt with debt, as an example, and quite another to tar a product one misused by lack of awareness of the terms and conditions.

To write a worthwhile finance article which may well influence a reader one really should be familiar with the broader world of finance rather than just personal experience. At the end of the day finance is a business area which expects to make a handsome profit from its customers, and the ability to see the full picture is a skill which can be utilized to give sound financial advice to those who are seeking reliable information as a guideline.

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