Freelance Personal Finance Writer

The Ascent team is looking for an experienced personal finance writer with a knack for research, the adaptability to handle a wide variety of assignments, and a passion for helping readers change their financial lives for the better.
We’re looking for writers who can dedicate at least 15 hours per week to this role.
**NOTE: This role is flexible and 100% remote, but candidates MUST reside in the United States for consideration.**

Who we are

The Motley Fool's mission is "To make the world smarter, happier, and richer." For more than 30 years that has meant providing impartial investment recommendations with a healthy portion of personal finance guidance on the side. And as we seek to empower everyone with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to attain financial freedom, our coverage continually expands.

We launched The Ascent, a Motley Fool brand, in 2018 to rate and review critical financial products like credit cards and savings accounts, as well as to provide jargon-free advice on topics ranging from paying off debt to buying a home. There's a lot of money advice out there (some good, some less good), and we're cutting through the noise with straightforward, concrete info and advice on financial matters big and small.

So now that you know who we are at The Ascent, let's talk about you.

Who we're looking for

The Ascent team is looking for an experienced personal finance writer with a passion for researching all manner of financial topics and providing readers with helpful information and advice. They will be primarily focused on writing short-form articles for a large audience. They'll also have the opportunity to write new evergreen educational pages and product reviews, as well as to update existing content. Our writers are free to pitch article ideas, and we also create assignments for writers to tackle. Everybody takes part in brainstorming, and we welcome fresh perspectives!

Ideally, this writer will be able to work in multiple verticals. (Check out our site's top nav and article feed to get a feel for what we cover.) Whatever the topic, they'll dive deep into it and surface the information our readers need to make the best financial choices. They'll also stay on top of the latest developments in consumer finance and the industries we cover. If you love reading NAR reports and credit card issuers' press releases, then you might be the writer we're looking for!

Responsibilities

• Write both timely and evergreen articles on a wide variety of personal finance topics.
• Pitch article ideas based on relevant news or whatever will 1) grab readers' attention and 2) serve their best financial interests.
• Accept internally created assignments and deliver them on deadline.
• Update vital Ascent pages to ensure they are up to date, meet our current standards, and provide not only the essential information, but also any appropriate opinions and advice.
• Use and continually learn about SEO best practices.
• Adapt to our ever-evolving needs, processes, formats, etc.
• Keep tabs on our communications channels for new assignments and important updates.
• Attend monthly meetings with in-house staff to discuss new initiatives and best practices.
• Prove that Bigfoot is real.

(We'll settle for eight out of nine.)

Qualifications

• Three-plus years' experience writing personal finance articles for the web, with previous publishing credits.
• Basic math skills. (Ex: You should be able to walk our readers through an example of how much money they might save by paying off credit card debt or diverting savings to an S&P 500 index fund.)
• Knowledge of digital media and SEO best practices.
• Experience using basic online tools such as Google Workspace, Slack, and content management systems.
• The ability to write clear, fluid, and engaging prose for readers of all knowledge levels.
• Adaptability and responsiveness to feedback.

In your application, please provide at least three writing samples.

A few things to note:

• In a turbulent industry, our track record of financial stability stands out.
• The Motley Fool's writers tend to stick with us for years. Many have been here a decade or more.
• Experience in journalism and/or writing for organic search is a major plus -- but not a requirement.
   

Compensation Note: 

Most hourly work, including updates to existing Ascent pages, pays $100 per hour.

As for new pieces, we pay anywhere from $150 for short-form articles to $500 for product reviews. Writers are also eligible for performance-based incentives.