{"id":70093,"date":"2019-08-28T12:22:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T11:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/hitting-the-financial-copywriting-sweet-spot\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:13:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:13:59","slug":"hitting-the-financial-copywriting-sweet-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/hitting-the-financial-copywriting-sweet-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Hitting the financial copywriting sweet spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jargon, long-winded sentences and an abundance of acronyms are what you would once expect from financial copywriting. But not anymore. In fact, it has started to flip the other way with challenger fintech brands subverting what was once the norm.
\nAs Claire our strategist explained in her blog Boring financial language or critical information<\/a>, finance is a serious subject and should be treated like one. Yes, we can speak to customers like the humans they are, but no, we shouldn\u2019t play down risk disclosures or disclaimers.
\nIt has been some months since Claire wrote the blog, and we\u2019ve seen a mixed bag of brands getting it right and those getting it wrong (in our opinion, that is). Let\u2019s see if you agree.<\/p>\n

Where light-hearted financial copywriting goes too far<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a lot we like about Monzo. It\u2019s taking complexities out of finance for lots of people. But we couldn\u2019t help but notice a few times where its writers seem to have forgotten that it is a regulated bank \u2013 starting with an over-human touch.
\nOur toes curled when we read: \u201cWe want you to feel comfortable telling us when something\u2019s wrong (whether that\u2019s struggling with your mental health, losing your job, or something else)\u201d.
\nNow we can\u2019t answer for everyone, but we wouldn\u2019t imagine that Monzo would be the first port of call for anyone needing mental health support. My concern about this runs deeper. It\u2019s hard to believe that the person calling for emotional support would actually receive it, which could damage trust in the long term.
\nAnother cause for alarm was a tool that makes it explicitly clear you can use an overdraft to borrow up to \u00a31,000 for just 50p a day. Although this is a legitimate feature of Monzo\u2019s overdrafts, we\u2019re questioning whether it should be shouted about as a marketing claim. It errs on the side of encouraging people to borrow when they perhaps can\u2019t afford to.<\/p>\n

Credit where credit is due<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not all bad news for Monzo\u2019s copywriting department. We\u2019re a fan of its call out to the FSCS.
\nLoud and clear on the savings area of the site it says, \u201cThe money you put into Savings Pots is guaranteed up to \u00a385,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Saving more than \u00a385,000? You can spread your savings across multiple savings providers to get FSCS protection up to \u00a3510,000 within Monzo.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s a succinct way of explaining how the scheme works and its benefits for people. We\u2019re just pleased not to see it buried away in a caveat that can be easily ignored.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoney doesn\u2019t get more important than this\u201d<\/h3>\n

This lovely financial copywriting subhead came from TransferWise, followed by a number of examples, like purchasing property, paying tuition, moving an inheritance. It\u2019s a creative and human way of acknowledging that doing financial processes properly is vital.
\nNutmeg has also got this balance down to a tee. Its site is peppered with the line \u201cWith investment, your capital is at risk\u201d to really drill this message home. We also like the following explainer:
\n\u201cYour fees will depend on how much you invest and your chosen investment style \u2014 use the slider above to see what Nutmeg will charge you\u201d.
\nFinally, a slider that encourages people to be careful with their investment \u2013 not an encouragement to spend more. Some firms may be concerned that this phrase would sound negative, and they may want to squirrel away the fees in a disclaimer. Nutmeg has shown that being open about your fees is a more honest way to build trust. And note the active voice in \u201cNutmeg will charge you\u201d.<\/p>\n

More on financial copywriting<\/h2>\n

Take a look at our Financial Services<\/a> page for more of our experience within financial copywriting services.
\nOur workshops on tone of voice<\/a> and best practice for financial services writing help our clients get the balance right. Find out more<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jargon, long-winded sentences and an abundance of acronyms are what you would once expect from financial copywriting. But not anymore. In fact, it has started to flip the other way with challenger fintech brands subverting what was once the norm. As Claire our strategist explained in her blog Boring financial language or critical information, finance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[413],"tags":[474,475],"class_list":["post-70093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-financial-copywriting-us","tag-financial-copywriting-us","tag-financial-services-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHitting the financial copywriting sweet spot - Stratton Craig - Global Copywriting & Content Marketing Agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jargon, long sentences and acronyms are what you'd once expect from financial copywriting. Not anymore. 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