day 4 - "finding personal finance angles on any beat"
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Melissa Preddy presents "Finding Personal Finance Angles on Any Beat," a Webinar for business journalists hosted by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more information, visit BusinessJournalism.org.TRANSCRIPT
Thursday, May 13
Show them the Money!
Finding personal financeangles on any beat
Today’s agenda:
Transportation
Health care
Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat
Big piece of art
To readers, nothing is sexier than a dollar sign!
The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance
Finding consumer stories in the transportation sectors
Adding value to the baggage-fee story
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/common_vacation_hidden_fees_an.html
Transportation
Earning: Careers. Endless possibilities; people aren’t
going to stop moving around any time soon. From engineering and alternative power to design to manufacturing, selling, etc. – check BLS occupational handbooks for job forecasts, outlook.
Small business. Service, sales, detailing, aftermarket of all personal transport. Vendors.
Transportation
Spending: Cars/trucks/bikes ~ 2nd largest purchase
Selling prices/depreciation (Edmunds, KBB)
FSBO / classifieds
Warranties, extended warranties pros & cons
Recalls, investigations, safety alerts
Fuel mileage
Rentals, exotic rentals
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/45310/article.html
Transportation
Spending: Aftermarket services, trends
Maintenance/repair caveats, DIY angles Franchises, innovations
Options Factory options – what’s worth it, what’s not, novelties
AAA and other memberships
On-board mobile assistance (On-star, etc.)
Sat radio, GPS, SYNC, other digital options, trends
Transportation
Spending: Airline travel
Fees, routing, Internet brokers (Expedia,Orbitz etc.)
FF programs – how to work the angles – hotels, cc, etc.
Similar angles for rail, bus travel
Public transport, tolls, commuting
Transportation
Borrowing: Auto lease/loan terms ~ loan lengths
Incentives, interest rates
RVs /boats/light planes ~ credit markets, op costs
Trucks – owner/operator/small biz
Saving: Maintenance tips
Vehicle-sharing programs, rentals
Transportation
Taxes Gasoline taxes
Landing fees, excise taxes on air tickets, rail
Sales tax
Investing Local angles – manufacturers, airline hubs etc. – pension
and retirement issues, labor contracts.
Franchises – car washes, detailing shops, etc.
Transportation
Risk Insurance – auto, boat, bike, RV, etc. – depends on
state requirements. Min/max, high-risk pools, etc.
Civil infractions – a metro story could become a pocketbook package
Travel insurance, liability, etc.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100427/METRO05/4270380/Many-speed-limits-set-too-low
Finding consumer stories in the health care sectors
Health care
EarningCareers possibilities are endless. Worth a
series.
Look for offbeat niches. Home visits, NURSECAR, travel/temp RN, MD jobs
Cost of training vs. earning potential for RN, EMT, CNA, etc. – community colleges, etc.
Bioscience, R&D – college grad outlook, start-ups and incubators
Question: With medical insurance reform in the news, have you searched your own beat for a health oriented consumer tie-in?
Please answer Y or N.
Health care
Spending Implications of health care reform.
Shopping for insurance / evaluating benefits
Flexible spending accounts
Health savings accounts
Alternative service providers: walk-in clinics, dial-a-nurse
Imaging centers – pros & cons
Health care
Spending Free/low-cost drugs at mass merchants
Drugmaker programs for elderly, low-income
Child insurance through state programs
Internet, cross-border Rx / medical tourism
Pet health
Dental, vision, fitness, wellness, sports med, electives, physical therapy
Health care
Borrowing Medical collections
Financing elective procedures – cash, credit, in-house loans, etc.
Downsides of dipping into home equity, long-term savings to finance unsecured debt
Health care
Savings Overlap with “spending”
Where not to cut costs
Homeopathic, alternatives
Avoiding medical scams
Participating in studies
Free clinics, screenings – worth it?
Mail-order supplies
Health care
Taxes
Deductible medical expenses; record-keeping, mileage
Investing
Start-ups, focused funds
HSAs
** Risk: Overlaps with insurance spending. Beware dubious products like cancer insurance
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/health/policy/25scam.html
Friday: Financial services and personal finance storytelling
Please feel free to e-mail me with additional questions at [email protected].
Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat