Phil Simonides
Washington, D.C.
As seen in:
The Wall Street Journal,
CNBC,
Yahoo Finance,
MarketWatch,
Seeking Alpha,
Nasdaq,
Kiplinger,
Kiplinger Tax Letter,
InvestmentNews,
Financial Advisor
and
Covers:
personal finance
Doesn't Cover:
outside personal finance
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I created a feature for my high school newspaper called "Man on The Street." I polled people on interesting topics and shared their thoughts
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I did have a typewrite in elementary school and it was one of those self correcting types, which seemed pretty cool in the 70s!
How is social media changing news?
Social media provides so much more opinion based information and not always steeped in experience...I prefer to read experienced opinions.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't read alot of fiction...not much time for operating outside of reality for me.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I don't think of myself as a journalist. I think of myself as a people developer in financial services who is committed to sharing his story
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Pretty basic. Word with changes tracker on! Sometimes I use an online thesaurus....getting the right words matters to me!
What's your favorite social network?
SnapChat...by far. LinkedIn is good too but less entertaining.
Who do you wish followed you?
J Lo. She's the best!
Why did you become a journalist?
Again, I am a leader who also publishes to guide people in frequently misunderstood areas of personal finance. I like to explode myths.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes. Created "Man on The Street" feature which gave students a voice on popular topics. It was fun to be a man of the people!
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I really liked the Tax Diversification piece I did. Way too important for people to know. Retirement is like a football game piece was fun.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
If you have something of value to say you owe it to the industry to get it out there for people to talk about.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Fridays
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I once got fastball in on the hands in in 9th grade which I was hoping would curve...that hurt.
What's your favorite drink?
Russian Standard Platinum vodka martinis with fresh blue cheese stuffed olives...lots of them...the olives that is!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Watching my kids play lacrosse. Youth sports are a great passion for me.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
FA Magazine is one of my faves. I like the Kiplingers writers as well.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People who write are not practitioners, simple not true.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.