Darla Mercado: Conscientious Financial Journalism for Advisors

Darla Mercado

On today’s episode of Framework, Jamie chats with Darla Mercado, markets editor for CNBC.com.

Darla is a journalist-turned-financial planner who covered the financial advisor industry as a journalist before becoming a markets editor. She’s co-authored articles on financial planning, retirement, taxes, and many more aimed at financial advisors. When outside the newsroom, she stays busy cycling, swimming, running,  or competing in triathlons.

Darla talks with Jamie about how being a CFP helped her be the ideal watchdog for the markets and why upholding journalistic values in financial writing is important.

“At the end of the day, journalism aims to provide a service and a lot of that is based on educating the public. If we could do that and be more active about it, that would be great.” ~ @darla_mercado

Main Takeaways

  • Educational background is not enough criteria for choosing or vetting financial advisors. There should be a streamlined process on how to choose the best one for each client.
  • Build a list of credible sources and develop it over time. Maintaining good rapport with your sources can lead to new stories.
  • Journalism is all about providing value. Before a feature gets published, there’s meticulous coordination between journalists, editors, the research team, and management. Being more conscientious in creating stories can help educate people more effectively.

Links and Important Mentions

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