Welcome to Common Cents
👋🏼 I’m Julianne.
Welcome to Common Cents where we'll explore timely financial topics in plain language so we can all understand what they are and why they matter.
I’ve worked in finance for ten years. I started in financial policy & financial literacy, then moved into investment banking, venture capital, and now I work at a fintech startup. During this time, I’ve learned quite a bit about finance.
And guess what? I’m still learning.
One thing I do know for sure is that finance has a specific, shared language. That shared language can be a helpful tool to share ideas efficiently. But sometimes, we rely on financial jargon without fully understanding what these terms mean and why they matter. Not only can this shared language can be a tool to unnecessarily exclude (and often profit from) people who don’t speak it, but without understanding what these topics mean and why they matter, we can't understand how to make these systems work better.
This newsletter is for anyone who encounters financial jargon at the workplace, with friends, or in the news, and feel like they should understand it, but don't yet feel comfortable using financial terms. This is for you!
In this monthly newsletter, we’ll use relevant, timely financial stories to explore broader financial topics. In plain language, I’ll explain
What the topic means
How it works, and
Why it matters aka my opinion informed, based on data and experience
What this newsletter is:
Focused on finance with topics ranging from decentralized financial to global financial markets to financial technology to access to capital broadly.
Just in time learning. We’ll use relevant news stories to explore broader financial topics, rather than to try and learn everything all at once.
A way for us all to learn in public with curiosity, honesty, and kindness.
What this newsletter is not:
A database of financial acronyms. Think Duolingo, not Encyclopedia Britannica.
A newsletter on breaking finance updates, fintech news or fundraising announcements. For a great synopsis of weekly financial news, check out This Week in Fintech and Fintech Today.
A resource on personal financial management. We may explore that topic, but there’s some great resources around like Ellevest and Boulevard.
Common Cents:
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Questions? Comments? Ideas? I’m @juliannebrands on Twitter or leave a comment.
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Thank you to friends and colleagues who have provided guidance and feedback. Thank you to other newsletters for inspiration including, but not limited to, AVC, Technically, This Week in Fintech, FinTech Today, Fintech Blueprint, and Bankless Nation.
And, a HUGE thank you to all of you reading this newsletter. Look forward to learning alongside you.
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.