Making financial news more accessible

CNBC Make It reporter Ashton Jackson writes about ways to make financial news more accessible to consumers.

Jackson writes, “Often, using examples that resonate with readers helps them understand your message and keeps them engaged in what you have to say.

“If you’re discussing inflation, you can talk about how rising costs can affect food, rent and gas — which are daily essentials for everyone — or how price hikes may increase financial stress, making it difficult to keep up with student loans or have extra cash for family vacations.

“The same applies when you’re talking about the stock market and investing, Cheung said.

“‘I can’t just say, ‘The stock market tanked and the Dow dropped by 1,000 points today,’’ he said. ‘Most people don’t know the Dow Jones Industrial Average, [but many] people have money that’s in a retirement account that might be invested in the stock market. So I say it just like that: ‘Hey, the stock market is down today. That might be a little scary for your 401k, but don’t panic, because the stock market moves up and down every single day.’”

Read more here.