Orman promotes her debit card in O Magazine article

Ron Lieber of The New York Times writes Tuesday about how personal finance guru Suze Orman is writing about a prepaid debit card that she launched in the latest issue of O Magazine.

Lieber writes, “So how does this all square with Ms. Orman’s promise not to promote the card on air?

“‘I did tell you that I was not going to talk about the card on my CNBC show. I will respect the editorial rules of CNBC,’ Ms. Orman wrote in an e-mail to me Monday afternoon.

“‘But of course I am going to talk about this card anywhere and everywhere I can! Because unless people get it and USE IT, then my mission of changing credit scoring in this country cannot be accomplished. You seem to suggest it is unethical to talk about it. Well my friend, I think it would be unethical NOT to talk about it. This credit system in this country has got to change. And I am an evangelist for change.’

“As for O, The Oprah Magazine, I tried to get a handle on the editorial rules it has about this sort of thing. The editor is out of town and unreachable for the moment, so a magazine spokeswoman sent me the following via e-mail:

“‘Suze Orman has been a columnist for more than a decade, offering solid personal finance advice in our pages. Over the years, we’ve featured her books and other products that she feels can help our readers better manage their financial lives. As with all of our columnists, she makes recommendations, and it is up to readers whether or not to follow them.'”

Read more here.