Personal finance column appears in papers under different bylines

Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher reports that the same personal finance column has appeared in papers across the country — under different bylines.

Strupp writes, “The column appears to have originated from the Financial Planning Association, according to the Web site of Fisher Financial Strategies, which also posted it and credited FPA. Several other newspaper Web sites have been found posting the column, some crediting FPA and others using only writer bylines.

“For example, the column is found in the East Valley Tribune of Mesa, Ariz., on June 19. Titled, ‘Don’t let economy threaten retirement plans,’ it carries the byline of Rebecca Warren. She is identified as a financial planner for Warren Financial Services.

“The column, also ran in The Huntsville (Texas) Item on June 25, is almost identical, word for word, to the first. It carries the byline of Brian Smith as an Item correspondent. Publisher Dennis Garrison confirmed to E&P that Smith is a financial adviser for the local office of Global Financial Partners and writes a regular column for the paper, but does not receive a fee.

“The two pieces are so close that Google News treats them as ‘duplicates.'”

Read more here.