Amy Buttell, Writer & Editor

A writer who nails the facts, explains context and trends

These days, there's no shortage of information. What there is a shortage of is insightful analysis and commentary that explains what the important news and information of the day means for specific consumer and professional audiences. That's where I come in: I'm a full-time freelance writer and editor who analyzes trends and policies in an effort to help consumers and professionals place financial, health care, consumer rights and legal issues in context. Whatever the key trends trends affecting your industry or your audience, I can get behind the story and the numbers and deliver the analysis and commentary that will help them understand how the issue affects them.

My strengths include brainstorming ideas and developing them into lively and compelling articles. I never write about a subject unless I understand it first, which means I'm relentless in researching complex topics and snagging the most knowledgable experts for their take. My writing has appeared in national magazines such as AARP: The Magazine, Consumers' Digest, Satisfaction as well as the popular consumer finance Web sites Bankrate.com, Creditcards.com, Cyberhomes.com and Interest.com. Other publications that frequently feature my writing include The Investment Professional, quarterly journal of the New York Society of Securities Analysts, the Financial Planning Association's flagship publication, The Journal of Financial Planning and Solutions, their practice management journal. I've served as the mutual fund columnist for Better Investing Magazine for the past nine years. I frequently contribute cover stories and features on other topics for this magazine, which is published by the National Association of Investor's Corporation (NAIC).

My resume also includes speaking engagements on personal finance and investing topics as well as user documentation and technical editing assignments. I also provide writing coaching services to financial professionals who want to improve their writing techniques and add publishing credentials to their resumes. When I'm not working or studying for the CPA exam, I spend time with my two sons and two cats at our home near Lake Erie in Erie, Pa.

What's New: Personal Investing: The Missing Manual due out in May 2010


Personal Investing: The Missing Manual, is the latest in O'Reilly Media's popular Missing Manual Series. The book, which I'm co-authoring with Bonnie Biafore and Carol Fabbri, will cover topics such as how to get started in investing and how to save for college, retirement and health care needs. It aims to demystify the often opaque subject of investing by explaining concepts clearly and simply and offering a step-by-step process to investing in all areas of your financial life.

I'm currently working on five chapters, including those on college savings, how to invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts, mutual fund investing, saving for retirement and health savings plans. My co-authors are covering the rest of the topics, which include how to invest in stocks and bonds, and manage a portfolio of investments, as well as important principals to guide your overall investing decisions.

Bonnie Biafore has written numerous Missing Manual books on topics ranging from QuickBooks to Project Management. Carol Fabbri is an experienced financial planner. Look for Personal Investing: The MIssing Manual in a book store near you, and online, in May.

Healthcare industry coverage ranges widely in trade press


My coverage of the healthcare industry has ranged widely during the past several years. I've covered a number of emerging trends in this space, including pay for performance, the adoption of lean techniques and the impact of the financial crisis on the industry. In the course of my research and writing, I've interviewed a number of physicians, healthcare executives and other industry movers and shakers.

I've also covered the industry from the perspective of consumers. My articles, published in websites such as Bankrate.com, have focused on how consumers can obtain low-cost prescription and generic drugs, whether it makes sense to invest in a genetic testing kit and the trend towards consumer-directed health care. As I gain knowledge of and contacts within the industry, I plan to write more articles in an effort to explain to both professional and consumer audiences how the latest trends in healthcare impact them.

Want to get published? The writing coach is in


If you're a financial professional who wants to enhance your writing techniques and gain more visibility by getting quoted in major magazines and published in trade journals, my writing coaching services are for you. I assist financial professionals in their writing and publishing activities by editing articles, proposing ideas and offering support. Contact me below for more information about my availability and my rates.

Earned Accounting Certificate in 2009


In March of 2009, I earned an Advanced Certificate in Accounting from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. My coursework consisted of eight accounting courses, including tax accounting, audit and advanced accounting, and classes in business law and macroeconomics. I attained a 3.6 grade point average during the three-and-a-half years it took me to complete the certificate, all while working full-time as a freelance writer and editor.

Library of Reprints Available


Many of my articles are available as reprints. Topics range from a four-part series on the ins and outs of college savings plans to features on the costs of adding a third child to a family and how to invest for income.

The more articles you purchase, the lower the individual price of each article. For more information, contact me via the link to the right.

Featured Writing

Web Writing
Creditcards.com
Creditcards.com covers all things credit cards. Issues I've covered include divorce and credit card debt, new credit card processing technologies and credit card penalty rates.
Interest.com
Interest.com is a site dedicated to informing consumers about mortgages, banking, credit and loan issues. I've covered the 2007 to 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis, cheap checking accounts and exotic mortgages.
Microsoft's Work Essentials Web Site
My Work Essentials Articles provide hands-on tools that financial planners and other financial professionals can use to function better in their work environment.
Bankrate.com
Recent articles deal with Roth IRA conversions, how credit scores affect private mortgage insurance and the value of online DNA testing.
Magazine Articles
Association Magazines
Writing for members of an association isn't the same as writing for a general consumer audience, and my articles for the New York Society of Securities Analysts, the Financial Planning Association and the American Hospital ASsociation reflect that. I've also written for custom publishers in the healthcare industry.
Feature articles
My feature articles on a variety of investing-related topics have appeared in Consumers' Digest, Satisfaction, AARP: The Magazine, Better Investing and Nick, Jr..
Magazine Columns
Mutual Fund Matters offers practical tips for mutual fund investors and explores the often puzzling mutual fund industry
Reports
Special Report: 10 Mutual Funds For Today
Mutualadvisors.com launched with a report on 10 funds for today, which I collaborated on with investing guru Ian Wyatt.
Guides
Quamut Guide to Mutual Funds
Barnes & Noble's Spark Notes division began publishing a series of Quamut guides in the Fall of 2007; my Mutual Fund Guide is one in this series.
Quamut Guide to College Savings
My second entry in the Barnes & Noble SparkNotes line of Quamut guides, walks you through the ins and outs of college savings plans.