Updated: Feb. 1, 2022
Our goal is to be the most complete and inclusive financial education and news outlet online. Over the last two years, we have sought to address the unique challenges faced by the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) within financial systems, and to examine closely our approach to content to ensure we are a fully inclusive financial resource. Ultimately, we want our content, our staff, our contributors, and our partner organizations to reflect all ethnicities, genders, generations, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We also want our content to help all people and honestly reflect how bias and institutional racism impact the financial sector. There is more work to do to achieve these goals. So this year we have rededicated ourselves to the following pledge.
People: Expand the Diversity of Voices
A diverse group of people working at Investopedia is essential to us being the most complete and inclusive financial education and news resource. We will continue to improve our recruiting and talent sourcing efforts to ensure an equality of opportunity for roles at Investopedia. The outcome that we expect to see, over time, will be represented in the makeup of our staff and contributors.
Our goal is to reach at least 40% BIPOC editorial contributors and staff, including at least 15% Black contributors and staff. We will communicate our progress on a regular basis.
People: Continue Education for Contributors
In 2021, we started an internal education program for staff, led by the Dotdash Anti-Bias Review Board, with the goal of educating ourselves about the challenges and experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities, so we can both address those issues in our workplace and better inform our readers. In 2022, we pledge to continue quarterly training, extending those lessons and educational materials to our contributors. And the editorial staff at Investopedia commits to ongoing, self-paced professional development to better understand racism and discrimination in finance through curriculum selected with the help of the Anti-Bias Review Board.
Content: Improve Inclusive Financial Content
Over the last two years, we have reviewed 17,000+ articles on Investopedia and identified nearly 2,800 documents that needed to be updated to be inclusive. In the first half of 2022, we will revisit and remediate our most widely read content to focus on examining conscious and unconscious bias. Also this year:
- We will create new, accessible, and inclusive financial education documents designed to empower those in minority and BIPOC communities to take control of their finances.
- We will publish new content designed to uplift and highlight the identities of minority and BIPOC individuals and BIPOC-owned and operated companies that help shape the financial world.
- We will continue content remediation projects on topics ranging from the impacts of gentrification to the non-European-centric origins of mathematical concepts.
Community: Amplify Partner Organization’s Efforts Toward Diversity and Inclusivity in Finance
Over the last two years, we formed partnerships with Wall Street Bound, Project Come-Up, and Learn to Money. These organizations address the effects of systemic and institutional racism by expanding career opportunities in finance and building financial literacy skills. We are working to give them a platform and resources to aid in those efforts. We will continue to partner with these organizations and lend our influence, voice, and reach at least one other organization aimed at furthering diversity and inclusivity in the financial sector.
The Bottom Line
The work at Investopedia will evolve, and there is no progress without accountability. This is the continuation of a permanent and necessary shift in how we serve the financial community. We re-dedicate ourselves to the promise to be transparent about our progress and to regularly update you. We encourage our readers to share their thoughts and ideas for improvement by emailing us at inv_editorial@investopedia.com.