How to edit financial writing [part 4]
Have you ever read a piece of content that seemed to repeat itself almost like a broken record or a verbal merry-go-round, saying the same exact thing over and over again, ad infinitum?
Pretty frustrating!
Redundancy in writing not only wastes your audience’s time but also dilutes the impact of your message. And in communicating financial services, every word counts.
If you want to avoid saying the same thing twice (and when it’s helpful to repeat yourself) keep reading!
We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again
French polymath, Blaise Pascal, once apologized for writing too long a letter, saying, “I have not had time to make it shorter.” While brevity can be challenging for writers, it shows ultimate respect for the reader’s time.
Redundant phrases are those that repeat the same idea unnecessarily. At best, redundancy in your writing can dilute your message, making it less effective and engaging. At worst, people stop reading.
It’s good to become familiar with the types of redundancy in writing. There are five:
1. Prolixity: Using excessive wordiness that obscures the main point, as in, “Due to the fact that” instead of simply saying “because.”
2. Circumlocution: Expressing a straightforward idea in an overly indirect way, like saying “At this point in time” instead of “now.”
3. Verbal Redundancy: Repeating words or phrases unnecessarily close together, as in “each and every” or “basic essentials.”
4. Pleonasm: Using more words than necessary to convey meaning, like “ice cold” or “true fact.”
5. Tautology: Repeating the same idea in different words, such as “free gift” or “past history.”
Example samples
Let’s look at some common examples of redundancy that might creep into financial writing, and their streamlined alternatives:
While “Financial planning strategies” might be fine to say in a Zoom meeting; “Financial planning” gets to the point faster in writing.
“Future projections” feels like waffling, whereas “projections” is confident and concrete.
“Annual yearly return” sounds like an unmerited buildup when “Annual return” will do fine.
Redundant: “The quarterly report published every three months”
Streamlined: “The quarterly report”
Redundant: “Combine your savings and investment accounts together”
Streamlined: “Combine your savings and investment accounts”
Redundant: “New innovative solutions”
Streamlined: “Innovative solutions”
Redundant: “Absolutely essential information”
Streamlined: “Essential information”
3 editing tips to streamlined messages
Effective communication in the financial sector requires precision and clarity. Here are things to keep in mind steps to streamline your message:
Be specific with terms instead of using vague or redundant phrases.
Redundant: “A wide range of different investment options”
Streamlined: “A range of investment options”
Use Active Voice: As we said in our previous issue, there are cases in which passive voice just sounds more natural. But active voice is usually more direct and engaging.
Passive: “The investment plan was developed by our team.”
Active: “Our team developed this investment plan.”
Combine Sentences: Merge short, repetitive sentences into one statement.
Redundant: “Our advisors are experts. They have years of experience in financial planning.” Streamlined: “Our expert advisors have years of experience in financial planning.”
Redundancy vs. repetition
For good reason, redundancy has a long history of criticism. The phrase “omit needless words,” was made famous by E.B. White in “The Elements of Style” published in 1959. White attributed this advice to his professor, William Strunk, who would repeat it in class like a mantra: “Omit needless words! Omit needless words! Omit needless words!”
But isn’t Strunk’s repetition interesting?
Language scholars say that repetition aids retention, particularly in rhetoric and teaching environments because reinforcing information makes things easier to learn.
Not to mention that not everyone hears you the first time.
Repetition can also give writing breathing room. When every non-essential word is stripped away, writing can feel very dense. Allowing some breathing room for repetition may be beneficial.
This is why we recommend every editing session include a round to read the piece out loud to help develop an ear for writing.
Ditch the déjà vu
Eliminating redundancy from your writing means your message becomes clearer and easier to understand.
Streamlined writing not only appears more professional and trustworthy but is equally appreciated by customers and busy professionals.
