Jane Bryant Quinn
Encyclopedia
Jane Bryant Quinn is an American
financial journalist. She is one of the nation's leading commentators on personal finance. Her policy columns have addressed matters of top concern to citizens, including investor protection, health insurance, Social Security, and the sufficiency of retirement plans.
, New York
, and graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College
in Vermont
, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. She is a contributing editor for Newsweek
, where she wrote a biweekly column for 30 years, retiring it in 2009. She also writes a bimonthly column for Bloomberg.com
.
Her twice-weekly, syndicated Washington Post Writers Group
column, “Staying Ahead”, ran for 27 years in over 250 newspapers and is considered one of the most successful newspaper columns. She retired it after a 27-year run. Quinn was co-founder, editor and general manager of McGraw-Hill
's "Personal Finance Letter." She was a reporter, then a co-editor of the consumer publication, "The Insider's Newsletter," formerly published by Look magazine
. For ten years, she worked for CBS News
, first on The CBS Morning News, then on The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. She has been a regular on ABC's The Home Show as well as a guest on Good Morning America
, Nightline
and many other programs.
She has also written personal finance columns for Woman's Day
and Good Housekeeping
. She hosted the PBS program on personal finance, Take Charge
, and co-hosted an investment series Beyond Wall Street, also on PBS.
She helped develop the top-selling software program Quicken Financial Planner, a personalized guide to saving and investing for college and retirement.
She has served on the boards of the Harvard School of Public Health
, the Jerome Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
and her alma mater, Middlebury College. She is currently a director of Bloomberg L.P., the financial services company, and of GSE Systems, Inc.
The World Almanac
named her one of the 25 most influential and powerful women in America.
Starting in 2010, Quinn became editorial director of hyperlocal media startup Main Street Connect
, where she is also a member of its board of directors.
Her late husband, David C. Quinn, was a lawyer. She has two sons, Matthew Ostrowski and Justin Quinn. She has three step children, David P. Quinn, Martha Quinn
, and Christopher Quinn. She married author Carll Tucker in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
financial journalist. She is one of the nation's leading commentators on personal finance. Her policy columns have addressed matters of top concern to citizens, including investor protection, health insurance, Social Security, and the sufficiency of retirement plans.
Biography
She was born in Niagara FallsNiagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. She is a contributing editor for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, where she wrote a biweekly column for 30 years, retiring it in 2009. She also writes a bimonthly column for Bloomberg.com
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
.
Her twice-weekly, syndicated Washington Post Writers Group
The Washington Post Writers Group
The Washington Post Writers Group is a press syndication service composed of opinion journalists, editorial cartoonists, comic strips and columnists. The service is operated by the Washington Post.-Writers:...
column, “Staying Ahead”, ran for 27 years in over 250 newspapers and is considered one of the most successful newspaper columns. She retired it after a 27-year run. Quinn was co-founder, editor and general manager of McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
's "Personal Finance Letter." She was a reporter, then a co-editor of the consumer publication, "The Insider's Newsletter," formerly published by Look magazine
Look magazine
Look magazine can refer to:* Look , 1937 to 1971* LOOK Magazine, for African-American college students* Look Magazine * Look Magazine...
. For ten years, she worked for CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, first on The CBS Morning News, then on The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. She has been a regular on ABC's The Home Show as well as a guest on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...
and many other programs.
She has also written personal finance columns for Woman's Day
Woman's Day
Woman's Day is aimed at a female readership, covering such subjects as food, nutrition, fitness, beauty and fashion. The magazine edition is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines....
and Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
. She hosted the PBS program on personal finance, Take Charge
Take Charge
Take Charge is a government program that provides free family planning and pregnancy prevention services to low-income residents of Washington State. The program expands Medicaid coverage for family planning services to individuals whose income is 200% or lower than the federal poverty level...
, and co-hosted an investment series Beyond Wall Street, also on PBS.
She helped develop the top-selling software program Quicken Financial Planner, a personalized guide to saving and investing for college and retirement.
She has served on the boards of the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
, the Jerome Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
and her alma mater, Middlebury College. She is currently a director of Bloomberg L.P., the financial services company, and of GSE Systems, Inc.
GSE Systems, Inc.
GSE Systems, Inc. develops and markets software-based simulation and training products to nuclear, oil, and gas electricity generators, and the chemical process industries. It also sells software for monitoring and optimizing plant and signal analysis to the power industry....
The World Almanac
World Almanac
In 1993 Scripps sold the Almanac to K-III .The World Almanac was sold to Ripplewood Holdings' WRC Media in 1999. Ripplewood bought Reader's Digest and the book was then produced by the World Almanac Education Group, which was owned by The Reader's Digest Association...
named her one of the 25 most influential and powerful women in America.
Starting in 2010, Quinn became editorial director of hyperlocal media startup Main Street Connect
Main Street Connect
Main Street Connect is an American community journalism company specializing in hyperlocal media, that is located in Norwalk, Connecticut, and currently operates several town-based news web sites in Fairfield County, Connecticut...
, where she is also a member of its board of directors.
Her late husband, David C. Quinn, was a lawyer. She has two sons, Matthew Ostrowski and Justin Quinn. She has three step children, David P. Quinn, Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn is best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV .-Early life:...
, and Christopher Quinn. She married author Carll Tucker in 2008.
Awards
- 1981, 1982, 1984, National Press Club’s Consumer Journalism Award
- 1983 Matrix Award in Magazines
- 1984 New York State Award for Women of Distinction in the Field of Journalism
- 1985 Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Coverage of News on Television - 1986 National Headliner AwardNational Headliner AwardsThe National Headliner Awards are a prize given out by Press Club of Atlantic City since 1935. Both broadcast journalism and print journalism are recognized, in separate categories.-External links:*...
for Consistently Outstanding Magazine Feature Column - 1987 Consumer Federation of AmericaConsumer Federation of AmericaThe Consumer Federation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy....
’s Outstanding Consumer Media Service Award - 1992, 1995 John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism
- 1995 Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism
- 1995 ICI Education Foundation American University Journalism Award for Excellence in Personal Finance Reporting
- 1997 Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievement AwardGerald Loeb AwardThe Gerald Loeb Award, also referred to as the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, is a recognition of excellence in journalism, especially in the fields of business, finance and the economy. The award was established in 1957 by Gerald Loeb, a founding partner of...
- 1997, 1998 “100 Most Influential Business Journalists” - The Journalist and Financial Reporter newsletter
- 2005 National Consumers LeagueNational Consumers LeagueThe National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is an American consumer organization. The National Consumers League is a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues....
Trumpeter Award for Consumer Journalism
Books
- 1978 Everyone’s Money Book (Delacorte Press)
- 1991 Making the Most of Your Money (Simon & Schuster)
- 1994 A Hole in the Market (The Whittle Company)
- 1997 Making the Most of Your Money (2nd edition)
- 2006 Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People (Simon & Schuster)
- 2009 Making the Most of Your Money – Completely Revised (3rd edition)