Harsha Ahmed, a junior at Bridgewater Raritan High School, founded an online financial news website called Finance Explained last October, along with Roopesh Kannan, a junior in India.
The duo is aided by their Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Dhiraj Dev, who handles the website’s upkeep.
Writers for the site cover various topics related to economics, finance and business, in addition to tracking major indices such as Bitcoin, the S&P 500 and currency exchange rates. Currently, articles on the website include advice on budgeting and creating wealth, a look into the history of money and an analysis of gold as a store of value.
The website was created in response to a lack of financial literacy among the general public. Though there are a handful of classes at the high school that teach financial literacy on various levels, many students across the world lack access to a similar education. Financial literacy is a concept that helps adults understand and make sound decisions with their money, a skill students will need in the future. It has since expanded to take on staff writers.
The team’s background in finance includes Kannan’s internship acceptance by the New York branch of JPMorgan Chase and Ahmed’s work-in-progress research paper regarding financial literacy.
Ahmed explained the motto behind the news site.
The team “worked on the motto of ‘Financial Literacy for All’ to provide an online source that can easily explain concepts like inflation,” he said.
Kannan explained the importance of creating the site.
“I believe that [Finace Explained] is an effective way to spread financial literacy to those without access to financial courses,” he said.
According to the team, they plan to bring the organization to Bridgewater-Raritan by establishing it as a club at the school, with bi-monthly meetings. They also intend to provide staff writers with volunteer hours in the future, stating that the articles are a form of community service as they help spread financial literacy. The team encourages all interested students to join and contribute to aiding financial literacy.
