About the editor
Jennifer Nielsen was the CEO of Loan Market Group and a regular finance commentator when she assembled the Ultimate Guide to Home Finance.
Ms Nielsen said she wrote the book with herself as a career person and mother in mind.
“What has struck me about people and especially those with busy and often complex jobs is that they really don’t understand the simplest things about how finance works, preferring to take the word of a trusted advisor, whether that person is qualified to give them the best help or not.
“And it doesn’t seem to matter how old people are, how much they earn or where they live. They are all the same.”
Ms Nielsen said even the experts can overlook giving the personal finances adequate attention.
“The 10/10 rule is a summary of what I’d wished I had done with my finances,” she said.
“Pay 10% more attention to your finances and be 10 times richer tomorrow. I know countless people who feel the same way, but never really knew just how easy it is to achieve.”
Ms Nielsen said she wanted the book to be easy to read but not “dumb down” information about home finance.
“I wanted to cover as much as possible without giving people indigestion, but still encourage them to talk to professionals, especially when there is so much free help around,” she said.
Ms Nielsen joined Loan Market Group when the company she co-founded, X Inc., merged with Loan Market. Prior to that, she spent six very successful years with Hallis overseeing the company expansion across the eastern seaboard. Her 14 years as Sales Manager at Yellow Pages prior to Hallis also meant that she had a very deep understanding of how sales teams worked.
From setting out to be a scientist, she worked on a prawn trawler in northern Australia after leaving university.
Ms Nielsen went on to sell real estate before taking on her roles with Yellow Pages & Hallis.
“I believe I have a real appreciation for all kinds of people,” she said.
“Everyone is different, from the wealthiest to the poorest, but we all really want the same things – personal security for ourselves and our families”.
Ms Nielsen divides her time between Brisbane and Sydney. She is the mother of a five year old son and 32 year old daughter. She has three grandchildren.
