Victoria Finkle

Welcome!

I'm a senior editor at American Banker, where I oversee our opinion/ideas section, BankThink, and help run the Washington team. I also produce regular reported commentary and broader features.

As a freelance writer, my work has been featured in The New York Times, Quartz, Inc. magazine, the Washington Post, National Law Journal, Washington Monthly, Sage Publications, Bloomberg BNA, American Banker, the Hill, Employee Benefit News, Priceonomics, the Billfold and DCist, among others.

I still do a little freelance on the side — please reach out if you've got a project in mind!

I'm also a graduate of Bates College, where I finished at the top of my economics department, and Columbia Journalism School's business reporting program. Before going into journalism, I worked for three years assisting researchers at the Institute for Women's Policy Research and the Brookings Institution, seeing how policy is discussed and shaped.
Say hello: victoria.finkle@gmail.com
Highlights

American Banker
The Crisis Isn't Over
My in-depth analysis of how the financial crisis has shaped policymaking in America. I have a passion not just for reporting the news, but for understanding what the news means.
New York Times
U.S. Zeal in Suing Banks for Lending Bias Is Expected to Cool
A look into what will become of lawsuits aimed at discriminatory lending at DOJ and the banking agencies under the Trump administration. My favorite kind of story is what someone once described as "scoops of ideas." I love connecting the dots and shedding light on trends before others spot them.
Washington Monthly
The Most Important Agency You've Never Heard Of
My investigation into the performance of the Office of Financial Research, a Dodd-Frank Act agency that's tasked with rooting out signs of the next crisis before it hits. The piece kicked off a series of follow-ups on poor morale at the agency, questions about its very existence and plans to slash its workforce. I'm driven to root out the news that others might be ignoring.
Here's what editors have to say

"Victoria Finkle is one of the most talented journalists I've had the pleasure to manage. She's both a dogged reporter with stellar news judgement and a polished writer who can produce clean and engaging copy on a tight deadline. She's hard-working, conscientious and very smart. If you have something you want her to report on, she'll do a fantastic job, whether she's previously had experience with the topic or not. I can't recommend her highly enough."
-- Rob Blackwell, Washington bureau chief at American Banker
"Financial regulation and policy in Washington can be a tough subject to bring to life for a broad readership, but Victoria does so with clarity and intelligence. She has written both features and breaking news for DealBook/The New York Times and is a pleasure to edit. If you are looking for a nimble, smart and energetic reporter, I recommend her highly."
-- Jeffrey Cane, DealBook managing editor at the New York Times
"Tori is a creative and talented reporter who requires little direction and files well-written and widely-read stories. She is easy to work with and is a model contributor to any news organization."
-- Seth Stern, deputy news director at Bloomberg BNA
"Tori's a meticulous, dogged and deadline-focused reporter with a great work ethic. She's been a pleasure to edit both at American Banker, where she reported directly to me as a consumer finance reporter, and in her freelance work at Inc. Magazine, where she's taken on several research-intensive economics- and design-related assignments for the Money and Made sections."
-- Maria Aspan, senior editor at Inc. magazine
"I love Tori’s instinct to look beyond anecdotal trends and quotes; she is able to incorporate research and data into her stories in an interesting and clear manner. As a freelancer, Tori is a breeze to work with: she always keeps me apprised of her progress, meets her deadlines, and produces well-organized and clearly written stories that require little editing on our part."
-- Alicia Mazzara, food editor at DCist
"Leaders of the financial services industry, government and academe have come to rely on Victoria's insightful coverage of the Washington scene. She wastes little time getting right to the point and always the most important point. I look forward to reading her posts as she expands the boundaries her coverage beyond, but I hope still including, financial services."
-- Cornelius Hurley, director of the Center for Finance, Law & Policy at Boston University
"Tori is a talented journalist with a facility for executing deep dives into complex subjects -- the financial crisis, banking regulation, the impact of behavioral economics on the overall discipline -- and explaining them coherently. I have been consistently impressed with her professionalism, knowledge and powers of research and writing. I recommend her heartily."
-- Ken Fireman, managing editor at Sage Business Researcher
Other projects
Fed's Powell Has Some Explaining to Do on Stress Test Move - American Banker
Goodbye nonbank SIFIs. We hardly knew you - American Banker
New Scrutiny for In-House Financial Court as Banker Faces Ban - New York Times
Trump is ready to go to bat for big banks—but Yellen still has an ace up her sleeve - Quartz
How House Bill Would Dismantle an Array of Dodd-Frank Reforms - New York Times
What You Can Learn About Getting Hacked From a Tiny Pie Shop in Missouri - Inc. magazine
Banks Less Keen Than GOP for Sweeping Dodd-Frank Overhaul - Bloomberg BNA
Online Lenders Seek to Shape Industry Before Regulators Do - New York Times
The Wells Fargo fake account scandal proves “there’s no such thing as a good big bank” - Quartz
The Big Fish Seen Escaping an Agency Pursuing Bank Fraud - New York Times
With a new distillery, two women make their mark on D.C.’s craft liquor scene - Washington Post
MetLife Suit Raises Questions of Extent of Corporate Liability - New York Times
How One Startup Spends Every Penny, Analyzed - Inc. Magazine
Is Dodd-Frank Really Killing Community Banks? - American Banker
Find me online

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LinkedIn

Welcome!

Say hello: victoria.finkle@gmail.com

Highlights

American Banker

The Crisis Isn't Over

New York Times

U.S. Zeal in Suing Banks for Lending Bias Is Expected to Cool

Washington Monthly

The Most Important Agency You've Never Heard Of

Here's what editors have to say

"Tori is a creative and talented reporter who requires little direction and files well-written and widely-read stories. She is easy to work with and is a model contributor to any news organization."

Other projects

Find me online