Guardian profile, the good, the bad and the ugly

There's a profile of me in todays guardian called "cashing in on being a nerd". I've just read it and thought it was important i commented on it. Like all people reading a profile of themselves i feel some is good, some is bad and some is factually incorrect. So here are my notes

1. I was a lowly radio producer three years ago? ActuallyMy last day as a radio producer was at the BBC on 31 December 1999 - six years ago. My TV career started at Simply Money on 2 Jan 2000.

2. Brilliant self-publicist? If i was that good i probably wouldn't be writing this email. It's always interesting when print journalists write this about broadcasters. I trained as a broadcaster, i did a postgraduate degree in broadcast journalism. For some reason going on TV or radio is seem as self-publicising, but writing in a newspaper isn't. That's my trade, I love people to know about this site, i think it and its users are amazing. If that makes me a self-publicist so be it.

3. Richard and Judy? Never been on the programme

4. Financial qualifications zero. Quite correct, Im proudly a journalist and that's my qualification, in fact im a qualified journalist with a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism, the recognised industry qualification. So thats the same as all financial jounalists and Alvin Hall who's also mentioned (though alvin isn't a journalist, he used to train people about stock market software). I never claim otherwise, in fact i'm avidly not a member of the financial services community.

Also the subjects i discuss debt, consuming, shopping, how to buy, there is no financial qualification, it most certainly isn't covered by IFAs or anyone else, that's why i started doing it.

5. Makes allegations about data providers being targetted by data providers they deny it. Of course they deny it, but it is true. Take a look at this blog to see the difference the non-profit driven ethical stance of this site actually makes.

6. Nine people all beavering away. Quite right, in the last 14 months the site has gone from me alone to a wonderful team. Only 4 other than me are actually involved in MoneySaving and they do research and updating, the others are technical, very much needed on a site this big, as you'll all know. Im very proud the site has grown enough to enable me to have a team to help with the research, keep articles more up to date, and produce more moneysaving info. I still write all the main articles personally, edit all the others, and even within the articles i don't actually type out the recommendations and analysis still come directly from me.

7. 300,000 receive the email. Actually it is just under 400,000(hoorah)

8. Bought a half million pound house in kensington in cash. My house was bought for quite a bit less than half a million, but it was in cash. And I'd been saving up for a long time to do so, both from my six years as a tv/radio presenter, from my book (which as you know was a bestseller), and from this site.

I've no problem with people knowing that, I've worked hard, i practice what i breach, i luckily earn substantially more than the average salary. I'm a Money Saving Expert, what do you expect

9. The site's sale value. Here's exactly the conversation. "Martin, ITV just bought friends reunited for £175 million, Moneysupermarket is worth around £800 million how much is your site worth." My answer "I suspect if i went fully commerical and dropped the ethical stance, and the fact i only ever link to best product regardless of finance it'd probably be worth £20 to £30 million, however that's not what i'm about"

10. I got a lot of job offers in the City but went into journalism instead. Actually the city job offers were before i went into financial pr after leaving university.

11. The frustration with the experts on air. This didn't relate to when i was a producer at the BBC, this related to when i returned as a reporter on personal finance programmes in 2003 when i had already been Money Saving Expert at simply money, when i was a producer i really didnt have the skills or knowledge base to do it.

12. Another personal finance programme is in the offing. Actually its a slot on a non-personal finance programme starting on ITV. Make me rich is the only personal finance programme i've got.

13. Carol Vorderman campaign. Yup, in the new year I plan to launch a petition to give to Carol to ask her to stop doing the adverts for secured debt companies. Don't let me forget. I think a woman who is known for her maths shouldn't say to people "or you could just splash out a bit" when talking about debts secured on your house. and you can take a holiday too"

Right off to bed for me!