March 11th, 2007
IAC, Dow Jones team for personal finance online community
Barry Diller, CEO, IAC/Interactive, is fond of saying flagship search engine Ask.com is the “glue” for IAC’s integrated conglomerate of Internet properties, even though Ask.com CEO Jim Lanzone prefers to see himself as a head “chef.”
(SEE Jim Lanzone’s vision for Ask.com: Exclusive Interview)
Be it by “glue” or a “mixing of ingredients,” Ask.com will undoubtedly soon be working with financial information assets in its online mix.
IAC has formed a joint venture with Dow Jones & Company to create a new personal finance Internet business targeting “the broad Web-savvy audience.”
The partnership is to launch a community-driven Web site using the personal finance content of The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and other Dow Jones products and the marketing and technology expertise of IAC’s businesses, including Ask.com and LendingTree.
Diller:
People everywhere are looking for modern and easy-to-use tools to help them in their personal financial life. A personal finance service that combines social media with the credibility of leading editorial brands in an Internet site driven by smart technology is a great idea and a natural extension of IAC’s strategy to serve consumers in sectors being transformed by the Internet.
Rich Zannino, CEO, Dow Jones.
This venture combines the power of IAC marketing, distribution and technology with the credibility and relevance of Dow Jones’ brands, content and editorial expertise to create a place where consumers can learn, interact and make the most of their financial resources. The site will help consumers thrive as they progress in their careers and lives.
The Dow Jones-IAC joint venture will be led by Dave Kansas, now editor of The Wall Street Journal’s Money & Investing section and formerly editor-in-chief of TheStreet.com.
The online personal finance space is heating up, as I underscored earlier this month asking "Google: Who needs Yahoo Finance?"
ALSO: IAC CEO Barry Diller on Ask.com and CitySearch bails out InsiderPages: What’s the deal?
