Jonathan David Clements

Jonathan David Clements died on the evening of September 21, 2025, with his wife and children by his side, after a 16-month battle with cancer.

Born in Twickenham, London to June Hamilton and the late Richard Clements, Jonathan moved with his family to Washington, DC in 1966. When his father, a World Bank employee, was posted to Bangladesh, Jonathan returned to England to attend boarding school alongside his two brothers, while his late sister, Victoria (Tory) Clements, accompanied her parents. In 1985, Jonathan graduated from the University of Cambridge, where he dedicated most of his three years to writing for and editing the student newspaper.

After graduation, Jonathan took a position at Euromoney magazine in London before returning to the US to work for Forbes magazine, first as a fact-checker and then as a staff writer covering mutual funds. He was subsequently hired by the The Wall Street Journal where, at age 31, he inaugurated the column that would bring him global renown: “Getting Going.” Over nearly two decades, he penned 1,009 columns for both the Journal and Wall Street Journal Sunday. Known for translating complex financial concepts into plain, comprehensible English, he helped countless readers achieve financial security. Jonathan later developed an interest in the relationship between money and happiness, bringing the insights of academic psychology to bear on financial planning.    

After a six-year stint at Citibank as the director of financial education for US wealth management, Jonathan founded HumbleDollar, a website dedicated to building a community where readers and writers share personal finance stories and advice. He later served on the advisory board of Creative Planning, a St. Louis-based wealth management firm.   

A disciplined athlete, Jonathan found modest success as an amateur runner, winning a handful of road races—including the Antarctica half marathon—and breaking three hours in the marathon. He paired the virtue of morning exercise with the indulgence of good food, a source of daily fantasy and pleasure (“duties and rewards,” he often smiled, with a lick of the lips). Nothing brought him more joy than dinners out with his family, which he always lamented were too short. His family will remember him for his generosity and sense of humor, which he maintained even at the darkest of times—often to the loving consternation of those around him.

Jonathan is survived by his wife Elaine, children Hannah Clements (Max Weiss) and Henry Clements (Hengameh Ziai); grandchildren Martin and Teddy Weiss; mother June Dosik; and siblings Andrew Clements (Joey Mendiola) and Nicholas Clements (Larry Morales).

A Memorial Service will be held on November 8, 2025 at 11:00 am at:

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
313 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

A light luncheon reception for family and close friends will follow at:

The Hill-Physick House
321 S. 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(A three-minute walk from the church)

Donations in memory of Jonathan may be made to: The Jonathan Clements Getting Going Initiative