Brown takes over from Deborah Hargreaves, who is now markets editor (PRWeek, 6 September).
He will edit Weekend Money, a themed monthly supplement called FT Money Guide, and all personal finance content on FT.com. His team of eight dedicated journalists covers pensions and savings, plus equity and bond investments.
He said: 'The ship's going in the right direction but we perhaps need to tie our agenda in a bit more closely with the news pages, and pick up on news events and what they mean for people's personal finances.
'We are not going to write about individual products, we cover themes and analysis,' he added.
Brown joined the FT in 1980, becoming a political reporter and Australasia correspondent. In the 1990s he was made chief political correspondent, national news editor, industry editor and, in 2000, UK affairs editor.