Lauren Schwahn

Senior Writer & Content Strategist

Expertise

Personal finance •
debt •
credit scoring •
budgeting

How I Think About Money “Money is a journey. Understanding your financial past and present — from spending habits to credit history and economic conditions — can help get you where you want to go. I write to make your journey a little smoother.”

9+ Years of Experience

90+ Articles Written

Education

B.A. in history from University of California
Santa Cruz

Organizations

The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

Lauren Schwahn is a writer at NerdWallet who covers credit scoring, debt, budgeting and money-saving strategies. She contributed to the "Millennial Money" column for The Associated Press and managed a team of writers producing content for the series. Her work has also been featured by USA Today, MSN, The Washington Post and more. Lauren has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is based in San Francisco.

Published in

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Curated financial resources

Lauren's picks

emergency-fund-what-it-is-and-why-important

Emergency Fund: What It Is and Why It Matters Best kept in a savings account, an emergency fund is useful for unexpected expenses.

By Margarette Burnette

50/30/20 Budget Calculator

By Elizabeth Ayoola

Pay Off Debt: Strategies and Tips

By Tiffany Curtis, Lauren Schwahn

Emergency Fund: What It Is and Why It Matters Best kept in a savings account, an emergency fund is useful for unexpected expenses.

By Margarette Burnette

GettyImages-1162855475-nerdwallet-budget-calculator

50/30/20 Budget Calculator Enter your monthly income after taxes into this free budget calculator to create a budget that accounts for your needs, wants and savings goals.

By Elizabeth Ayoola

Pay Off Debt: Strategies and Tips Learn strategies for whittling down what you owe, and get insight into the best approach depending on your debt load.

By Tiffany Curtis, Lauren Schwahn

The latest from Lauren

Las Vegas Woman Wins $100,000 in NerdWallet’s Debt-Free December Sweepstakes

Is Giftflation Blowing Up Your Holiday Budget? Here’s How to Fight It.

Burnout and job fears are rising. Between a slew of layoffs, a government shutdown, a changing economy and a shift toward artificial intelligence, it’s no wonder people are feeling uncertain.

Surviving Burnout, Job Fears and More: 5 Tips From Career Coaches

What Does It Mean to Be Rich? We Asked 3 People.

What Is a Cash Sweep Account?

Trump Accounts for Kids: How Do They Stack Up?