Meet NerdWallet's Editorial Team

Our knowledgeable writers and editors help people lead richer lives by making complex financial decisions easier to understand.

Senior editorial team leadership

The content team is managed by a VP and a senior director with a combined 40-plus years of writing and editing experience, both in consumer news and traditional journalism. Both have been leaders at NerdWallet since 2015-16.
Hanah Cho — Vice President of Content
Hanah Cho led multiple NerdWallet teams focused on personal finance before being promoted to director and then vice president. She originally joined NerdWallet as a writer, covering small business. Before that, she covered business and startups at The Dallas Morning News, and previously was a business writer for The Baltimore Sun. She also was treasurer of the Texas Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association.
Marcus Chan
Senior Director of Content
Marcus Chan joined NerdWallet as an editor of data-driven content before being promoted to deputy director and then director. Previously, he was technology editor for Bloomberg.com. Before that, he was the San Francisco Chronicle's business editor, technology editor and database editor, as well as the newsroom's first multimedia editor.

Editors

NerdWallet editors ensure high-quality content that helps all readers make financial decisions with confidence.
Paul Soucy
Director
Paul Soucy has led the Credit Cards content team at NerdWallet since 2015 and the Travel Rewards team since 2023. He was an editor with USA Today, The Des Moines Register and the Meredith/Better Homes and Gardens family of magazines for more than 20 years. He also built a successful freelance writing and editing practice with a focus on business and personal finance. He was editor of the USA Today Weekly International Edition for six years and received the highest award from ACES: The Society for Editing. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration.
Rick VanderKnyff
Senior Assigning Editor
Rick VanderKnyff leads the team responsible for expanding NerdWallet content to additional topics within personal finance. Previously, he has worked as a channel manager at MSN.com, as a web manager at University of California San Diego, and as a copy editor and staff writer at the Los Angeles Times. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and a Master of Arts in anthropology.
Chris Hutchison
Lead Assigning Editor
Chris Hutchison helped build NerdWallet's content operation and has worked across banking, investing and taxes. He now leads a team exploring new markets. Before joining NerdWallet, he was an editor and programmer at ESPN and a copy editor at the San Jose Mercury News.
Tony Armstrong
Lead Assigning Editor
Tony Armstrong began his NerdWallet career as a writer and worked his way up to assistant assigning editor and then to lead assigning editor on the banking team. His work has been featured by the Los Angeles Times, Mashable, Money, Nasdaq.com, USA Today and VentureBeat. He has appeared on Minnesota Public Radio. Tony earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and creative writing from Macalester College.
Arielle O'Shea
Lead Assigning Editor
Arielle O’Shea leads the investing and taxes team at NerdWallet. She has covered personal finance and investing for 15 years, previously as a researcher and reporter for leading personal finance journalist and author Jean Chatzky. Arielle has appeared as a financial expert on the "Today" show, NBC News and ABC's "World News Tonight," and has been quoted in national publications including The New York Times, MarketWatch and Bloomberg News.
Samantha Allen
Lead Assigning Editor
Samantha Allen leads the insurance team at NerdWallet. Previously, she was the digital managing editor for the publications Financial Planning and On Wall Street. She attended Northwestern University's certified financial planner program and has been covering personal finance and wealth management for more than 10 years.
Mary Flory
Lead Assigning Editor
Mary Flory leads NerdWallet's growing team of assigning editors at large. Before joining NerdWallet's content team, she had spent more than 12 years developing content strategies, managing newsrooms and mentoring writers and editors. Her previous experience includes being an executive editor at the American Marketing Association and an editor at news and feature syndicate Content That Works.
Amanda Derengowski
Lead Assigning Editor
Amanda is a longtime personal finance editor. She provides content-strategy and leadership support across NerdWallet's verticals. She previously led the international expansion content team (UK, Canada and Australia), and helped lead the mortgages and small-business teams before that. Prior to her time at NerdWallet, Amanda spent 10 years as a content and communications manager in the mortgages and real estate industry. Before that, she was a copy editor for the Contra Costa Times. She has a master’s degree in journalism and is a Dow Jones News Fund alum.
Kim Lowe
Lead Assigning Editor
Kim Lowe is a lead assigning editor on NerdWallet's loans team. She covers consumer borrowing, including topics like personal loans, student loans, buy now, pay later and cash advance apps. She joined NerdWallet in 2016 after 15 years at MSN.com, where she held various content roles including editor-in-chief of the health and food sections. Kim started her career as a writer for print and web publications that covered the mortgage, supermarket and restaurant industries. Kim earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. She works from her home near Portland, Oregon.
Robert Beaupre
Lead Assigning Editor
Robert Beaupre leads the SMB team at NerdWallet. He has covered financial topics as an editor for more than a decade. Before joining NerdWallet, he served as senior editorial manager of QuinStreet's insurance sites and managing editor of Insure.com. In addition, he served as an online media manager for the University of Nevada, Reno.
Beth Buczynski
Lead Assigning Editor
Beth Buczynski is a lead assigning editor on the international expansion team at NerdWallet. Beth works with writers and editors to bring financial clarity to readers across Canada's 10 provinces and three territories. Previously, Beth spent four years covering mortgages and homeownership for NerdWallet, first as a writer and later as an editor. As a writer, Beth's work was featured by The Associated Press, The Washington Post and Money magazine, among others. Beth holds a master’s degree in public communication from Colorado State University. Twitter: @bethbuczynski.
Jeanette Margle
Lead Assigning Editor
Jeanette Margle leads the home loans content team at NerdWallet, where she has worked since 2019. Previously, she led NerdWallet's travel rewards content team and spent three years editing for Upgraded Points while self-employed as an editor and writing coach.Jeanette earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and has a Master of Education from the University of Houston. A lifelong Texan, Jeanette grew up in a small town in the Hill Country and lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughters.
Karen Gaudette Brewer
Lead Assigning Editor
Karen Gaudette Brewer leads the Core Personal Finance team at NerdWallet. Previously, she guided students and their families through the ins and outs of paying for college and managing student debt on the Higher Education team. She joined NerdWallet with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms and leading editorial teams, most recently as executive editor of HealthCentral. She launched her journalism career with The Associated Press and later worked for The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, The Seattle Times, PCC Community Markets and Allrecipes.com. She is a graduate of the 2022 Poynter Institute Leadership Academy for Women in Media. Her writing has been honored by the Society for Features Journalism and the Society of Professional Journalists. In addition, she’s the author of two books about the Pacific Northwest.
Lacie Glover
Assigning Editor
Lacie Glover spent more than five years covering health care costs and all types of insurance as a NerdWallet writer before being promoted to assistant assigning editor in 2019 and later to assigning editor. As a writer, her work was featured in The Associated Press, The Motley Fool and U.S. News & World Report. Lacie is a NerdWallet authority on insurance products and loves data, analytics and solving SEO mysteries.
Claire Tsosie
Assigning Editor
Claire Tsosie is an assigning editor for the travel rewards team at NerdWallet. Her areas of expertise include research and strategy. She’s edited articles on a variety of topics, including business software, Medicare and home improvement. Previously, she was a credit cards writer at NerdWallet for over five years. Her work was featured by Forbes, USA Today and The Associated Press. She's been a speaker at both CardCon (2017, 2018) and FinCon (2019).
Courtney Neidel
Assigning Editor
Courtney Neidel is an assigning editor for the core personal finance team at NerdWallet. She joined NerdWallet in 2014 and spent six years writing about shopping, budgeting and money-saving strategies before being promoted to editor. Courtney has been interviewed as a retail authority by "Good Morning America," Cheddar and CBSN. Her prior experience includes freelance writing for California newspapers.
Kenley Young
Assigning Editor
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain.
Ryan Lane
Assigning Editor
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog.
Lisa Green
Assigning Editor
Lisa Green was an insurance writer at NerdWallet before being promoted to editor. Previously, she spent more than 20 years as an editor at The Tennessean in Nashville, where she was part of a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist team. Her work has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Investigative Reporters and Editors, and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Chris Davis
Assigning Editor
Chris Davis is an assigning editor on the investing team. As a writer, he covered the stock market, investing strategies and investment accounts, and as a spokesperson, he appeared on NBC Bay Area and was quoted in Forbes, Apartment Therapy, Martha Stewart and Lifewire, among others. His work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MSN, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Newsday and TheStreet. Previously, he was the content manager for the luxury property management service InvitedHome and the section editor for the legal and finance desk of international marketing agency Brafton. He is based in Longmont, Colorado.
Athena Cocoves
Assigning Editor
Athena Cocoves joined NerdWallet's international expansion team in 2020 and has focused her efforts on content strategy and planning in the United Kingdom and Canada. Before that, she was the managing editor of publications at Adams Street Publishing Co., where she edited arts and entertainment magazines. Athena is a three-time winner of the Press Club of Toledo's Touchstone Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Pamela de la Fuente
Assigning Editor
Pamela de la Fuente leads NerdWallet's consumer credit and debt team. Previously, she led taxes and retirement coverage at NerdWallet. She has been a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Pamela joined NerdWallet after working at companies including Hallmark Cards, Sprint Corp. and The Kansas City Star. She is a thought leader in content diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and finds ways to make every piece of content conversational and accessible to all. She is a graduate of the Maynard Institute's Maynard 200 program, and was a presenter at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in 2023. She is a two-time winner of the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists' President's Award.
Sally Lauckner
Assigning Editor
Sally Lauckner joined NerdWallet with more than 10 years of experience in digital media. Most recently, she was the editorial director at Fundera, where she led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Columbia University and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.
Johanna Arnone
Assigning Editor
Johanna Arnone helps lead coverage of homeownership and mortgages at NerdWallet. She has more than 15 years' experience in editorial roles, including six years at the helm of Muse, an award-winning science and tech magazine for young readers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Canada's McGill University and a Master of Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. Johanna has also completed coursework in Boston University’s Financial Planning Certificate program. She is based in New Hampshire.
Holly Carey
Assigning Editor
Holly Carey is an assigning editor on the vertical expansion team. Previously, she wrote and edited content and developed digital media strategies as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Mary Washington and a master’s degree in journalism from Norfolk State University.
Julie Myhre-Nunes
Assigning Editor
Julie Myhre-Nunes is an assigning editor for auto loans and cars coverage at NerdWallet. She has been in the personal finance space for more than 10 years. Before joining NerdWallet, Julie oversaw editorial teams at NextAdvisor and Red Ventures. Her personal finance insight has been featured on Forbes, The Boston Globe and CNBC. Julie’s writing has been published by USA Today, Business Insider and Wired Insights, among others.
Laura McMullen
Assistant Assigning Editor
Laura McMullen assigns and edits personal financial content. She was previously a senior writer at NerdWallet and covered saving, making and budgeting money; she also contributed to the "Millennial Money" column for The Associated Press. Before joining NerdWallet in 2015, Laura worked for U.S. News & World Report, where she wrote and edited content related to careers, wellness and education and also contributed to the company's rankings projects. Before working at U.S. News & World Report, Laura interned at Vice Media and studied journalism, history and Arabic at Ohio University. Laura lives in Washington, D.C. Twitter: @lauraemcmullen.
Tina Orem
Assistant Assigning Editor
Tina Orem is an editor at NerdWallet. Prior to becoming an editor, she covered small business and taxes at NerdWallet. She has been a financial writer and editor for over 15 years, and she has a degree in finance, as well as a master's degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration. Previously, she was a financial analyst and director of finance for several public and private companies. Tina's work has appeared in a variety of local and national media outlets.
Annie Millerbernd
Assistant Assigning Editor
Annie Millerbernd is an assistant assigning editor and NerdWallet authority on personal loans. Before joining NerdWallet in 2019, she worked as a news reporter in California and Texas, and as a digital content specialist at USAA. Annie's work has been cited by the Northwestern University Law Review and Harvard Kennedy School. Her work has been featured in The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch. She’s also been quoted in New York magazine and appeared on NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast as well as local TV and radio. She is based in Austin, Texas. Twitter: @annieanyway.
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor
Meghan Coyle has been writing about travel since 2018. She covers travel industry news, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. Her work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, NPR, PRX, KPCC, KCRW and YR Media. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. Twitter: @inkwaves.
Ben Moore
Assistant Assigning Editor
Ben Moore is an assistant assigning editor and spokesperson who joined NerdWallet as a writer in 2020. An auto insurance authority, his past work has been featured in The Associated Press, The Chicago Sun-Times, MarketWatch, Nasdaq and Yahoo News. Ben has been quoted in Martha Stewart and Real Simple magazine, and he has appeared on local broadcast television. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cecilia Clark
Assistant Assigning Editor
Cecilia Clark is an assistant assigning editor and NerdWallet authority on student finance on the education team. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times and MarketWatch. She worked through college and took advantage of the U.S. Army's College Loan Repayment Program for undergraduate school and used the Army Tuition Assistance Program and GI Bill to pay for graduate school.
Caitlin Constantine
Assistant Assigning Editor
Caitlin Constantine is an assistant assigning editor at NerdWallet, focusing on homeowners and renters insurance. Previously, she was the deputy managing editor at The Penny Hoarder. Her experience also includes a decade as a digital producer for a 24/7 news station based in the Tampa Bay area. She holds a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
Katia Iervasi
Assistant Assigning Editor
Katia Iervasi is an assistant assigning editor and spokesperson at NerdWallet. An insurance authority, she previously spent over six years covering insurance topics as a writer, where she loved untangling complicated topics and answering readers’ burning money questions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication and has studied writing, fact-checking and editing with Poynter. Her writing and analysis has been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, Yahoo, Entrepreneur, Best Company and FT Advisor. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Katia currently lives in New York City.
Dawnielle Robinson-Walker
Assistant Assigning Editor
Dawnielle Robinson-Walker spent 16 years as a college English instructor, teaching creative writing and African-American literature before she began writing and editing for various companies and online publications. Prior to joining NerdWallet, she was an editor at Hallmark Cards and a contributing writer at Forbes Health.
Sabrina Parys
Assistant Assigning Editor
Sabrina Parys is an assistant assigning editor on the taxes and investing team at NerdWallet, where she manages and writes content on personal income taxes. Her previous experience includes five years as a copy editor and associate editor in academic and educational publishing. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Economist

As NerdWallet’s Senior Economist and Spokesperson, Elizabeth Renter spends her time analyzing economic trends and data to help people make more informed decisions about their personal finances. Her work has been cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, the "Today" show, CNBC and elsewhere. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2014, she was a freelance journalist. She received a Masters of Science in Finance and Economics from West Texas A&M University, and focused her elective coursework on macroeconomics and analytics. When she’s not at work, Elizabeth enjoys college football, old houses, traveling to old cities and powerlifting. She is based in Durham, North Carolina. Twitter: @elizabethrenter.

Writers

NerdWallet’s writers and spokespeople use skills and expertise from diverse career backgrounds to break down complex money topics.
Spencer Tierney
Senior Writer
Spencer Tierney is a consumer banking writer at NerdWallet. He has covered personal finance since 2013, with a focus on certificates of deposit and other banking-related topics. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, USA Today, The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, among others. He is based in Oakland, California.
Erin El Issa
Senior Writer
Erin El Issa is a data studies writer who joined NerdWallet in 2014. She covers a variety of topics, including credit cards, travel, investing, banking and student loans. Erin earned her bachelor's degree in accounting and worked as a tax accountant before creating data-driven content. In her spare time, Erin reads voraciously and tries in vain to keep up with her energetic toddler.
Anna Helhoski
Senior Writer
Anna Helhoski is a writer covering economic news and trends in consumer finance for the breaking news team. She is also a NerdWallet authority on student loans. Anna joined NerdWallet in 2014, and her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. She previously covered local news in the New York metro area for the Daily Voice and New York state politics for The Legislative Gazette. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Purchase College, State University of New York. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.
Margarette Burnette
Senior Writer
Margarette Burnette is a savings expert who has been writing about bank accounts since before the Great Recession. Her work has been featured in The Associated Press, USA Today and other major newspapers. Before joining NerdWallet, Margarette was a freelance journalist with bylines in magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Black Enterprise and Parenting. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Twitter: @margarette.
Kelsey Sheehy
Senior Writer
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today and The Associated Press, where she writes a column about millennials and money. Kelsey has appeared on the "Today" show, NBC News and "ABC World News Tonight" and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and MarketWatch, among other publications. Twitter: @KelseyLSheehy.
Melissa Lambarena
Senior Writer
Melissa Lambarena is a personal finance writer who joined NerdWallet in 2016. Her prior experience includes nine years as a content creator for several publications and websites. Her work has been featured by The Associated Press, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, USA Today and Yahoo Finance, among others. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Twitter: @LissaLambarena.
Kimberly Palmer
Senior Writer/Spokesperson
Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet. She has been featured on the "Today" show and in The New York Times. She is the author of three books about money: "Smart Mom, Rich Mom," "The Economy of You" and “Generation Earn.” Previously, she was a money editor at U.S. News & World Report and AARP. Kimberly's work also appears on NerdWallet Canada. Twitter: @KimberlyPalmer.
Holden Lewis
Senior Writer/Spokesperson
Holden Lewis is a mortgage reporter and spokesperson who joined NerdWallet in 2017. He previously wrote for Bankrate. He has written articles about mortgages since 2001. He has been president of the National Association of Real Estate Editors and has won writing awards from NAREE, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Twitter: @HoldenL.
Sara Rathner
Senior Writer/Spokesperson
Sara Rathner is a credit cards and travel expert at NerdWallet. She's appeared on the "Today" show, "NBC Nightly News" and CNBC's "Nightly Business Report" and has been quoted in The New York Times, Yahoo Finance, Time, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Before joining NerdWallet, Sara worked at The Motley Fool for nearly 10 years. She also worked as a freelance personal finance writer and paraplanner and has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Twitter: @sarakrathner.
Lauren Schwahn
Lead Writer
Lauren Schwahn is a personal finance writer who covers budgeting, saving and making money. She joined NerdWallet in 2016, originally writing product reviews and other shopping content, including holiday shopping reports. Lauren's work has been featured by USA Today, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Twitter: @lauren_schwahn.
Chanelle Bessette
Lead Writer
Chanelle Bessette is a personal finance writer at NerdWallet covering banking. She previously worked at Fortune, Forbes and the Reno Gazette-Journal. She is also a spokesperson for the banking team, and her expertise has appeared in The New York Times, Vox and Apartment Therapy. Twitter: @crbessette.
Alana Benson
Lead Writer
Alana Benson is an investing writer who joined NerdWallet in 2019. Since then, she has written extensively about socially responsible and ESG investing, financial advice and beginner investing topics. Previously, she wrote two books on identity theft and several young adult nonfiction titles. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSN, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch and others.
Kate Wood
Lead Writer
Kate Wood joined NerdWallet in 2019 as a writer on the homes and mortgages team. Her work on homebuying, renovation and FHA loans has been featured by USA Today, Yahoo, MSN and The Associated Press, among others. Kate previously wrote about home remodeling, decor and maintenance for This Old House magazine. With degrees in sociology from Vassar College and the University of California, San Diego, Kate is passionate about issues like housing inequality.
Georgia Rose
Lead Writer
Georgia Rose is a lead writer on the international team at NerdWallet. Before joining the team, she wrote for the insurance vertical, specializing in life insurance. Throughout her career, Georgia has written on a variety of subjects, including personal finance, government policy, science and technology. She enjoys researching complex topics and distilling the information for her readers.
Sarah Schlichter
Lead Writer
Sarah Schlichter is a NerdWallet authority on auto, homeowners, renters and pet insurance. She joined NerdWallet in 2020 after more than 15 years in digital media as a writer, editor and spokesperson. Her byline has appeared in numerous outlets, including The Associated Press, MarketWatch and SmarterTravel. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Bryn Mawr College.
Funto Omojola
Lead Writer
Funto Omojola started writing for NerdWallet in 2020. Before joining NerdWallet, she covered personal finance-related topics for financial websites and organizations and has over five years of experience writing about money. Her writing has been featured in MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Realtor.com, New York Post, and Nasdaq, among others. Funto earned a bachelor's degree in global and international studies and an MFA from Bard College. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Jackie Veling
Lead Writer
Jackie Veling covers personal loans for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in The Associated Press, MarketWatch, MSN, Nasdaq.com and Yahoo Finance. Prior to that, she ran a freelance writing and editing business, where she partnered with a wide range of clients, including U.S. Bank and Under Armour. She graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Sally French
Lead Writer
Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter. She also has worked for MarketWatch and The Orange County Register. She loves fitness, and her travels have included cycling up the coastline of Vietnam and over the sea ice in the Arctic Circle. Sally studied journalism at the University of Missouri. Twitter: @SAFmedia.
Randa Kriss
Lead Writer
Randa Kriss is a small-business writer who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics including banking and loan products. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona College.
Kate Ashford
Lead Writer
Kate Ashford is a writer and NerdWallet authority on Medicare. She has more than 15 years of experience writing about personal finance, and her work has been published by the BBC, Forbes, Money, AARP and Parents, among others. She has a degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Twitter: @kateashford.
Hillary Crawford
Lead Writer
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her work has been featured by The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and Entrepreneur, among others. She earned a bachelor’s degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan. Outside of work, Hillary enjoys long backpacking trips and surfing in Lake Michigan.
Rosalie Murphy
Lead Writer
Rosalie Murphy is a small-business writer at NerdWallet. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Entrepreneur and elsewhere. Previously, as a local news reporter, Rosalie won awards from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and the National Association of Real Estate Editors. She studied journalism at the University of Southern California.
Elizabeth Ayoola
Lead Writer
Elizabeth Ayoola is a NerdWallet personal finance writer. She graduated from King's College London with a master's in environment, politics and globalization, and she has over 10 years of writing experience. Her journey to finance writing started with a goal to learn as much as she could about how to attain financial freedom and share information with others about how to do it, too. This led her to Debt.com, where she covered topics relating to mortgages, debt and credit. Her articles have appeared on platforms like The Associated Press, Essence, The Knot, MSN, Parents.com, Yahoo and PopSugar.
Shannon Bradley
Lead Writer
Shannon Bradley covers auto loans for NerdWallet. She spent more than 30 years in banking as a writer, creating educational content to help individuals and businesses with financial decision-making. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern Indiana. She has two married (and financially independent) sons, a granddaughter with a 529 savings account and two rescue dogs with no financial concerns.
Whitney Vandiver
Lead Writer
Whitney Vandiver writes for NerdWallet about ways readers can get the most out of their Social Security benefits. She previously wrote in the oil and gas industry, where she was published in national journals and international magazines. Whitney became a writer out of enjoyment and finds stories that highlight or help the LGBTQ+ community the most rewarding to craft. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, walking with her Irish wolfhound and spending time with her husband and son. She is based in Houston.
Amanda Barroso
Lead Writer
Amanda Barroso is a personal finance writer who joined NerdWallet in 2021, covering primarily consumer credit and debt. Previously, she wrote about social and demographic trends at the Pew Research Center, worked as a policy analyst at the National Women's Law Center — a leading legal advocacy group for women and girls — and taught college courses. She earned a doctorate from The Ohio State University. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press and The Washington Post.
Kurt Woock
Lead Writer
Kurt Woock started writing for NerdWallet in 2021. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Kurt taught people about retirement planning as an educator and writer, and before that he spent five years as an editor for the Colorado Legislature. Kurt earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Alex Rosenberg
Lead Writer
Alex Rosenberg is a NerdWallet writer focusing on Medicare and information technology. He has more than 10 years of experience researching and writing about health care, insurance, technology, data privacy and public policy. His research has supported lawmakers in the Wisconsin State Legislature as well as health systems and national health authorities in the U.S. and more than 10 other countries. He is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Dalia Ramirez
Lead Writer
Dalia Ramirez writes about estate planning for NerdWallet. She has a Bachelor of Arts in science and technology studies and critical theory from Wesleyan University. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Bloomberg and The Associated Press. She is based in New York City.
Tommy Tindall
Lead Writer
Tommy Tindall is a personal finance writer who joined NerdWallet in 2021, covering savvy spending and simple ways to plan for a prosperous financial future. Before NerdWallet, he worked on the marketing and communications team at Fannie Mae. Today, Tommy strives to clear up complex money matters for all. He’s also a consumer technology product enthusiast and always out for the best deal.
Taryn Phaneuf
Lead Writer
Taryn Phaneuf is a writer at NerdWallet. She previously worked as a data reporter and researcher for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She has reported on education, public policy and other topics for local news outlets in Minnesota, Washington and Kentucky. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.
Jae Bratton
Lead Writer
Jae Bratton is a writer for the credit cards team. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Before writing for NerdWallet, Jae spent 13 years teaching English and journalism. Her writing has been published in newspapers, blogs and an academic journal.
Sam Taube
Lead Writer
Sam Taube writes about investing for NerdWallet. He has covered investing and financial news since earning his economics degree from the University of Maryland in 2016. Sam has previously written for Investopedia, Benzinga, Seeking Alpha, Wealth Daily and Investment U, and has worked as an editor for Investment U, Wealth Daily and Haven Investment Letter. He is based in Brooklyn, New York. Twitter: @samuel_taube.
Abby Badach Doyle
Lead Writer
Abby Badach Doyle is a home and mortgages writer for NerdWallet. She is passionate about helping consumers understand the homebuying process and feel confident about their finances. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post and others. Abby resides in Pittsburgh, a city known for its neighborly spirit and vibrant communities.
Craig Joseph
Lead Writer
Craig Joseph is a NerdWallet credit cards and travel rewards expert. He has degrees in geology from West Virginia University and oceanography from Oregon State University and has published in academic journals, newspapers and blogs. Craig is passionate about personal finance and wants to enhance the financial literacy of everyone he meets. He'll probably also try to convince you why rocks are cool.
Drew Gula
Lead Writer
Drew Gula is a NerdWallet authority on auto insurance. He previously worked as the senior content editor at Soundstripe and as the senior writer in Liberty University's marketing department. Drew is also a published author. He is based in Nashville, Tenn.
Eliza Haverstock
Lead Writer
Eliza Haverstock is a lead writer on NerdWallet's student loans team, where she focuses on loan repayment and alternatives to traditional four-year degrees. Previously, she reported on billionaires, investing, personal finance and fintech fraud for Forbes in New York, and she also covered private markets for PitchBook in Seattle. Eliza got started at her college newspaper at the University of Virginia and interned for Bloomberg, where she spent a summer writing a feature story about plastic straws. She is based in Washington, D.C. Twitter: @ElizaHaverstock.
Ryan Brady
Lead Writer
Ryan Brady is a lead writer at NerdWallet and authority on small-business lending and insurance. Ryan enjoys simplifying complex finance topics to help small-business owners make smarter financial decisions. His work has appeared in TechCrunch, MarketWatch, Yahoo, Nasdaq and more. Before joining NerdWallet, Ryan was a senior writer and principal researcher at Gartner. He is based in Fort Myers, Florida.Before joining NerdWallet, Ryan was a senior writer and principal researcher at Gartner. He is based in Fort Myers, Florida.
June Sham
Lead Writer
June Sham is a lead writer on NerdWallet's investing and taxes team covering retirement and personal finance. Previously, she was an insurance writer for Bankrate specializing in home, auto and life insurance. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing at the University of California, Riverside.
Olivia Chen
Lead Writer
Olivia Chen comes to NerdWallet with more than five years of experience in the community development financial institution industry, particularly working with minority- and women-owned business enterprises and low- to moderate-income small businesses. She is certified through the American Bankers Association in Business and Commercial Lending. Working closely with business owners across industries and communities, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic, Olivia gained perspective on the importance of small businesses in our economy and empathy for what small-business owners face every day. She brings that perspective to NerdWallet and the small-businesses team.
Isabel Contreras
Lead Writer
Isabel is a lead writer at NerdWallet covering auto insurance. She's also got a knack for finding stories buried in data. Previously, Isabel worked as a personal finance writer for Morning Brew’s Money Scoop and as a markets reporter at Forbes, where she covered everything from fintech and crypto to billionaires and IPOs. Isabel earned her bachelor’s degrees in journalism and economics from Boston University, where she fostered a passion for throwing intimidating jargon out the window to make financial topics accessible to all. She is originally from Mexico City and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
Taylor Getler
Lead Writer
Taylor Getler is a home and mortgages writer for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in outlets such as MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, MSN and Nasdaq. Taylor is enthusiastic about financial literacy and helping consumers make smart, informed choices with their money.
Benjamin Din
Lead Writer
Benjamin Din is a writer at NerdWallet. He previously was a technology reporter at Politico, where he wrote a daily newsletter covering tech and telecom policy. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and The Washington Post, as well as covered two Olympics with NBC Sports. Benjamin has a journalism degree from Northwestern University. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and learning new things. Twitter: @benjamindin.

Multimedia

Sean Pyles
Senior Producer
Sean Pyles leads podcasting at NerdWallet as the producer and host of NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast. With a focus on thoughtful and actionable money advice, Sean provides real-world guidance that can help consumers better their financial lives. Beyond answering listeners' money questions on "Smart Money," Sean also interviews guests outside of NerdWallet and produces special segments to explore topics like the racial wealth gap, how to start investing and the history of student loans.
Nikita Turk
Lead Multimedia Producer
Nikita is a Lead Multimedia Producer for NerdWallet. She has produced video content for various digital platforms for over a decade. She enjoys taking complex, sometimes confusing subjects, and explaining them in clear, relatable ways. Nikita earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from Florida International University. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her daughter and adorable, energetic three-pound Maltipoo.

Content Management Specialists

Content management specialists focus their content strategy, writing and editing skills on maintaining a library of content that's accurate and up to date.
Ruth Sarreal
Lead Content Management Specialist
Ruth Sarreal is a content management specialist covering consumer banking topics at NerdWallet. She has over a decade of experience writing and editing for consumer websites. She previously edited content on personal finance topics at GOBankingRates. Her work has been featured by Nasdaq, MSN, TheStreet and Yahoo Finance.
Caitlin Mims
Lead Content Management Specialist
Caitlin Mims is a content management specialist covering credit cards and travel rewards. Before joining NerdWallet, she was an editor at CreditCards.com and Bankrate. Caitlin has written about personal finance for nine years and has also covered credit scores, retirement planning and the financial challenges women face.
Karrin Sehmbi
Lead Content Management Specialist
Karrin Sehmbi is a content management specialist on the small-business team. She has more than a decade of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and tutor. Karrin is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bella Avila
Content Management Specialist
Bella Avila is a content management specialist on the investing and taxes team at NerdWallet. Previously, she was a copy editing intern at NerdWallet through the Dow Jones News Fund internship program. Bella graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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    Jessica Cano — Content Coordinator
    Jessica Cano is the coordinator for the team. She manages team communications and meetings, maintains internal resources, promotes morale and connection across the distributed team and provides direct administrative support to the vice president of content. She previously worked at Twitter supporting the diversity and inclusion team.

Media Partnerships team

Driving content strategy and consumer insights for our nationally syndicating stories, this team oversees pitches and pickups across a growing roster of media partners, including The Associated Press, MarketWatch, MSN and more.
Imani Jasmin
Communications Specialist
Imani Jasmin is a communications specialist and works with the editorial team and media organizations to expand NerdWallet's content coverage. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Imani was an account executive at SourceCode Communications and an assistant account executive at FleishmanHillard, where she used her expertise in media relations to support a range of clients. She earned a bachelor's degree in public relations from St. John's University and a master's degree in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University.
Jackie Perini
Communications Specialist
Jackie Perini is a communications specialist and works closely with media partners to syndicate NerdWallet content. She previously worked as an account executive at Ketchum, a global public relations consultancy, where she led and executed thought leadership and earned media campaigns for health care clients. Jackie earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in public relations from North Carolina State University.

What shapes our coverage?

As we work to provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions, our team is committed to editorial independence. We've outlined the principles and practices that guide our sourcing, reporting, writing and editing.