About Newsweek Vault

Claire is a senior editor at Newsweek focused on credit cards, loans and banking. Her top priority is providing unbiased, in-depth personal finance content to ensure readers are well-equipped with knowledge when making financial decisions. 

Prior to Newsweek, Claire spent five years at Bankrate as a lead credit cards editor. You can find her jogging through Austin, TX, or playing tourist in her free time.

Robert is a senior editor at Newsweek, specializing in a range of personal finance topics, including credit cards, loans and banking. Prior to Newsweek, he worked at Bankrate as the lead editor for small business loans and as a credit cards writer and editor. He has also written and edited for CreditCards.com, The Points Guy and The Motley Fool Ascent.

Ashley is an associate editor at Newsweek, with expertise in consumer lending. She is passionate about producing the most accessible personal finance content for all readers. Prior to Newsweek, Ashley spent almost three years at Bankrate as an editor covering credit cards, specializing in transactional content along with subprime and student credit.

Anna Baluch is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team with a focus on personal loans, student loans, credit cards, and more. She has spent years writing for small businesses as well as large publications on various financial topics. Baluch lives in Cleveland, OH with her husband and two young daughters.

Ariana Arghandewal is a travel rewards expert and founder of Pointchaser.com, an award-winning blog. She has over a decade of experience writing about personal finance and travel rewards. She is passionate about helping people leverage credit cards to achieve their travel goals. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bankrate, Business Insider, CNN Underscored, Forbes Advisor and Lonely Planet.

Emily is a freelance personal finance journalist and contributor to Newsweek. Her other publications include U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Advisor, USA Today and Buy Side from the Wall Street Journal. She enjoys writing about all things personal finance, but especially breaking down complex topics to help people better manage their money. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Writing and Rhetoric from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, where she still lives.

Erin Gobler is a personal finance expert and journalist based in Madison, Wisconsin. She has a decade of experience writing online and has covered topics such as investing, mortgages, personal loans, insurance, credit cards and more. Her work has been published in major publications such as CNN, Business Insider, Forbes and more.

Jamie Johnson is a Kansas City-based freelance writer. Her work has been featured on several of the top finance and business sites in the country, including Insider, USA Today, Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, Fox Business, Quicken Loans and The Balance. She covers a variety of personal finance topics including mortgages, loans, credit cards and insurance.

Jennifer, a native Angeleno, is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering personal finance. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, Forbes, USA Today and other national publications. When she’s not educating readers about money-related topics, she’s writing her debut fiction novel and playing with her Shiba Inu, Katsu.

Jerry is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. He primarily covers loans, including personal loans, home equity loans and student loans. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys spending time with family, riding an electric bike or scooter through the French Quarter in New Orleans and traveling.

John is a freelance writer for Newsweek’s personal finance team. He has contributed personal finance articles to outlets such as Forbes Advisor, Investopedia, Bankrate, USA Today Blueprint, Capital One, Experian and NJ.com. John, based in Austin, Texas, is the author of The Stripped-Down Guide to Content Marketing.

Kacie is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. Over the last decade, she’s honed her expertise in the personal finance space writing for publications like CNET, Bankrate, MSN, The Simple Dollar, Yahoo, accountants, insurance agencies and real estate brokerages. She founded and runs her marketing content and copywriting agency, Jot Content, from her home in Ventura, California.

Kristy is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. As an editor, Kristy has worked with sites like Bankrate, JPMorgan Chase and NextAdvisor to craft and hone content on banking, credit cards and loans. She’s also written for publications such as Forbes Advisor and U.S. News and World. In her spare time, Kristy loves traveling, hitting up rail trails and reading.

Lee Huffman spent 18 years as a financial planner and corporate finance manager before quitting his corporate job to write full-time in 2018. He has been writing about early retirement, credit cards, travel, insurance and other personal finance topics since 2012. Lee enjoys showing people how to travel more, spend less and live better by taking control of their finances. When Lee is not getting his passport stamped around the world, he’s researching methods to earn more miles and points toward his next vacation.

Mary Beth is a freelance writer for Newsweek’s personal finance team. She specializes in explaining the ins and outs of mortgages and other loans, helping people to use debt wisely and build their credit. Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Mary Beth is a proud alumna of Bowling Green State University, where she volunteers on the board of the Falcon Media alumni group.

Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer with nearly a decade of experience in the personal finance space. She is the founder of the blog and author of the book “Dear Debt” and paid off $81,000 in student loans. She has an M.A. from New York University and is an LA native based in Brooklyn, NY.

Michelle is a credit expert, freelance writer and founder of CreditWriter.com. She has over 20 years of experience writing and speaking about credit and money, and focuses on helping families and small business owners make smart, informed decisions about their credit, money and financial products. She’s a three-time finalist for the best personal finance freelancer award from the Plutus Foundation.

Miranda Marquit, MBA, is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. She has an M.A. in journalism from Syracuse University and has been writing and podcasting about money since 2006. With a passion for financial wellness, Miranda has written thousands of articles about money management and beginning investing. Miranda is based in Idaho, where she enjoys spending time in the outdoors and volunteering with local nonprofits.

Natasha has been a freelance writer since 2015. She specializes in credit card and credit card rewards content. When not busy writing, she’s either dreaming up her next credit card rewards redemption or traveling the globe. Natasha hopes to encourage more people to experience the world around them while making smart financial choices.

Nicole Dieker has over a decade of personal finance expertise. She writes the “On the Money” advice column and the “Money Talks” interview series at Vox, and previously contributed to the “Money Matters” advice column at Morning Brew. Her work has also appeared in Bankrate, Lifehacker, Dwell and The Billfold.

Raina is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. Specializing in credit cards, banking and loans, Raina has written or edited hundreds of articles for CNET Money and NextAdvisor with TIME (which merged with CNET Money in 2023). A Saint Louis native, she’s currently traveling around the world and documenting her adventures (and advice) on Instagram and TikTok under the handle @rainainwanderland.

Rebecca is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s personal finance team. A certified student loan counselor, she has written extensively on student loan debt and higher education. Rebecca has also covered a variety of other personal finance topics, including personal loans, the housing market and consumer credit. She’s committed to helping people understand their options and make informed decisions about their money.

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys diving into the details to help readers make savvy financial decisions. She lives in Florida with her husband and dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s outside exploring the coast.

Stephanie is a freelance writer and contributor with over a decade of experience in the personal finance field. While she covers a variety of topics, her expertise centers around loans, insurance, real estate, travel and retirement. Her work can be found on sites like Newsweek, TIME, MSN, Market Watch and USA Today, to name a few. She graduated from Baylor University and currently splits her time between Texas and the DC area.

Tim Maxwell is a freelance personal finance writer with over two decades of media experience. His work has been published in Bankrate, CBS News, Experian and other outlets. Tim is passionate about financial literacy and empowering people to take control of their finances. When he’s not writing or geeking out over his budget, he enjoys creating memories with his family in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Marc is a freelance contributor to Newsweek’s investing team. He is a Certified Personal Finance Counselor and a frequent runner who aims to complete more than 100 marathons in his lifetime. Marc is a Fordham University alumni and is based in Scarsdale, NY.