Contributors

• Abi Potter Clough

  Abi is a freelance insurance and leadership writer with over 15 years of experience in risk management and insurance. She is a CPCU and holds many other insurance designations. In addition to The Ascent, her work has been featured in Risk & Insurance magazine and other insurance trade publications. She has recently written her first book, Life After Leaping In.

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• Adam Levy

  TMFnCaffeine

  Adam has been writing for The Motley Fool since 2012 covering consumer goods and technology companies. He consumes copious cups of coffee, and he loves alliteration. He spends about as much time thinking about Facebook and Twitter's businesses as he does using their products. For some lighthearted stock commentary and occasional St. Louis Cardinals mania, follow him on Twitter @admlvy.

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• Alice Hoekstra

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• Alicia Aldrich

  TMFAA

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• Alli Berry

  TMFAlliB

  Editorial strategist for The Ascent. While she's always been more of a content strategist than finance nerd, she has an economics degree from Lake Forest College and MBA from Purdue University Global. She lives in Colorado, and when not at the office, can usually be found on a hiking trail.

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• Allison Gauss

  TMFAllison

  Allison Gauss is an experienced writer with work appearing on sites such as HuffPost, GEN, and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Having worked at multiple software startups, she has also provided nonprofits of all sizes with instruction in fundraising, branding, donor engagement, and more. When she's not writing, Allison likes to make music and perform improv comedy.

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• Alyson Behr

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• Aly Yale

  TMFAlyJYale

  Aly J. Yale is a freelance writer and journalist from Houston. She currently covers real estate, mortgage, and finance topics for publications like Forbes, Bankrate, The Balance, and The Simple Dollar. She previously spent time at The Dallas Morning News, NBC, and PBS. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU.

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• Amy Fontinelle

  TMFAmyF

  Amy Fontinelle has been a financial journalist and personal finance expert since 2006. Her work has been published by Investopedia, MassMutual, Bankrate, and other outlets. Amy is passionate about making challenging personal finance topics easy to understand so that readers feel empowered to manage their money better and achieve financial freedom. She earned her bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

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• Anders Hjorth

  AndersHjorth

  Anders Hjorth is the author of four digital marketing insights reports and the founder of Innovell, a Digital Marketing consultancy researching trends in digital marketing. As a pioneer in SEO, one of the first Google Advertising Professionals, and the co-founder of several agencies, he has broad and long-running experience across SEO, paid search, social media, and content marketing. Anders was COO for GroupM Search across EMEA. Anders is also an active member of various awards juries and advisory boards including the Paid Search Association.

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• Angelica Leicht

  TMFAleicht

  Angelica Leicht is a writer and editor who specializes in personal finance content. She tackles everything from interest rate trends and racial biases in mortgage lending to the role of fintech in lending practices. Her work has appeared in publications such as Interest, Bankrate, The Spruce, Houston Press, and VeryWell, among others.

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• Ashley Maready

  CMFAshleyMaready

  Ashley Maready is a recovering history museum professional who made the leap to digital content writing and editing in 2021. She has a BA from Hood College and an MA from Shippensburg University. Ashley is based in upstate New York and spends her free time entertaining her cats, reading, doing the NYT Crossword, and trying out new and intriguing recipes.

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• Austin Smith

  TMFarete

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• Barbara Weltman

  BarbaraW

  Barbara Weltman is an attorney and nationally recognized expert in tax, legal, and financial matters for small businesses. She’s the author of many top-selling books on taxes and business including the annual J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day® and Big Ideas for Small Business®, a contributor to SBA.gov and a number of Fortune 500 sites, and serves on the advisory board to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

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• Brendan Byrnes

  TMFNiner

  Currently Managing Director of The Ascent, Brendan has nearly a decade of experience in the personal finance space. He has written hundreds of articles for The Motley Fool and provided analysis on TV outlets including CNBC and Fox. He holds a degree in finance from Virginia Tech.

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• Brian Frey

  Brian is The Ascent's PR Manager. He has a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nebraska (Go Big Red!) and a certificate in blockchain fundamentals through BerkeleyX.

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• Brian O'Connell

  Caribbean Cash

  Brian O’Connell is a business writer splitting time in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Humacao, Puerto Rico, on the Caribbean coast. A former Wall Street trader, he is the author of the books CNBC’s Creating Wealth and The Career Survival Guide.

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• Brittney Myers

  TMFBrittney

  Brittney is a credit expert and card strategist whose advice has been featured by major publications and financial sites across the web. A spreadsheet and data obsessive, she believes most problems can be solved with the right research, and she specializes in translating complex topics to educate and empower readers.

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• Caroline Linne

  TMFCaroline

  Caroline began her career in higher education working in PR for an ed-tech company and has since switched over to the wonderful world of PR for The Ascent. She specializes in communications and media outreach and loves staying up to date on the latest news in business, entrepreneurship, and women in tech. On a regular day, you can find Caroline doing one of three things: wandering through art museums, getting way too competitive at any type of trivia game, or laughing at the latest stand-up comedian to perform in DC.

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• Charlie Pastor, CFP®

  CMFCharlesPastor

  Charlie Pastor, CFP®, is a freelance writer for The Ascent and one of the biggest money nerds you know. Charlie has years of financial service industry experience and is the founder of a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Charlie has reached thousands with educational seminars and videos shared on social media, covering a wide variety of personal finance topics. He truly believes that knowledge is power when it comes to combatting financial illiteracy!

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• Christy Bieber

  TMFChristyB

  Christy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer with more than a decade of experience. She has a JD from UCLA as well as a degree in English, Media and Communications with a Certificate in Business Management from the University of Rochester. In addition to writing for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, her work has also been featured regularly on MSN Money, CNBC, and USA Today. She also ghost writes textbooks, serves as a subject matter expert for online course design, and is a former college instructor.

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• Clark Boyd

  clarkboyd

  Clark Boyd is a digital strategy consultant, author, and trainer. Over the last 10 years, he has devised and implemented international strategies for brands including American Express, adidas, and General Motors. Clark also works with leading business schools to devise, design, and implement new executive education courses on digital business strategy, marketing technology, and change management. In the past year, he has delivered keynote speeches about AI and data analysis at events in Latin America, Europe, and the US.

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• Courtney Johnston

  courtneywrites

  Courtney Johnston is a freelance writer specializing in finance, real estate, and small business. Her work has appeared on Benzinga, Mashvisor, Fundera, MoneyGeek, and Investopedia. She is passionate about financial literacy and education and can never say no to a good book.

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• Craig Borowski

  TMFcraig

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• Dana George

  TMFByGeorge

  Dana George has spent the last two decades as a business writer and news reporter. She considers herself lucky to love her job and appreciates the opportunity to learn something new every day.

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• Dana Sitar

  TMFDanaSitar

  Dana Sitar (@danasitar) has been writing and editing since 2011, covering personal finance, careers, and digital media. She trains journalists, writers, and editors on writing for the web and has written about finance and careers for publications including The New York Times, HuffPost, and a column for Inc. Magazine.

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• Dan Caplinger

  TMFGalagan

  Dan is a lawyer and financial planner living in Williamstown, Massachusetts. With experience in tax and estate planning, trust administration, and wealth management, Dan led The Motley Fool's investment planning bureau when he started writing in 2006 and covers a host of topics ranging from retirement and tax planning to personal finance.

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• Daniel B. Kline

  TMFDankline

  Daniel B. Kline covers personal finance, retail, technology, consumer goods, and careers for The Motley Fool where he also helps manage partner relationships with major publishers. His work appears regularly in USA Today, on MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, AOL, and FOX Business as well as newspapers around the country.

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• Dan Kenitz

  dan.kenitz

  Dan Kenitz is a seasoned freelance writer and content marketer with over 10 years of experience, writing about personal finance, business software, SaaS, and more. When not writing, he enjoys playing chess and following his favorite football team.

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• Dann Albright

  TMFpedalhead

  Dann is The Motley Fool's Research Lead. He plans research studies, writes surveys, crunches numbers, and works with writers and editors to generate unique Foolish insights based on real-world data.

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• David Chang, ChFC®, CLU®

  TMFDavidChang

  David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® is an award-winning entrepreneur and financial planner with over two decades of experience in the personal finance space. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard. He is an East-West Graduate Degree Fellow and has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

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• David Zomaya

  ChicagoTech

  David Zomaya is a technical writer and software subject matter expert from Chicago, Illinois. He has a professional background in software, networking, power electronics, customer service, and tech marketing. In his spare time, David volunteers as Director of Operations for the Human Health Project overseeing the sysadmin, IT security, and Quality Assurance teams.

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• Dayana Meza Giraldo

  Dayana is a blockchain expert who works for cryptocurrency and blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis. She holds a degree in quantitative economics and statistical and data sciences from Smith College. When she isn't working on blockchains, she loves to spend time with her pets, friends, and family.

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• DP Taylor

  SoftwareDP

  DP Taylor has a passion for good business software and wants to help software users find the solution that best fits them. He likes to understand people's personal and business needs and figure out how software can solve problems. When he's not studying the world of business, he can be found hiking.

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• Elizabeth Aldrich

  TMFEnthusiast

  Elizabeth is a personal finance writer specializing in credit cards, debt repayment, and small business. Her work has appeared on The Motley Fool, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, and Business Insider. She’s an avid credit card points collector and perpetual traveler currently living in Costa Rica.

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• Elizabeth Gonzalez

  MagpieBlue

  Elizabeth Gonzalez is a legal and regulatory writer with more than seven years of experience as a contributing editor for HR Specialist and BLR’s HR Insights. She is also a content strategist, web copywriter, and fiction writer with publications ranging from Engineering News-Record and Construction Business Owner to Best American Nonrequired Reading.

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• Emma Newbery

  TMFemmanewbery

  Emma lives in Bogota, Colombia, where she owns the English-language newspaper The Bogota Post. She began her editorial career at a financial website in the U.K. over 20 years ago and has been contributing to The Ascent since the summer of 2019.

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• Eric Volkman

  TMFVolkman

  Eric has been writing about stocks and finance since the mid-1990s, when he lived in Prague, Czech Republic. Over the course of a varied career, he has also been a radio newscaster, an investment banker, and a bass player in a selection of rock and roll bands. A native New Yorker, he currently lives in Los Angeles.

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• Geoff Hoppe

  Geoff Hoppe

  Geoff Hoppe has several years of experience writing about B2B software and tech. He helmed two B2B software blogs, covering topics like business intelligence software, field service management software, and computerized maintenance management software (CMMS).

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• Jack Caporal

  TMFJackCap

  Jack Caporal is an analyst and writer with The Motley Fool research team. He previously followed business and economic trends as a reporter and policy analyst in Washington, D.C. You can now find him in Colorado, on either the hiking trail or the ski lift, or keeping up with his hometown Boston sports teams.

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• James Heflin

  JamesHeflin

  James Heflin is an editor for The Ascent and was a writer and editor at The Valley Advocate newspaper in Western Massachusetts for many years. He holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MA from Hollins University. His book Krakatoa Picnic came out in 2017, and he's a science fiction writer and Gypsy jazz guitarist.

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• James McClenathen

  TMFJammerz

  Managing editor for The Ascent, personal finance wonk, longtime editor, former reporter, and University of Michigan alum. James oversees the production and quality of The Ascent's content.

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• Jamie Matthews

  TMFJamieMarie

  Jamie Matthews is alumni of Ohio State University and still calls Columbus, Ohio home. She is a finance editor with over seven years of experience. When she isn't obsessing over grammar and punctuation, she enjoys baking, binge-watching cooking shows, and being a proud dog mom.

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• Jen Crompton

  Jenergy

  Jen Crompton is an entrepreneur, small business owner, speaker, and digital marketer with more than 15 years of experience developing marketing strategies, writing content, and building communities. Jen focuses on identifying and implementing efficient and effective business strategies, developing great leaders and company cultures, and sharing resources to help others excel. Jen owned and operated a digital marketing consultancy and fitness studio and developed programs to empower kids through movement, sports, and education.

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• Jennifer Post

  AGirlHasNoName

  Jennifer Post graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Journalism and has almost five years experience writing about all things small business. Her work has appeared on sites such as Business News Daily and Business.com. She specializes in many things, including marketing, software (HR, POS), and business formation. When she's not working, you will almost always find Jennifer whipping up something in the kitchen.

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• Jessica Elliott

  JJJWriter

  Jessica Elliott is a business technology writer and communications consultant, specializing in uncovering insights from data collection, observation, and analysis to help leaders make strategic decisions. From restaurant management to working with startups, Jessica relies on her 24 years in public-facing roles to connect the dots so that business professionals can develop their billion-dollar idea into total market visibility.

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• Jill A. Chafin

  JilliganIsland

  Jill A. Chafin is a freelance writer with a background in personal finance, small business solutions, and product reviews, with her work appearing at Life Savvy and on her blog. She specializes in helping sole proprietors understand business deductions, tax terminology, and how to effectively advertise on social media. When she's not writing informative articles, Jill enjoys aerial dancing, working on her novel, making bread, and chasing her two young children.

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• Jimmy Rodela

  JimmyRodela

  Jimmy Rodela is a seasoned freelance writer and content marketer with over 8 years of experience, with work appearing on sites such as Business.com, Yahoo, SEMRush, and SearchEnginePeople. He specializes in digital marketing, small business strategy, marketing automation, and content development.

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• John Boitnott

  boitnott

  John Boitnott is a writer, content strategist and editor with more than 25 years experience, with work appearing on Inc., Entrepreneur, USAToday, NBC, and BusinessInsider. He specializes in HR, marketing, personal finance, SMB software, and solutions to common startup problems. When he's not writing, John enjoys painting, meditation, and hiking around the San Francisco Bay Area with his chihuahua Falkor.

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• John Keeling

  TMFJake

  John has lead The Motley Fool’s business development team for over 10 years and is a Venture Partner with Motley Fool Ventures. As part of the Fool Ventures team, John has worked closely with portfolio company financing, including both debt and equity. Prior to The Motley Fool, he was a Vice President of Product Management at Aol where he led the development of Aol’s Money and Finance, Personalization, Voice and other products.

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• John Rampton

  johnrampton

  John Rampton is a successful serial entrepreneur who has developed multiple startups and grown them into successful companies geared at helping small business owners and startup founders drive their own success. He's shared his thought leadership on how to drive individual and team productivity, work smarter, and strike a healthy balance between work and play through books, speaking events, and online content across multiple channels. John also serves as a connector, community advocate, advisor, and mentor to entrepreneurs, non-profits, and students.

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• Jordan DiPietro

  tmfphillydot

  Jordan DiPietro has been working in the financial industry for 15 years and has spent the last decade as a marketing and growth specialist at The Motley Fool. He has a passion for creating quality content and building scalable products that focus on serving individuals, entrepreneurs, and investors. He also loves copywriting, his two young kids, skimming old swipe files, and all-things-Philadelphia.

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• Jordan Wathen

  TMFValueMagnet

  Jordan Wathen is a Motley Fool contributor covering the financial sector and investing strategies. He believes stock investors can benefit by analyzing a company with a credit investors' mentality -- rule out the downside, and the upside takes care of itself. You can tweet him @jwthn.

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• Julia Jamieson

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• Justin Guinn

  TheContentChef

  Experienced content leader empowering businesses of all sizes to employ the strategies and technologies needed to generate growth and sustain success. Always excited to analyze trends, conduct interviews, and dig into the data to build helpful content for readers across industries and disciplines. My work has been cited in notable publications like The New York Times, Forbes, CNN, and TIME Magazine. I’ve also been featured on numerous market/industry-specific blogs such as Groupon’s merchant blog and Yelp’s business center blog.

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• Kailey Hagen

  TMFKailey

  Kailey has been writing about banks, credit cards, loans, and all things personal finance since 2012. She also writes for The Ascent's parent company, The Motley Fool. Her work has appeared on USA Today, CNN Money, Fox Business, and MSN Money. She's a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and happily lives in the woods of northern Wisconsin where she grew up.

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• Kamran Rosen

  TMFkamran

  Kamran is a former research analyst for The Ascent. He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Vermont.

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• Karen McCandless

  KMACC

  Karen McCandless is a content strategist, digital analyst, and researcher, specializing in business communications and technology. Her work has appeared on The Next Web, Softonic, Business2Community, Business.com, and Microsoft Europe.

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• Kathleen Carroll

  Kathleen.Carroll

  Katie Carroll is a bestselling author and award-winning journalist who earned her business chops in Notre Dame's MBA program and with her own small company. She writes and consults on content marketing, nonprofit business strategy, and publicity. When not in front of a screen or out on assignment, Katie spends her time cooking bad vegan food, rescuing ill-tempered dogs, and taking improbably long hikes.

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• Katie Clinebell

  CMFKatieClinebel

  Katie Clinebell is a freelance content creator and digital marketing strategist for FinTech, blockchain, and crypto brands. She has created award-winning campaigns for Snapple and Tai Pei Frozen Asian Food and received an Adobe Academic Achievement Award for content about Olympic athletes. Katie currently lives in Florida and can be found traveling, dancing, and laughing as she strives to live stories that matter.

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• Katie Navarra

  CowgirlKate

  Katie Navarra is no one-trick pony. As an award-winning journalist she thrives on telling stories that have an impact as they relate to farming, education, leadership, marketing and business development. When she's not in the office, she's out riding her horse, rounding up cattle, or on the couch with a good book.

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• Kelsie Anderson

  timeclocklord

  Kelsie has worked in B2B software for years, and it's one of her favorite topics to nerd out over. This trait doesn't make her a very popular party guest, but it does make her a good writer for B2B software blogs. Outside of her interest in small business tech stacks, Kelsie loves comedy, and she performs improv and runs her own blog and podcast about the comedy scene in Washington, DC.

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• Kevin Payne

  TMFKevinP

  Kevin Payne is a personal finance writer specializing in credit cards, banking and student loans. He is a regular contributor to Forbes, Student Loan Planner, and FinanceBuzz. Kevin is the budget and family travel expert behind FamilyMoneyAdventure.com. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and four kids.

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• Kimberly Rotter

  TMFkimsandiego

  Kimberly is a personal finance writer/editor, consumer credit expert, and financial literacy advocate. She has lots of degrees and personal experience that make her really good at helping people separate the good from the bad in financial products and habits. She likes to roller skate. Tweet her @rotterwrites.

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• Korrin Bishop

  KorrinB

  Korrin Bishop is a freelance writer and editor with publications in Sierra Magazine, Shelterforce Magazine, and Fodor's Travel, among others, and collaborations with nonprofits and mission-driven businesses, such as Gossamer Gear, Classy, ACDI/VOCA, and Abt Associates Inc. She specializes in nonprofit administration, government contracting, small business development, and digital marketing. In her free time, Korrin can be found kayaking, hiking, and sleeping under the stars as often as possible.

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• Kristi Waterworth

  MaldivesBlue

  Kristi Waterworth has been a writer since 1995, when words were on paper and card catalogs were cool. She's owned and operated a number of small businesses and developed expertise in digital (and paper) marketing, personal finance, and a hundred other things SMB owners have to know to survive. When she's not banging the keys, Kristi hangs out in her kitchen with her dogs, dropping cheese randomly on the floor.

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• Les Shaver

  Lshav22

  Les Shaver is a long-time business journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering news in trends in the SMB space.

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• Lindsay VanSomeren

  TMFLindsayV

  Lindsay VanSomeren has been working as a personal finance writer and expert since 2015. Her work has appeared on Business Insider, Credit Karma, LendingTree, Northwestern Mutual, and The Balance, among other publications. She is passionate about making personal finance accessible to everyone by delivering straight talk about financial products. She has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

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• Liz Froment

  TMFLiz

  Liz Froment is a writer and content strategist. She helps finance, insurance and real estate brands and small business owners in the industry create compelling content. Liz enjoys reading, cocktails and watching her Boston sports teams win championships.

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• Lyle Daly

  TMFLyleDaly

  Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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• Maricel Rivera

  shutterly25

  Maricel Rivera is a business writer and researcher who has worked with the content teams of multiple B2B software companies. Some of her work appear on sites like Yahoo Small Business, Business.com, and Business2Community. When not writing, she’s most likely spending her time making something out of yarn.

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• Mark Roy Long

  MarkRoyLong

  Mark Long is a former technology textbook publisher and commercial writing instructor. As a freelance writer, he has written on topics ranging from project management strategies to software reviews to designing data centers. Most recently, he was a national news reporter for Knowhere News. When not writing or researching a forthcoming article, Mark can likely be found on a Waco, Texas, disc golf course or at a craft beer brewery.

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• Mary Girsch-Bock

  Scarlettmidway

  Mary Girsch-Bock is a former accountant and non-profit development specialist who began her freelance career reviewing software and never stopped. Mary estimates she’s written more than 500 reviews, and her writing has appeared in The CPA Practice Advisor, Law Office Computing, PropertyManager.com, Albuquerque Business, Legal Assistant Today, and Advisor Websites. When not working on the next article or review, Mary spends time working on her first novel in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, where she lives with her family, two dogs, and two birds.

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• Matt Frankel, CFP®

  TMFMathGuy

  Matt is a Certified Financial Planner® and investment advisor based in Columbia, South Carolina. He writes personal finance and investment advice for The Ascent and its parent company The Motley Fool, with more than 4,500 published articles and a 2017 SABEW Best in Business award. Matt writes a weekly investment column ("Ask a Fool") that is syndicated in USA Today, and his work has been regularly featured on CNBC, Fox Business, MSN Money, and many other major outlets. He’s a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Nova Southeastern University, and holds a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University.

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• Matthew Frankel

  TMFMathGuy

  Matt Frankel is a Certified Financial Planner who has been writing for The Motley Fool since 2012, with more than 7,000 published articles and a 2017 SABEW Best in Business award. Matt specializes in banking, real estate, and personal finance, especially when it comes to helping small businesses set themselves up for success. Matt is based in the Columbia, South Carolina, area where he lives with his wife Kathy, two awesome kids, and two high-maintenance dogs.

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• Matt Kilefner

  LeftyNotebook

  Matt Kilefner is an experienced video editor and colorist. He has written and edited content for social media, websites, and TV. Most days are spent chasing his mini dachshund, Stewie, around the apartment.

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• Maurie Backman

  TMFBookNerd

  Maurie Backman has been writing about personal finance for years. A firm believer in educating readers without boring them, she aims to produce content that's interesting, engaging, and easy to understand. Sometimes, she'll even make the occasional joke. Maurie started out as a writer for Fool.com and joined The Ascent team in early 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and reveling in the fact that her creative writing degree actually amounted to something.

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• Melinda Curle

  MelindaCurle

  Melinda Curle is a seasoned writer with experience writing books, blog posts, and newsletters on digital marketing. She specializes in small medical practice strategies and e-commerce. When she's not researching and writing, Melinda enjoys playing the piano and learning archery with her nephews.

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• Mike Price

  MichaelToddPrice

  Mike Price has worked with small businesses in banking and accounting capacities for the past six years. He specializes in bookkeeping, projected financials and debt restructuring.

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• Natasha Gabrielle

  TMFLoves2Travel

  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. Her goal is to encourage more people to experience the world around them while making smart financial choices.

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• Nathan Hamilton

  TMFHamFoolery

  Director and personal finance industry analyst for The Ascent by The Motley Fool, a new online publisher of the year award recipient in 2017. Prior to that, he was a Director for The Motley Fool. He has 15 years of finance experience under his belt and has published over 800 educational and research articles that have appeared on websites such as MSN, AOL, and Yahoo Finance. He holds an MBA in Finance from George Washington University.

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• Nicholas Morpus

  pmwizard

  Nick is a seasoned writer and digital marketing specialist with lots of experience in B2B software research. He has always had a passion for technology and has worked as an Apple technical specialist, in the social media startup scene, and also in local DC real estate.

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• Patricia Staino

  Bronx2NC

  Patricia Staino has 20+ years of business communications experience as a writer, editor, and content strategist. She specializes in B2B, marketing, public relations, and the new world of work. When she's not busy telling stories, she's reading her backlog of The New Yorker or planning her next travel adventure.

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• Paul Dughi

  pauldughi1

  Paul Dughi is an Emmy Award-winning producer/writer, MBA, and media veteran with more than 30 years experience. He has started multiple digital agencies, worked as VP of technology for a major media group, and has been running enterprise-level TV stations for the past two decades. A nationally-recognized trainer, speaker, and media influencer, he spend his summers broadcasting and following hydroplane racing.

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• Rhiân Davies

  rhiandavies

  Rhiân Davies is a content writer and digital marketing specialist, specializing in HR and recruitment. Her work has appeared on MarTechSeries, HR Technologist, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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• Robert Davis

  Robert writes about cryptocurrencies and nonfungible tokens for The Ascent. Before that, he spent more than seven years writing about everything from social policy to business and politics, and everything in between.

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• Robert Izquierdo

  TMFWryWrite

  Robert “Izzy” Izquierdo possess over 15 years of measurable success building and marketing multi-million dollar software products. Izzy is an expert in the disciplines of Software Product Management and Product Marketing, including digital solutions for Smart TVs, streaming video, ad tech, and global web and mobile platforms.

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• Robert Thorpe

  WordEnthusiast

  Robert is a writer and editor for The Ascent. He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a master's degree in communication from Johns Hopkins University. When he isn't lost in thought or trying to craft better sentences, he enjoys reading, baking, and doing dad stuff.

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• Rose Wheeler

  RoseWheeler

  Rose Wheeler is a seasoned writer and content manager with more than 15 years of experience. She specializes in content related to digital marketing, small business, personal finance, and CMS. Her work has appeared on sites such as Selz, The Cheat Sheet, and Swaay. When she's not working with her awesome clients, Rose enjoys cooking, playing games and curling up with a good book.

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• Ryan Lasker

  ryguy1234

  Ryan Lasker is an accounting writer with a penchant for breaking down complex topics and has work published in USA TODAY. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the District of Columbia, holds a Master of Accountancy, and specializes in small-business financial planning.

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• Sarah Li Cain

  Sarah Li Cain has been writing financial advice and reviewing financial products since 2015. She has contributed to outlets including LendingTree, Business Insider, Redbook, Bankrate, and the Financial Planning Association.

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• Shannon Souza

  TMFShannon

  Shannon Souza is a research writer for The Ascent. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Maryland but spends her days dreaming of returning to the Lone Star State.

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• Sheryll Poe

  sheryllpoe

  Sheryll Poe is a freelance tech and business journalist based in Alexandria, Virginia where she writes about the latest technology and trends in entrepreneurship, hospitality, real estate, retail, travel and more. When not wielding words on behalf of clients, Sheryll enjoys cooking (and eating), watching bad reality television, and traveling the world.

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• Stephen Anfield

  HfEoLoLlO

  Equipped with endless curiosity, a desire to be a cheerleader for anyone who needs it, an insatiable appetite to stay on top of the latest online trends, and many years of writing experience from passing notes in class and composing online content, Stephen loves showing fun and creative ways for businesses to reach their audiences. Based in Washington, D.C., Stephen’s experiences have involved all sectors of the business landscape. He’s all Vol, enjoys reading all the things, and his happy place is wrapped in a weighted blanket with a grilled cheese sandwich.

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• The Ascent Staff

  TMFAscentStaff

  The Ascent brings financial expertise, trusted advice, and unbiased analysis to the world of daily personal finance decisions. Our mission is to help you live more richly.

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• Tom Rayner

  tjprayner

  Tom Rayner has been involved in digital marketing since 2006 and specializes in SEO — along the way, he’s built and sold six-figure affiliate websites, and seven-figure marketing agencies. Despite all that, he’s a bit of a goof and prone to some epic fails alongside his successes. Also, he’s British, so he apologi(s)es in advance!

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• Tor Constantino

  TMFTorCon

  Tor Constantino is a former journalist and consultant and a current corporate communications executive and business writer. Since 2017, he has also written about cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and crypto's potential to revolutionize finance. His writing has appeared in outlets including Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fortune, CEOWorld, and Yahoo!.

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