
Lisa Gerstner
Lisa has been with Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine for more than 15 years and became editor in June 2023. She started with Kiplinger as an American Society of Magazine Editors intern in 2006, was hired as a copy editor in 2007 and later began reporting and writing on a range of personal-finance topics, including credit, banking and retirement. For several years, she compiled the magazine’s annual rankings of the best rewards credit cards and the best banks, and she assembled the survey and results for Kiplinger’s first Readers’ Choice Awards in 2023.
Lisa has shared her expertise as a guest with many media outlets around the nation, including the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR and Cheddar.
Lisa was an Honors College student at Ball State University, in Muncie, Ind., and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in magazine journalism and history. During her time as a student, she was editor-in-chief of the campus magazine and an intern at the Indianapolis Business Journal as well as her hometown newspaper, the Wapakoneta Daily News. She received Ball State’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014.
A military spouse, Lisa experiences firsthand the financial challenges and opportunities for military families. Born and raised in Ohio, she has moved around the U.S. - from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas to southern New Mexico – and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons. When she finds free time, she loves to travel (especially to national parks), hike, try new recipes in the kitchen, and get on the mat to practice yoga.
Latest articles by Lisa Gerstner
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Kiplinger's Best Internet Banks 2025
Internet banks tend to offer higher yields and lower fees than brick-and-mortar banks, thanks to lower overhead costs.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Kiplinger's Best National Banks 2025
Here's Kiplinger's pick of the best national banks that offer a wide variety of accounts and services.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Kiplinger's Best Banks for Travelers 2025
The best banks for travelers cut the cost of trips at home and abroad and come with handy perks for those on the go. Read on for our top choices.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Kiplinger's Best Credit Unions 2025
Credit unions are nonprofit institutions owned by their members. Because they’re not profit-driven, they tend to keep fees low, and they may offer hefty yields.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Best Banks for Retirees 2025
National banks offer a wide variety of accounts and services, including wealth and investment management. Here's Kiplinger's pick of the best.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Six Steps to Appeal Your Property Tax Bill
Property Tax As home values increase nationwide, property taxes are also on the rise.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2025 Results
Readers' Choice Awards In our 2025 Readers' Choice Awards survey, readers evaluated brokers, wealth managers, banks and other financial providers. Find out which ones rose to the top.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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10 Best Benefits for Military Members and Their Families
savings Service members face a range of threats – from the lethal to the financial. An array of military benefits and programs are meant to offset some of the risk for them, their spouses and their families.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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20 Ways to Clean Up Your Finances This Spring
Spring cleaning is therapeutic and stops costly problems from building up around the home. Why not tackle the dusty corners of your finances at the same time?
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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2025 Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards
Awards The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards celebrate the best products and services in personal finance. Read on to learn more about this year's awards.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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How to Add Treasury Bonds, Bills and Notes to an IRA
investing If you are wondering how to add Treasury bills, bonds and notes to an IRA, there are ways to do so.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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How Our Family Fights Inflation
Budgeting Millennials typically spend more than other generations on certain expenses that have been increasing most rapidly. Here are some tips to cut your losses.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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6 Smart Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bills
Tax Breaks Tax breaks make these green projects worth a look, as they help you save on your utility bills.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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How to Freeze Your Credit in Three Steps
credit & debt Freezing your accounts at the three major credit bureaus is the best way to prevent thieves from opening new credit accounts in your name.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Get Free Credit Reports Weekly
Check your credit report weekly for free as the three major credit bureaus make a pandemic-era initiative permanent.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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What's Hurting Retirees' Confidence?
Retirees aren't feeling that confident about their financial health.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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Got $1,000? Here Are 20 Ways We'd Spend It This Year
Whether you're investing in your future or helping others, $1,000 can be put to a lot of good use. We've rounded up some ways to save, donate or spend it.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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Farewell Paper I-Bonds: Savings Bonds Are Going Online-Only
The last remaining way to buy a paper savings bond in the U.S. (with your income tax refund) won't be available from January 2025. Tax filers will still be able to buy I-bonds online, however.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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How to Increase Credit Scores — Fast
How to increase credit scores quickly, starting with paying down your credit card debt.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2024 Results
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards The results are in for the 2024 Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards — celebrating the best products and services in personal finance.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
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Still Have FSA Money to Spend?
Still have FSA money to spend from your healthcare flexible spending account? Here are some ideas to use it up.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Best Business Credit Cards 2023
Credit Cards Small business credit cards can be great tools to earn hundreds of dollars of rewards.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit 2023
If used wisely, these credit cards can help you dig out of bad credit; you may even earn 2% cash back.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated
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Best 0% APR Credit Cards 2023
Kiplinger's guide to the best 0% APR credit cards. Pay no interest on large purchases for up to 21 months.
By Lisa Gerstner Last updated