Lisa Gerstner
Lisa has spent more than 15 years with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, where she has gained a breadth of knowledge on pocketbook issues for consumers. 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. Her primary areas of coverage:
Retirement, including Social Security claiming strategies, advice on retirement-account savings and withdrawals, and growth of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Consumer credit, including boosting credit scores and monitoring credit reports. For several years, she has compiled the magazine’s annual rankings of the best rewards credit cards, and she regularly updates articles on the best rewards cards for Kiplinger.com. Consumer banking, including the magazine’s annual rankings of the best banks. Money concerns for millennials, from saving on child-care costs to managing student loans.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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Best Banks for Families with Kids
Raising Money-Smart Kids Parents and children alike benefit from low fees and minimums on these accounts. But some features can be limited.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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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 • Published
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Free Credit Monitoring for Equifax Breach Victims
credit reports Millions of consumers whose data may have been exposed have been notified to sign up for the monitoring service.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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The FIRE Movement Is Alive and Well
Basics The pandemic didn’t derail the Financial Independence, Retire Early movement. In fact, it gave it new life.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Conforming Mortgage Loan Limits for 2022 Rising
Becoming a Homeowner For 2022, the standard conforming limit for single-unit properties is $647,200, up nearly $100,000 from the 2021 cap.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Make a Plan for Your Parents' Care
Caregiving The ideal time to begin talking with your parents is before they need care.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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How to Choose the Right Payment App
banking Using PayPal, Venmo, Zelle and other apps is convenient, but there are pros and cons to each.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Donate Crypto for a Tax Break
Financial Planning If you're wondering how to avoid taxes from selling crypto that's appreciated significantly, one answer might be in a donor-advised fund.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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10 Ways to Save On Your Cell Phone Plan
family savings We’ve rounded up 10 techniques to cut expenses on both your cell phone plan and your device.
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated