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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Skip the Fees on Savings Transfers
banking But banks are not required to lift the limits or stop charging fees for excessive transactions.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
banking -
How to Catch a Rock-Bottom Rate
Buying & Leasing a Car Rates on everything from home mortgages to car loans are at record lows. We’ll tell you how to qualify for the best rates.
By Sandra Block Published
Buying & Leasing a Car -
Give Your Credit a Boost
Coronavirus and Your Money When times get tough, your credit profile could take a hit. Here’s how to keep it in shape.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Coronavirus and Your Money -
Stay on Course With Student Loans
Paying for College You may be eligible for deferment if you receive unemployment benefits or are unable to find a full-time job.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Paying for College -
Pick a Winning Social Security Strategy
social security You'll want to plan ahead to help determine when is the best time to start claiming your benefits.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
social security -
Rewards for Cell-Phone Customers
Smart Buying Some major cell-phone companies offer options worth checking out.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Smart Buying -
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 Published
family savings -
HSAs Get Even Better
Financial Planning A health savings account is a powerful, tax-advantaged tool to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses and a smart way to save for medical expenses in retirement. New rules in 2020 let HSAs and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) cover even more of your health expenses.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Financial Planning -
Finding Affordable Health Care Now
insurance The pandemic has caused millions of people to lose their jobs — and their health coverage. Here’s a guide to finding affordable insurance.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
insurance -
When Savings Bonds Make Sense
credit & debt Series I savings bonds are safe options, but don’t go all in.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
Get Help With Your Bills
credit & debt Many lenders are offering breaks to borrowers hit by the coronavirus-fueled crisis.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
Are Your Bank Deposits Insured?
credit & debt As long as your financial institution is federally insured, your deposits are protected — up to certain limits.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
3 Great Low-Rate Credit Cards
credit & debt If you're focused on finding a card with a minimal interest rate rather than one with stellar rewards, here are top contenders.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
Strategies for CD Savers
credit & debt Shades of 2008: Certificates of deposit return to ultra-low interest rates.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
How Buying a Home Helped One Couple Prosper
real estate From rental living to owning a farmhouse on 22 acres, Tasha and William Kornegay are using homeownship to help build financial security.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
real estate -
How One Couple Is Funding College for Their Four Kids
Paying for College Matt and Suellen Sharp are hoping to help their quadruplets graduate from college with as little debt as possible.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Paying for College -
More Bad News for Savers
savings Savers searching for top yields should look to online banks, which offer significantly higher rates than brick-and-mortar institutions.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
savings -
How One Woman Became a 401(k) Millionaire
retirement Saving early and implementing a smart investing strategy helped Alison Sowell make big gains over time.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
retirement -
Strategies for CD Savers After the Coronavirus Interest Rate Cuts
savings As yields on certificates of deposit drop, you need to be smarter when it comes to saving with CDs.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
savings -
Finding the Best Savings Account After the Coronavirus Interest Rate Cuts
savings Savers searching for top yields should check out our list of the top online banks.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
savings -
Can You Count on Social Security?
retirement I think benefits will be available in some form, but I’m not relying on them for the bulk of my income.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
retirement -
Money Management Advice for Expat Retirees
Making Your Money Last You need to take extra steps to handle everything from banking to health care.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
Making Your Money Last -
Great Accounts for an Emergency Fund
credit & debt Several will help you grow your money and are less stressful than a loan when you need fast cash.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt -
A Safer Way to Share Your Data
credit & debt Financial institutions are turning to application programming interfaces to securely share info with budgeting apps and tax software programs.
By Lisa Gerstner Published
credit & debt