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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Earn 3.54% With Series I Bonds
Financial Planning A savings or money market deposit account is best for quick cash, but I bonds can fit into a longer-term savings plan.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Best Banks for Retirees
banking With these banks, retirees benefit from low or no minimum-balance requirements, free checks and paper statements, and access to investment and wealth-management services.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Families
banking These banks give you the royal treatment if you keep a big balance in deposit and investment accounts. They also have a nationwide branch presence and provide wealth-management services.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Best Internet Banks
banking Banks that operate primarily online have lower overhead costs than those with brick-and-mortar branches, which translates into lower fees and higher interest rates. These institutions make it easy to bank from home or on the go with mobile apps and remote check deposit.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Keep Moving Costs in Check
Making Your Money Last If I've learned anything, it's that moving is almost always more costly and time-consuming than I anticipate.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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Protect Yourself Against New ID-Theft Schemes
Scams Crooks are using more-sophisticated tricks to steal your data. It's time to improve your armor.
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated
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Credit Card Perks for Car Rentals
Travel Certain cards can boost your status in a rental company’s loyalty program and give you an edge.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published
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4 Ways to Use Mobile Wallets
Smart Buying Beyond contactless payments, mobile wallets let you send money to a friend, get cash-back rewards and more.
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated
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20 Ways to Save on Health Care
health insurance From maximizing insurance benefits to shopping for discounts to funding tax-advantaged accounts, these tips will lower your costs no matter how you get your care.
By Lisa Gerstner • Published