
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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Easier Ways to Send Cash Fastcredit & debt More banks and credit unions are offering peer-to-peer payments.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Best Bank Accounts for RetirementFeature These checking accounts offer attractive perks to retirees.
By Lisa Gerstner
Feature -
Miles or Cash Back: Which Is the Better Credit-Card Reward?credit & debt MileCards.com can help you decide whether an air-miles reward card or a cash-back card will be a better deal for you.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Online Bill Paying Isn't Foolproofcredit & debt Using your bank's bill-payment service is convenient, but the process isn't a slam dunk.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Best Credit Unions Anyone Can Join, 2017credit union Credit unions are nonprofit institutions owned by their members—meaning they tend to offer accounts and services that are more customer-friendly than those of large national banks.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit union -
Best National Banks, 2017savings Thanks to their ability to raise money in capital markets, larger banks have a lot of resources at their disposal.
By Lisa Gerstner
savings -
Best Banks for Retirees, 2017savings Banks like having retirees as customers because they tend to keep a lot of cash on deposit.
By Lisa Gerstner
savings -
Best Banks for Military Personnel, 2017savings
By Lisa Gerstner
savings -
Wedding Gifts for Newlyweds Who Have EverythingSmart Buying Skip the china. Couples value experiences and cash to put toward the future.
By Lisa Gerstner
Smart Buying -
Top Tech Bargains of 2017 — Laptops, Tablets, TVs, Data PlansTechnology An expert shares his tips for buying electronics on a budget.
By Lisa Gerstner
Technology -
How to Get Even Sweeter Rewards From Your Rewards Credit Cardcredit & debt Boost your rewards by opening a bank account.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Your TV Might Be Spying on YouTechnology Those internet-connected devices can be a gateway for hackers.
By Lisa Gerstner
Technology -
How Deposit Insurance Protects Saverscredit & debt Your money is safe, but there are reasons we are removing CDs from our tables.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
How Retailers Track Customers Online and Offlinespending When stores track your shopping, you get discounts and they get your personal info.
By Lisa Gerstner
spending -
7 Habits of People With Excellent Credit Scorescredit score Want to improve your credit score?
By Lisa Gerstner
credit score -
How to Protect Your Rewards Points and Miles From TheftTravel Monitor your loyalty rewards as you would your bank accounts.
By Lisa Gerstner
Travel -
Lessons From the Credit-Score Elitecredit & debt Simple steps for how to improve your credit score.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Don't Be Burned by Deferred Interestcredit & debt You'll feel the pain if you fail to pay off your store card before the 0% period ends.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
Boomers Cashing Out Their Art CollectionsSmart Buying That spells opportunity for buyers of modern and contemporary art.
By Lisa Gerstner
Smart Buying -
7 Smart Moves to Prevent Identity TheftFinancial Planning Data breaches got you worried?
By Lisa Gerstner
Financial Planning -
8 Best Wireless Phone Plans for Every Type of UserSmart Buying Because the wireless carriers are no longer subsidizing phone prices with most of their plans, buying a smartphone these days will cost you a pretty penny—especially if you want a top-of-the-line device.
By Lisa Gerstner
Smart Buying -
How to Fix Errors on Your Credit-Card Billcredit & debt Start with the merchant in question, but don't be afraid to escalate a dispute to your credit card issuer.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt -
3 Surprisingly Great Kirkland-Brand Products at CostcoSmart Buying You can save money and find quality in the warehouse chain's signature food and spirits line.
By Lisa Gerstner
Smart Buying -
How to Get Your First Credit Cardcredit & debt Plus, how to use it wisely and earn the lowest interest rates.
By Lisa Gerstner
credit & debt
