Meet Credible’s Editorial Staff
Credible's editorial team aims to help you understand personal finance topics that are important to you, including student loans, mortgages, and personal loans. Our goal is to provide carefully researched, easily understandable information so that you can make informed decisions about your finances.
Credible is fiercely independent and so are our writers and staff. We're here to help you stay on top of the latest news, trends, concepts, and changes in policy and regulations.
Heidi Gollub
Director of Content
- 15+ years of content strategy and editorial leadership experience.
- Managed personal finance editors at USA TODAY Blueprint, Forbes Advisor, and U.S. News & World Report.
- Licensed property and casualty insurance expert.
Bio and experience
Heidi Gollub is Credible's director of content. She leads a talented team of editors who educate readers about life's personal financial decisions on a host of media platforms.
Before joining Credible, Heidi helped launch the financial marketplace USA TODAY Blueprint, was a lead editor at Forbes Advisor, and scaled the 360 Reviews team at U.S. News & World Report.
Heidi has spoken at many conferences, such as the Texas Conference for Women, and her expert insights have been featured on CNN and TODAY, in regional newspapers, and on local news and radio shows around the country.
Education
Heidi earned two fine arts bachelor's degrees from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Emporia State University.
Meredith Mangan
Senior Editor - Personal Loans
- 10+ years of finance editing, writing, and publishing experience.
- Licensed investment advisor representative and insurance agent for four years.
- Avid options trader.
Bio and experience
Meredith Mangan is a senior editor with almost two decades of industry and editorial experience covering banking, credit cards, loans, investing, insurance, and retirement planning. Since 2011, she's helped steer content creation in these areas for major finance outlets, including Investopedia, The Balance Money, and Money Crashers.
Meredith comes to editing from an industry background as a licensed financial advisor and insurance agent, but she's a teacher at heart. She most enjoys helping readers (as well as writers and other editors) navigate complex financial decisions by translating industry jargon into understandable and actionable steps.
Aside from editing, Meredith has been an active options trader since 2014. Someday she hopes to have an official bird-dog-cat-horse-everything rescue to complement the pet menagerie she has at home.
Education
Meredith earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from New College of Florida.
Richard Richtmyer
Senior Editor - Student Loans
- 25+ years of financial news editing and writing experience.
Bio and experience
Richard Richtmyer is a journalist with more than two decades of experience covering personal finance and other subjects, including student loans, capital markets, investing, real estate, technology, business, government, and politics. He has worked with news organizations ranging from the Associated Press and Bloomberg to CNN and the Anchorage Daily News.
Outside of editing and writing, Richard enjoys long-distance motorcycle touring, strenuous mountain hiking, and practicing old-fashioned strength exercises to stay fit.
Education
Richard earned a bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in political science from the State University of New York at New Paltz, where he graduated with honors.
Reina Marszalek
Senior Editor - Mortgages
- 10+ years of editing, writing, and content strategy experience.
- Master's degree in creative writing.
- Created content for Forbes Advisor, USA TODAY Blueprint, and Policygenius.
Bio and experience
Reina Marszalek is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience in SEO content, marketing copy, and editorial strategy. Before joining Credible, she was the managing editor and life insurance expert at Policygenius, overseeing life and disability insurance content. Before Reina turned her focus to helping readers make better financial decisions, she was the senior editor at DoctorOz.com, where she created health and wellness content.
In her spare time, Reina can be found on neighborhood walks with her husband, daughter, son, and black lab, Marty. She also loves baking and reading short stories.
Education
Reina earned a bachelor's degree in English from Binghamton University (SUNY) and a master's degree in creative writing from Kingston University London.
Valerie Morris
Editor - Mortgages
- 8+ years of editing and proofreading experience.
- Bachelor's degree in applied communication.
Bio and experience
Valerie Morris is an experienced editor focusing on mortgage and real estate content. Before joining Credible, she worked as a copy editor for The Hill, editing articles about politics and policy to help explain legislative action to a broad audience. She previously edited local news articles at northeast Ohio daily newspapers The Morning Journal, The Chronicle-Telegram, and The News-Herald.
Valerie lives in a Maryland suburb outside of D.C. and aims to explore every museum in the region. She is also a dedicated knitter, a reluctant crocheter, and a newly minted birder.
Education
Valerie earned a Bachelor of Science in applied communication from Ohio University.
Kelly Larsen
Editor - Student Loans
- 12+ years of writing and editing experience.
- Bachelor's degree in English literature.
- Financial editing experience in the digital media and app spaces.
Bio and experience
Kelly Larsen has written and edited content that spans many personal finance topics, including buying a home, saving for retirement, and paying off student loans. She first started learning about the world of finance through her work at Finance101.com. In 2020, Kelly helped launch Paven, a financial well-being app.
Kelly's diverse background includes working as a copywriter for an online driving school, writing a weekly column for an end-of-life blog, and proofreading nonfiction books on topics such as crocheting. When she's not helping others learn more about personal finance, she enjoys playing tennis with her fiancé and hanging out with her dog, Henry.
Education
Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from San Francisco State University.
Renee Fleck
Editor - Student Loans
- 6+ years of editing experience.
- Bachelor's degree in French and Francophone studies.
- Fluent in Spanish.
Bio and experience
Renee Fleck is a student loans editor with over six years of experience in digital content editing. Before specializing in personal finance, Renee wrote and edited content for Dribbble, a hiring platform for freelance designers and developers. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, Morning Brew, and Sidebar.io, among other online publications.
Renee is fluent in Spanish and French and enjoys traveling to new places. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California.
Education
Renee holds a bachelor's degree in French and Francophone studies with a minor in Portuguese from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Charlie Tarver
Editor - Personal Loans
- 5+ years of editing experience for print and online publications.
- Constantly missing the Tetons.
- Bachelor's degree in journalism, with an emphasis in copy editing.
Bio and experience
Charlie Tarver is an editor for Credible's personal loans vertical, and his time working on various desks has seen him edit a wide range of content, from long-form policy analysis to defense briefs and celebrity Q&As.
After getting his start at Stars and Stripes as a Dow Jones News Fund intern, Charlie spent more than five years copy editing articles for political newspaper The Hill's website and print edition, covering the fast-paced world of Capitol Hill. As an editor, he is passionate about style guides, em dashes, and advocating for readers by ensuring content is clear, concise, actionable, and accurate.
Charlie is currently based in Maryland, and he spends his time sewing, singing, and hanging out with his cats, Dax and Marceline.
Education
Charlie holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the University of Kansas.
Hannah Smith
Editor - Personal Loans
- 5+ years of digital content editing experience.
- Master's degree in English with a focus in sociolinguistics.
- Experienced in SEO and commerce editing.
Bio and experience
Hannah Smith is a financial services editor specializing in personal loans. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for clarity in communication, Hannah has honed her skills in editing financial content to ensure accuracy, compliance, and reader engagement.
Hannah comes to editing from a linguistics background and with a love for language, and she works hard to deliver high-quality, informative, and accessible financial content. They thrive on transforming content into polished works that captivate and resonate with audiences.
When Hannah is not editing, they are diving into the world of literature, RPGs, and pottery.
Education
Hannah earned a bachelor's degree in English from Kennesaw State University and a master's degree in English from North Carolina State University.
Lauren Graves
Editor - Personal Loans
- 5+ years of writing and editing experience.
- Produced content for Forbes Advisor, MoneyUnder30, and Moneywise.
- Passionate about equity, representation, and accessibility in media.
Bio and experience
Lauren Graves is a writer and editor specializing in service journalism, commercial content, and digital marketing within the personal finance space. Her work is rooted in research and data, and she seeks to help people make informed decisions about their money by breaking down complicated concepts and providing thoughtful, unbiased advice.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, book clubbing, cooking, and doting on her dog.
Education
Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in education with a concentration in language arts from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Lisa Davis
Editorial Assistant - Student Loans
- Master's degree in communication.
- Wrote content for Texas Lifestyle Magazine, RetailMeNot, and House Digest.
- Finalist of the 2023 APEX Award for Publication Excellence and winner of the 2022 MarCom Platinum Award for Best in Shopping Branded Content.
Bio and experience
Lisa Davis turned her passion for writing into a career when she became an editorial assistant for Texas Lifestyle Magazine. From musicians to movie directors to philanthropists, Lisa has interviewed some of the most interesting people from Texas. She worked as a writer and editor at RetailMeNot, where she offered shopping and savings tips through content and interviews, covered breaking news, and wrote about trends in fashion, beauty, and home design.
In her spare time, Lisa loves watching Formula 1, spending time with her kids, and doing Pilates.
Education
Lisa graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in communication and public relations from Concordia University Texas. She also received a master's degree in communication and a master's certificate in sports communication from Texas Tech University, where she was recognized for academic achievement by Phi Kappa Phi.
Sarah Maroney
Editorial Assistant - Mortgages
- Bachelor's degree in applied professional communications with a minor in psychology.
Bio and experience
Sarah Maroney is an editorial assistant focused primarily on mortgage content. Prior to joining Credible, she worked a variety of customer service positions, with her time as an assistant at a youth library being her favorite.
Sarah enjoys jumping between a variety of hobbies such as baking, running, and tabletop games.
Education
Sarah earned her bachelor's degree at Rowan University through the university's 3+1 program.
Savannah Plasch
Editorial Assistant - Personal Loans
- 2+ years as an editorial assistant.
- MFA in creative writing.
Bio and experience
Savannah Plasch is an editorial assistant with over two years of experience. Before joining Credible, she worked as a freelance copywriter focused on medical, personal finance, and e-commerce topics. She was also a volunteer editorial assistant for her school's literary magazine.
Outside of work, Savannah enjoys knitting, hiking with her dogs and partner, and writing. Her short fiction has been published in literary journals like the McNeese Review and UCLA's Westwind.
Education
Savannah received her bachelor's degree in English with a minor in film from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte.