Lindsay VanSomeren Profile Photo

Lindsay VanSomeren

Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people learn how to manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies.

About Lindsay VanSomeren

Current Role

Personal finance writer

Expertise

  • Mortgages
  • Personal Loans
  • Student Loans
  • Auto Loans
  • Banking
  • Budgeting
  • Debt
  • Insurance
  • Credit Cards
  • Credit

Degrees

  • Bachelor's and master's degree in wildlife biology and conservation from the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Personal Finance Experience

Lindsay doesn't come from a traditional personal finance background, having originally trained to be a wildlife biologist in Alaska. She changed course after being driven nearly to bankruptcy from a combination of poor money management skills, a low income, and buying a home that turned out to be a lemon.

Happily, she's turned her financial life around and recently purchased a new home (the right way) in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Today she dedicates her time to helping other people learn how to manage their money better, too, whether that's through explainers, guides, company reviews, and more. Her work appears widely around the internet, and she's written more than a thousand personal finance articles for over 60 different websites.

Latest from Lindsay VanSomeren

Empower App Review

If you need to borrow money quickly, the Empower mobile app can indeed empower you to stay afloat until your next payday. The...

Minnesota HELOC Rates and Lenders

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) can unlock many options for financing the things that make your life better. But first, you’ll...

How a Missed Student Loan Payment Affects You

Missed student loan payments happen, but it doesn’t need to be the end of the world. The specific consequences you’ll face—and your options...

How to Defer Student Loans When Going Back to School

Going back to school after a pause is one of the best ways to increase...

How to Get a $20,000 Personal Loan

In 2023, the average personal loan borrower took out almost $20,000. Given the high interest rates on credit card debt, debt consolidation was...

Personal Loans to Pay Bills

Struggling to pay your bills can be stressful, so personal loans—funds you can borrow for almost any purpose—may seem to offer a way...

Who Owns the House With a Reverse Mortgage?

A reverse mortgage is an option if you’re over 62 with a paid-off or mostly paid-off home and need to borrow money. Unlike...

How to Get a $2,500 Personal Loan

A personal loan is a handy way to borrow money for a variety of purposes—often spending less on financing than you would with...

Truist Personal Loans Review

Truist is a newer bank founded in late 2019 by the merger of BB&T and SunTrust Bank. Those banks were already large, and...

Best Banks to Refinance Auto Loans

Few things in life are guaranteed, but you can be sure that your financial situation and the broader economy will change throughout the...