About Lindsay VanSomeren
Current Role
Personal finance writer
Expertise
- Mortgages
- Home Equity
- Personal Loans
- Student Loans
- Auto Loans
- Banking
- Budgeting
- Debt
- Credit
- Tax Relief
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
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...
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...
Funding Circle Business Loans Review
Funding Circle is an international small business lender that launched in 2010. It’s based out of the U.K., where it’s listed on the...
The Best Lenders for MBA Student Loan Refinance in 2025
If you have a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), you know it can be a...
5 Best Student Loan Refinance Bonuses in 2025
Lender Bonus type Amount SoFi Referral $1,000 for doctors and dentists; $500 for all other referrals ELFI Referral $400 Earnest Referral $200 Splash...
How Much Does It Cost to Refinance a Student Loan? 14 Fees and Financial Impacts to Be Aware Of
It generally doesn’t cost anything to refinance a student loan because lenders don’t charge an...
HECM vs. HELOC: Key Differences, Pros and Cons, and When to Use Each
Thinking about tapping into your home’s equity? Two popular options are a home equity line...
Upstart vs. LendingClub Personal Loans
Upstart and LendingClub are two popular lenders that offer personal loans for various uses, such as consolidating debt, paying for home renovations, or...
How Does a HELOC Work?
Home equity lines of credit—or HELOCs, as they’re more commonly known—are one of the most popular tools that homeowners use to borrow against...