About Rebecca Lake, CEPF®
Current Role
Personal Finance Writer
Expertise
- Student Loans
- Mortgages
- Home-buying
- Credit
- Debt
- Personal Loans
- Education Planning
- Insurance
- Investing
- Small Business
Certifications & Degrees
- Certified Educator in Personal Finance
- Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Carolina
Personal Finance Experience
Rebecca began writing about personal finance in 2013 after finding herself nearly $100,000 in debt with credit cards, student loans, and a car loan. As she learned about finance and paid down the debt, she became interested in teaching others how to manage money, save, and build wealth.
Over the past decade, she's written for a number of top publications in the personal finance space, covering a wide range of topics. In 2019, she founded Boss Single Mama, a personal finance blog for moms who are interested in earning and saving more while spending less. In 2022, she became a CEPF® and continues to share her passion for finance with others.
Latest from Rebecca Lake, CEPF®
How to Rent Back Your Home After Closing
When you sell a home, it’s possible to rent it back after closing if you need a temporary place to live. A rent-back...
Can Parent Student Loans Be Forgiven?
Parent student loans are loans a parent takes out to help pay for school on behalf of an eligible student. The federal government...
How Student Loans Affect Your Retirement
Retirement may be years away, but it’s never too soon to start planning for it. If you borrowed money to pay for college...
When Do Student Loans Expire?
Repaying student loans can take years, and you may wonder if there’s an expiration date for the debt. Federal student loans never expire...
How to Calculate Student Loan Interest
Student loans may be necessary if you don’t have other funding options to pay for school. Knowing how to calculate student loan interest...
Personal Loans for a Credit Score of 550
Lenders use credit scores to measure creditworthiness. A FICO score of 580 or below puts a borrower in the poor credit category, indicating...
Self-Employed Personal Loans
Being self-employed can complicate your plans if you’re trying to get approved for a personal loan. Most lenders want proof of steady income...
Guaranteed Personal Loans: Do They Exist?
Guaranteed personal loans sound like a sure bet, but here’s the catch: They don’t exist. You can get preapproved for a personal loan...
What Are 401(k) Loans and Should You Get One?
A 401(k) plan allows you to save for retirement on a tax-advantaged basis, with contributions that come straight out of your paychecks. If...
Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit
Having bad credit can be a disadvantage financially. You may be denied credit or be unable to obtain utility services in your name...