About Zina Kumok
Current Role
Personal finance writer
Expertise
- Student Loans
- Credit Scores
- Personal Loans
- Banking
- Education Planning
Achievements
- Three-time Finalist For Best Personal Finance Contributor At The Plutus Awards
Degrees
- Bachelor's degree in journalism from Indiana University
Personal Finance Experience
Zina has been a personal finance writer for almost a decade. In that time, she has written for prestigious publications and household brands.
She has also worked as a financial coach helping real consumers tackle their loans. She paid off her student loans in three years and documented the progress on her blog.
Latest from Zina Kumok
How to Choose Student Loans
When choosing a student loan, you should maximize all federal options before seeking private loans. Here’s how to get started.
Does Refinancing Student Loans Hurt Your Credit?
Refinancing your student loans can lower your credit score, but the potential savings and temporary...
Credit Union Student Loans
Credit unions may be able to offer student loans with better terms than traditional banks. We’ll review several popular credit unions and the...
TD Bank Student Loan Alternatives
TD Bank doesn’t offer student loans in the United States. Instead, it offers a line of credit in Canada. For U.S. students, consider...
American Express Student Loan Alternatives
While you can’t get a student loan directly from American Express, here are some popular alternatives to consider.
U.S. Bank Student Loans: Why the Program Ended and How It Impacts Borrowers
U.S. Bank ended its student loan program. We'll explain why that happened and what alternatives...
What Are Uncertified Student Loans?
If you need to borrow more to cover education-related costs, you can turn to uncertified student loans.
Capital One Student Loan Alternatives
Capital One does not offer student loans. We'll review some popular alternative student loan lenders below.
Low-Interest Student Loans
Keeping your student loan interest rate low helps limit the total cost of your loan. Federal student loans offer standardized rates that are...
Best Law School Loans
Law school loans are offered by the federal government and private lenders. We've reviewed your best options below.