Jon McDonald

Managing Editor
Jon McDonald

About the Author

With more than 15 years of journalism expertise, Jon McDonald stays up to date on emerging finance trends and news about the companies impacting the industry. He is most knowledgeable in the areas of budgeting, loans, and responsible credit use and is committed to bringing that experience to readers around the world. He has a passion for both writing and editing, and his articles have appeared in publications produced by The New York Times.

Latest Posts

Worked On 370 Articles To Date

Study

323 views

21 min read

25 Notable Subprime Credit Cardholder Statistics for 2026

25 Notable Subprime Credit Cardholder Statistics

Your consumer credit score is not you. Let’s get that out of the way immediately. It has nothing to do with your character or worth.  It is... read more »

By: Erica Sandberg • 9/18/26

Study

273 views

9 min read

15 Essential U.S. Inflation Rate Statistics for 2026

15 Essential U.S. Inflation Rate Statistics

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation wasn’t something that most people worried about when shopping at the grocery store or filling up their... read more »

By: Zina Kumok • 9/17/26

Guide

6,919 views

5 min read

How to Identify & Fix Credit Report Errors (4 Steps for DIY Credit Repair)

How to Identify & Fix Credit Report Errors (4 Steps)

Every day, millions of pieces of financial information go back and forth between the systems that connect lenders and credit bureaus. That... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 9/2/26

Guide

13,584 views

5 min read

4 Reasons Collection Accounts Can Appear Without Notice (And What You Can Do)

4 Reasons Why Collection Accounts Can Appear Without Notice

Collection accounts can quickly tank your credit scores. If one appears on your credit reports unexpectedly, it can also create a moment of... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 8/4/26

Guide

22,545 views

5 min read

How to Track Credit Score Changes (Without Obsessing Over Them)

How to Track Credit Score Changes (Without Obsessing)

How often do you check your credit scores? If you look at them at least once a month, you’re more on top of them than most Americans.  That’s... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 7/1/26

Guide

19,635 views

7 min read

How to Organize Your Debts Before Starting DIY Credit Repair (5 Steps)

How to Organize Your Debts for DIY Credit Repair

Whenever I’ve talked with someone about credit repair over the years, inevitably, the biggest hurdle they face is getting started. Debt and bad... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 6/19/26

Guide

22,305 views

5 min read

4 Reasons Why Credit Reports Sometimes Show Old Debts as New (And How to Fix It)

Why Credit Reports Sometimes Show Old Debts as New

No matter how bad your credit is now, there’s an off-ramp in the future. Federal law prohibits credit bureaus from reporting most negative... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 6/18/26

Guide

25,396 views

11 min read

How to Use “Credit Utilization Zones” to Target Credit Score Increases

How to Use Credit Utilization Zones to Target Score Increases

When it comes to credit, I think I’ve heard all the rumors and partial truths by now. This myth is among them: “The only way to have a high... read more »

By: Erica Sandberg • 6/4/26

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