Stefanie O'Connell

About the Author

Stefanie O'Connell

Stefanie O'Connell is a New York City personal finance writer who lives by making her budget stretch. She shares financial planning, investing, and spending advice with national media outlets, including Bustle, US News and World Report, GoBankingRates, Intuit, CBS News, The Dr. Oz Show, and numerous other finance sites, shows, and podcasts. A graduate of New York University, Stefanie discovered the world of financial planning out of necessity. Her passion lies in helping millennials "develop rich habits" they can use for life.

Latest Posts

45 posts written/edited to date

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

4 Ways to Stop Paying for the Mistakes of Others

4 Ways to Stop Paying for the Mistakes of Others

Are you paying for the mistakes of others? Make sure these mistakes aren’t costing you by following these four simple steps. 1. Check your... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 1/6/15

Guide

100,000+ views

1 min read

How to Recommit to Your Resolutions

How to Recommit to Your Resolutions

January is a funny time of year. There’s a tendency to get super psyched about goals and resolutions in the middle of a holiday hangover. One of... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 1/1/15

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

Breaking Up With Credit

Breaking Up With Credit

Do you have a rocky relationship with your credit? Is that troubled relationship keeping you from getting the things you want and need, like an... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 12/23/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

How Did These 10 States Get the Most Credit Card Debt?

How Did These 10 States Get the Most Credit Card Debt?

Earlier this week Credit.com reported the top ten states with the most credit card debt.  While Q3 data shows the average credit card balance... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 12/12/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

5 New Year’s Resolutions for People with Bad Credit

5 New Year’s Resolutions for People with Bad Credit

While bad credit may be a reflection of poor financial choices in your past, it doesn’t have to define your financial future.  Whatever your... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 12/8/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

Can You Buy Credit Perfection? 6 Credit Repair Myths Debunked

Can You Buy Credit Perfection? 6 Credit Repair Myths Debunked

Bad credit can cost you thousands of dollars in high interest rates each and every year. It can even prevent you from qualifying for a loan in... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 11/24/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

Owing Small Amounts On Your Credit Card Can Be OK; Here’s Why

Owing Small Amounts On Your Credit Card Can Be OK; Here’s Why

Credit utilization – the percentage of available credit that has been borrowed – is the second biggest factor in determining your... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 11/11/14

Guide

100,000+ views

3 min read

5 Ways to Get Rid of Your Student Loans

5 Ways to Get Rid of Your Student Loans

When struggling to find employment post-graduation and working at the local Starbucks to make ends meet, it’s hard to fathom how you’re going to... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 11/4/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

5 Smart Ways to Buy a Home with Bad Credit

5 Smart Ways to Buy a Home with Bad Credit

A bad credit score can make buying a home a big time burden, especially in today’s post-recession economy (or ongoing recession, depending on who... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 10/21/14

Guide

100,000+ views

3 min read

How to Protect Your Credit Score from These 6 People

How to Protect Your Credit Score from These 6 People

Credit commercials and advertisements on TV, radio and the Internet continually echo the importance of healthy credit. While you may have... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 10/9/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

3 Ways to Manage Your Money (The Right Way)

3 Ways to Manage Your Money (The Right Way)

When you find yourself overwhelmed by bills, debt or financial stress, the answer isn’t more spending, opening an additional line of credit or... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 10/2/14

Guide

100,000+ views

1 min read

How to Man (Woman) Up When it Comes to Your Debt

How to Man (Woman) Up When it Comes to Your Debt

You can’t begin to make major life changes until you are willing to accept responsibility that everything that happens to you is either to your... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 10/1/14

Blog

100,000+ views

3 min read

5 Formulas for Hacking Your Personal Finances

5 Formulas for Hacking Your Personal Finances

The personal side of personal finance can be messy — emotions, justifications, excuses and temptations are all strong forces that threaten to... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 9/11/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

5 Summer Drinks That Secretly Reveal Your Financial Habits

5 Summer Drinks That Secretly Reveal Your Financial Habits

You’re lounging poolside, the setting sun beaming on your face. It’s officially happy hour and you’re in the mood to celebrate — what do you... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 7/15/14

Blog

100,000+ views

3 min read

Should I Help My Child Get Out of Debt? 6 Things to Consider

Should I Help My Child Get Out of Debt? 6 Things to Consider

With astronomical student loan debt and lackluster employment opportunities for young adults, grown children are increasingly in need of... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 7/11/14

Guide

100,000+ views

3 min read

6 Easy Steps to Finding the Best Financial Planner

6 Easy Steps to Finding the Best Financial Planner

You should be doing the same level of research and due diligence when searching for a financial planner as you would for other major purchases... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 6/24/14

Guide

100,000+ views

3 min read

6 Steps to Building Credit From the Ground Up

6 Steps to Building Credit From the Ground Up

Credit is the ultimate Catch-22.  You can’t get approved for credit without credit history, but you can’t start building credit until you’ve... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 6/19/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

5 Fictional Dads Who Would Have Bad Credit IRL

5 Fictional Dads Who Would Have Bad Credit IRL

With Father’s Day right around the corner, we decided to take a look at some of our favorite fictional dads who would probably have bad credit in... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 6/12/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

4 (Surprising) Things a Bad Credit Score Will Ruin

4 (Surprising) Things a Bad Credit Score Will Ruin

These days no one can afford to blow off their credit score. You may think you’re a responsible consumer by sticking to cash and debit purchases,... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 5/30/14

Blog

100,000+ views

1 min read

4 Pros & Cons to Cosigning Your Kid’s Credit Card

4 Pros & Cons to Cosigning Your Kid’s Credit Card

Credit cards are wonderful tools when used properly. In the wrong hands, however, they can be quite destructive, plunging consumers into... read more »

Stefanie O'Connell

By: Stefanie O'Connell • 5/22/14