Editorial Guidelines

Our Editorial Integrity Process

At BadCredit.org, we are committed to delivering accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines so you can view our advice and content with confidence. Before our articles are published on our website, they undergo the following process to maintain the editorial integrity and accuracy of our content.

Editorial Guidelines

1) Reviewed by BadCredit.org Staff

Each article is reviewed by three BadCredit.org staff members – one writer and two editors.

2) Reviewed by 3rd Party Compliance Networks

Each article is also reviewed by 3rd party neutral compliance networks.

3) Reviewed by Credit Card Issuers

Each article is also reviewed by issuers themselves such as Discover, Chase, and Capital One to ensure 100% accuracy.

4) Offers Updated Regularly for Accuracy

The precise terms of each offer are updated via an automated feed from the issuers hourly, to further ensure up-to-the-minute accuracy.

5) Article is Published

Once the article has been reviewed by the preceding parties, it is published on BadCredit.org. Offers in the article continue to be updated via the automated feed.

General Editorial Guidelines

In addition to our editorial integrity process, our writers adhere to the following editorial guidelines:

  • Editorial content must be accurate, clear and factual.
  • Editorial content containing financial offers are updated regularly to ensure accuracy.
  • Editorial content containing reviews of credit cards and other financial services are reviewed objectively based on the actual features of the product.
  • BadCredit.org’s editorial staff is separate and independent of its advertisers.
  • BadCredit.org’s editorial staff does not receive any compensation directly from advertisers.
  • Writing favorable or unfavorable reviews for products or partners is not a factor in staff evaluations or performance reviews.
  • Our editorial integrity process ensures that content is not compromised by advertiser influence.
  • BadCredit.org’s editorial staff consists of professional writers who have strong backgrounds in personal finance and related topics. Many of our writers are leading experts who appear in credible national outlets such as CNN, ABC, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, and more.

Meet Our Editorial Team

Learn more about the people who create content for BadCredit including their background, experiance and media appearances.

Andrea Woroch

Savings Expert

Andrea Woroch Featured On

Andrea Woroch is a nationally recognized consumer finance expert, writer, and TV personality who is passionate about helping families find simple ways to spend less and save more without making major sacrifices. Her practical budgeting and savings advice has helped millions of Americans initiate real financial change so they can stress less and spend more time doing the things they love.

As a go-to media expert, Andrea has appeared on popular TV shows such as Today, Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, Dr. OZ, CNN, and MSNBC. Her work has been featured in the The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan, Money, Time, Woman’s Day, Yahoo, among other outlets.

Andrea hosts a monthly money segment on KTLA Morning News in Los Angeles.

John Ulzheimer

Credit Expert

John Ulzheimer Featured On

John Ulzheimer is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring, and identity theft. The author of four books on the subject, Ulzheimer has been featured thousands of times in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, CNBC, and countless others.

With over 30 years of credit-related professional experience, including with both Equifax and FICO, Ulzheimer is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry.

He has been an expert witness in over 600 credit-related lawsuits and has been qualified to testify in both federal and state courts on the topic of consumer credit. In his hometown of Atlanta, Ulzheimer is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Georgia and Emory University's School of Law.

Erica Sandberg

Finance Expert

Erica Sandberg Featured On

Erica Sandberg is a consumer finance expert and journalist whose articles and insights are featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, MarketWatch, Forbes, and MSN Money.

An experienced media host, she's led many financial programs, including her podcast, "Adventures With Money." She's appeared on Fox, CNN, "EconTalk" and "The Dr. Drew Podcast," and has been the resident money and credit authority for KRON-4 News in San Francisco for more than 10 years. Her book "Expecting Money: The Essential Financial Plan for New and Growing Families" was first released in 2008, and the 2017 edition is out now.

Contributing Experts

Stefanie O'Connell

The Wall Street Journal NBC's Today ABC

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.

Erin Lowry

FOX NBC The New York Times

Erin Lowry is the founder of Broke Millennial, where she uses sarcasm and humor to explain basic financial concepts to her fellow millennials. She lives and teaches by the slogan "get your financial life together" (#GYFLT) and enjoys sharing pratical money advice with readers on Business Insider, US News & World Report, Forbes, PBS NewsHour, Time.com, and other sites. Erin graduated from New York University debt-free and published her first book, Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By And Get Your Financial Life Together in 2017.

Linsey Knerl

Time MSN Investopedia

Linsey is a finance blogger, author, and public speaker with a passion for helping everyday families earn more and live better. In addition to covering personal finance and the subprime industry in depth on BadCredit.org, Wise Bread, Investopedia, Business Insider, and the American Express OPEN Forum, among others, she shares her expertise for parents who want to start budget-friendly businesses from home.

Allison Martin

ABC Yahoo! Finance The Wall Street Journal

Allison Martin is an accomplished writer, public speaker, financial mentor, and digital content strategiest. Her writing has been featured on national media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, Fox Business, Investopedia, and MoneyTalksNews. She holds a master's degree in accounting and travels the country to speak at colleges, churches, workshops, community centers and even military bases to promote financial literacy.

Hank Coleman

AOL The Motley Fool FOX

Hank Coleman is a personal finance expert with a master's degree in finance and a graduate certificate in personal financial planning who is passionate about teaching people how to better manage their money. Hank answers readers’ money questions and writes about investing, retirement, and savings on his website, Money Q&A, in addition to AOL Daily Finance, The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Fox Business, Discover.com, GoBankingRates, and many other leading finance sites.

Gina Roberts-Grey

MSN AOL Yahoo! Finance

Gina Roberts-Grey is an award-winning writer and colunnist who's covered credit, debt, personal finance and insurance for nearly two decades. She’s a frequent contributor to numerous print and online finance outlets such as Investopedia, Entrepreneur, CreditCards.com, Next Avenue, Fox Business, MSN, and many more. Gina is a seasoned journalist with profound writing abilities, having personally interviewed hundreds of celebrities for in-depth magazine profiles.

BadCredit.org Staff

Toby Sembower

Toby Sembower

Founder

Having rebuilt his own credit history in his 20s, Toby is familiar with the many challenges faced by those with poor credit. He founded BadCredit.org and its sister sites, and he now serves as Chairman of the Board. Toby lends his 15 years of credit card industry experience to educate consumers on the responsible use of credit.

Ryan Frankel

Ryan Frankel

Chief Technology Officer

Ryan is currently the CTO at BadCredit.org and works alongside the graphic design, development, and content teams. His knowledge of analytics, algorithms, software, and hardware development allow him to focus on real data and advanced technologies to help users get the best information and out of debt.

Danielle Spurlin

Danielle Spurlin

Finance Manager

Danielle has an academic background in accounting and a professional background in sub-prime lending, adding up to a 10-year stint in the finance industry. Today, she oversees financial operations while working with credit card issuers and advertising partners to ensure our content meets compliance and regulatory standards.

Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro

Senior Editor

Lillian brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience, having written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times. A former business writer and business desk editor, Lillian ensures all BadCredit.org content equips readers with financial literacy.

Adam West

Managing Editor

Adam was written, edited, and managed content for news outlets and digital publications for nearly 20 years. Since specializing in finance in late 2016, his editorial focus has been on consumer financial literacy. Adam is most knowledgeable in the areas of credit scores, financial products and services, and the banking industry.

Jon McDonald

Managing Editor

With more than 15 years of journalism expertise, Jon stays apprised of finance trends, influential companies, and financial literacy resources for subprime consumers. He is most knowledgeable in the areas of budgeting, loans, and responsible credit use, and his articles have appeared in publications produced by The New York Times.

Ashley Fricker

Senior Editor

Ashley has managed content initiatives for BadCredit since 2015, having worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, as well as press and news outlets, to publish comprehensive content. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets, including CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance, and Reader's Digest.

Andrew Allen

Staff Writer

For nearly 20 years, Andrew has worked for financial institutions ranging from regionally focused investment organizations to some of the largest banks in the world. At Wells Fargo, Andrew was a Consultant within the Insight and Innovation division. A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Andrew’s career quest has been promoting personal financial health and well-being.

Mike Senecal

Staff Writer

Mike Senecal draws on more than 20 years of educational and editorial experience to help BadCredit.org readers understand the complexities of the personal finance industry. Mike has worked in academic and trade publishing, including roles as managing editor and technical editor at the University of Florida and as contributor to finance industry publications, including Surety Bond Quarterly and Independent Agent, among others. Mike holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina.