Cash Spot USA’s Board of Editorial Review

Our goal at CashSpotUSA is to simplify complex financial information and decision-making, giving our readers the confidence to handle all aspects of their financial lives. The financial world is filled with personal choices and challenges. Whether you’re investing for the first time, planning for retirement, buying your dream home, preparing for business school, or running your own small business, you’ll have questions.

For over twenty years, we have helped millions of individuals achieve their financial goals. We believe it’s essential to share our process for creating the articles you rely on.

At CashSpotUSA, our aim is to provide high-quality content created by humans for humans. It is against our rules to publish content generated automatically using AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools like ChatGPT.

Principles

Enhancing your life: Finance can be complex and overwhelming. We offer information that you can confidently utilize, regardless of your level of expertise.

Unbiased: From financial product recommendations to the financial implications of government policies, we present information in the right context and provide all the necessary details. The information we provide is thoroughly researched and is not influenced by any particular political or economic opinion.

Accurate: Accuracy is crucial to us. We strive to provide accurate financial data that is clearly presented and frequently updated. We collaborate with top experts in each field we cover. If any errors, mistakes, or omissions are found by our readers, we will promptly investigate and rectify them. Please contact us to report any corrections.

Inclusive: We are committed to ensuring that our content includes and respects people of different nationalities, ages, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, relationships, as well as individuals with varying mental and physical abilities, and family members.

Ethics

We adhere to the Codes of Ethics of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW). Our content follows the tenets of ethical journalism set forth by the Society for Professional Journalists, which include honesty, fairness, minimizing harm, responsible reporting, and being accountable. We also comply with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for disclosures when applicable.

CashSpotUSA content is intended for informational purposes only. It does not replace advice from certified or licensed accountants, attorneys, financial advisors, or other certified financial professionals.

Editorial Process

Our editors and expert contributors create and edit every article you read on CashSpotUSA. We do not provide advice on purchasing or selling securities or making investments. However, we offer relevant analyses, contextual insights, and information to help you make informed decisions. Whenever possible, we provide examples that help clarify complex concepts and topics.

Our editorial staff continually reviews the content on our website to identify and update any outdated information. Articles are analyzed, revised, and fact-checked. Our team of experts follows our procedures and policies to ensure accuracy. Revised articles are date-stamped to reflect the updates.

Quality Standards

Every piece of content you read is written by multiple individuals who strive to ensure reliability, clarity, usefulness, and adherence to our editorial values. Our editorial staff independently approves each story, and our experienced contributors possess deep expertise in their assigned areas. Our professional editors, fact-checkers, and writers review the material to ensure inclusivity, fairness, and truthfulness.

Everyone on our staff is responsible for disclosing any potential conflicts of interest.

Corrections

CashSpotUSA has a policy of promptly informing readers when errors are discovered and correcting them. This transparency applies to both minor and major errors and news items, provided that the error is discovered before initial publication. Corrections will be clearly indicated on the website. If our reporting is factually accurate but the language used is imprecise or unclear, the story may be revised without an editor’s comment. Please report any errors to inv_editorial@cashspotusa.com.

Writers

CashSpotUSA professionals undergo a rigorous vetting, selection, and hiring process. They include highly experienced financial writers, experts in specific areas of finance, and those with a combination of expertise. Writers are selected based on their qualifications, education, experience, and ability to present complex concepts in clear and practical language. The bio of each reviewer or author can be found in the upper right-hand corner of this page, providing additional information about their qualifications, education, experience, and social media profiles.

All writers must adhere to the editorial guidelines outlined above.

Third-Party Content

Content from third parties undergoes thorough scrutiny and vetting by CashSpotUSA editors to ensure it meets our guidelines and standards. Such content is clearly and prominently labeled to inform users of its origin.

Warranty and Disclaimer of Liability

The opinions, comments, and analyses posted on CashSpotUSA are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations. While we believe the information in our articles is accurate, we cannot guarantee its completeness or accuracy. The strategies and opinions described in our material may not be suitable for all types of investors. Economic and market conditions are subject to rapid changes, and the opinions, comments, and analyses in our material are current as of the publication date and are subject to modification without notice. The information provided does not constitute an exhaustive analysis of all important facts regarding any particular country, region, industry, market, or investment strategy.

Fact Checking

We rely on skilled and experienced fact-checkers who play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of our content. They thoroughly review articles to ensure accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We use reliable and up-to-date primary sources such as universities, government institutions, and financial institutions.

At CashSpotUSA, we are committed to providing the highest quality content created by humans for humans. We do not allow the publication of content generated automatically by AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools like ChatGPT.

Corrections

Maintaining the accuracy of our verifiable information and news stories is vital to our reputation. We are committed to being accountable and transparent regarding our accuracy and corrective measures.

Our extensive collection, including “evergreen” information, is regularly checked for accuracy and updated to ensure the continuous publication of correct, complete, useful, and up-to-date information. Through our thorough and systematic checking and updating process, articles in our content library are date-stamped to indicate accuracy and currency. News articles that focus on specific events in time are not part of our regular updating process.

If an error is discovered in an article, we will rectify it as quickly as possible and provide an acknowledgement of the correction. Corrections are clearly identified with a date and details of the correction.

We appreciate our readers’ engagement in helping us maintain accuracy and truthfulness. If you believe we have made a mistake in any of our articles, we encourage you to inform us so that we can investigate and take the necessary corrective and/or updating measures. Please report possible errors to inv_editorial@cashspotusa.com.

Editors

Stephanie Colestock

CURRENTLY
Personal Finance Writer

RESIDES IN
Springfield, Virginia

EDUCATION
Baylor University

EXPERTISE
Writing in the areas of personal finance, credit and debt, investing, retirement planning, insurance, travel, and health and wellness

COMPANY INFO
Summary
• She has more than 11 years of experience writing for different finance websites.
• Areas of expertise include personal finance, credit and debt, investment, savings, retirement, and insurance.
• Сurrently pursuing CFP® certification.

Experience
Based in the Washington, DC, region, Stephanie is an accomplished financial writer. She focuses on writing about life insurance as well as various property and casualty products, such as home and vehicle insurance. Her work can be found on websites including Credit Karma, MSN, Fox Business, Forbes, and Yahoo! Finance. Stephanie is a current CFP® certification candidate and has a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University.

Education
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology (with a Pre-Med designation) and a Minor in English from Baylor University. She is presently pursuing her CFP® certification as well.

Kat Tretina

CURRENTLY
Writer

RESIDES IN
Orlando, FL

EDUCATION
West Chester University, Elizabethtown College

EXPERTISE
Credit cards, Student loans, Personal loans, Pet insurance

COMPANY INFO
Kat Tretina LLC

Summary
• Writing as a freelancer for five years covering the repayment of debt, student loans and investment.
• Repaid $35,000 of her personal loan for student loan over several years before her time.
• She has had her work published in Experian, Credit Karma, Student Loan Hero, and more.

Experience
Kat Tretina is a personal financial writer as well as a qualified student loan counselor with a base within Orlando, Florida. She is dedicated to helping people establish an enduring financial foundation she has written on the repayment of debt, investing and insurance, including life, auto and health insurance–for a variety of major publications. Her writing has been featured through The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Credit Karma, and many more. She received her bachelor’s degree from Elizabethtown College in English as well as Communications at Elizabethtown College and graduated from West Chester University with her master’s degree in communications.

Education
Kat was a student at Elizabethtown College, where she double majored at Elizabethtown College in English in addition to Communications. She went on to West Chester University, where she received a master’s level degree in Communication.

Quote from Kat Tretina
“If you want to build financial security and long-term wealth, work to create multiple income streams. It will help you weather any major changes that come your way.”

Julia Kagan

CURRENTLY
Former Senior Editor, Personal Finance

RESIDES IN
New York, NY

EDUCATION
Bryn Mawr College, Bennington College

EXPERTISE
Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Consumer Issues, Careers, Health

COMPANY INFO
Summary
• Worked for Investopedia between 2014 and 2023 as the personal finance editor
• Former vice president and editorial director of Consumers Union, editor of Consumer Reports and Psychology Today, and vice president, content for Zagat Surveys
• Chair of the Board for the Wurzweiler School of Social Work Board of Overseers at Yeshiva University
• Held senior editorial jobs at a number of other publications, including national editor-in-chief of Back Stage, executive editor of Working Woman magazine, health director of Ladies’ Home Journal, and psychology/health director of Fitness.

Experience
A longtime writer and editor about finance for national consumer and technical audiences, Julia Kagan is the former editor of Consumer Reports and Psychology Today. Her business-book editing experience includes being charts editor of Ahead of the Curve: A Commonsense Guide to Forecasting Business and Market Cycles by Joseph H. Ellis (Harvard Business School Press, 2005) and editing The Trial of a Social Security Disability Case by Marvin Schwartz (The Social Security Disability Foundation, 1983).

As an editor, she won a National Magazine Award (2004, Leisure Interests), was a NMA finalist in 2004, 2000, 1999 (all Personal Service) and twice in 1986 (General Excellence, Personal Service), and also won the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism (2000). Kagan was the visiting J. Stewart Riley professor of journalism at Indiana University from 1991–1993. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and holds an MFA from the Bennington College Writing Seminars.

Education
Julia received her bachelor’s from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in history and earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from Bennington College.

Quote from Julia Kagan
“Today, with employer-managed pensions disappearing, responsibility for people’s financial futures is almost completely in their own hands. I feel passionate about helping people understand how to take control of their financial lives. For example, it’s very easy to respond to an ad and end up with a subprime mortgage when you qualify for a better one. I regard my job as making sure mistakes like that don’t happen.”