Brianna McGurran

Brianna McGurran

Brianna McGurran is a freelance journalist and writing teacher based in Brooklyn, New York. Most recently, she was a staff writer and spokesperson at the personal finance website NerdWallet, where she wrote "Ask Brianna," a financial advice column syndicated by the Associated Press. As a spokesperson, she has also contributed her expertise to media outlets including The New York Times, ABC World News Tonight and the Today Show.

Popular articles from Brianna

A man holding his leather wallet full of credit cards.

Should You Cancel Your Unused Credit Cards or Keep Them?

In most cases, it’s best to keep unused credit cards open, and used sparingly, to benefit ...

May 27, 2024Credit card basics

How to Negotiate a Lower Interest Rate on Your Credit Card

Jan 17, 2020Credit cards

How to “Fix” a Bad Credit Score

Jul 26, 2024Improve credit

25 Tips to Improve Credit in 2025

Dec 20, 2024Improve credit

How Does a Balance Transfer Affect Your Credit Score?

Apr 15, 2024Balance transfers

What Happens to Your Old Credit Card After a Balance Transfer?

Jan 21, 2025Balance transfers

Latest articles from Brianna

Can I Have Two Car Loans?

You can have two car loans. As long as a lender has approved you for them, there is no lim...

Feb 8, 2025Auto loans

What Is a Credit-Builder Loan?

A credit-builder loan lets you make fixed payments into a savings account over several mon...

Jan 22, 2025Personal loans

How to Pay Off Debt in a Year

It's possible to pay off debt in a year by prioritizing your debts, sticking to a budget a...

Jan 15, 2025Debt

Can You Get a Mortgage With No Credit?

A lack of credit history isn't a barrier to getting a mortgage. Manual underwriting makes ...

Dec 22, 2024Mortgage

Top 6 Money Resolutions for 2025

As 2024 comes to a close, it's a natural time to consider ways to revamp your budget, save...

Dec 20, 2024Personal finance

What Is an Authorized User on a Credit Card?

When you become an authorized user, you join another person's credit card account and, ide...

Dec 19, 2024Credit card basics

Assessed Value vs. Market Value: What’s the Difference?

A home's assessed value is used to calculate property taxes, and market value is how much ...

Dec 8, 2024Mortgage

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debt Settlement Yourself

Negotiate credit card debt settlement yourself by validating the amount you owe, suggestin...

Dec 4, 2024Credit card basics

Can You Go to Jail for Debt?

You cannot be arrested or go to jail simply for having unpaid debt. But if you're sued by ...

Nov 27, 2024Debt

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

There are many reasons why your credit score could have gone down, including a recent late...

Nov 27, 2024Score advice

Can Non-U.S. Citizens Open a Bank Account in the U.S.?

As a non-U.S. citizen, you can open a U.S. bank account as long as you have the correct fo...

Nov 24, 2024Banking

Will Paying Off a Loan Improve Credit?

You may not see an immediate score increase if you pay off a loan. Depending on your credi...

Nov 19, 2024Score advice