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Andrea Coombes, CFP®

Editor
  • 25
    Years of experience
CD Icon CREDENTIALS
  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Ribbon Icon EXPERTISE
  • Investing
  • Real estate
  • Personal finance
  • Tax planning and strategy
  • Saving for retirement
Education Icon EDUCATION
  • University of California, Berkeley; B.A. in Sociology
  • University of California, Berkeley; Master’s in Journalism
  • University of California, Berkeley, Extension; Certificate in Personal Financial Planning

Andrea Coombes, an editor at Bankrate, translates complex personal finance topics into understandable language that helps people live their best financial lives. She’s a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and over the past 25 years has worked as a financial coach, personal finance writer and editor, and volunteer tax preparer.

Her work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, MarketWatch and many newspapers nationwide. She's been interviewed on local and national TV and radio, including NPR's All Things Considered, CBS News, NASDAQ and Marketplace.

Andrea has moderated panels on how to invest for retirement, how to use 529 college savings plans and more, and she's an experienced personal-finance speaker who has presented to groups on a variety of topics such as how to budget, improve credit, manage debt, and build savings. She's also worked as a personal financial coach and certified consumer credit counselor, helping people reach their goals. For two tax seasons, she worked as a volunteer tax preparer.

Andrea beyond Bankrate

Taxes: Who really is paying up

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Who are annuities best for?

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7 ways to reduce taxes in retirement

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How couples can resolve their biggest fights over money

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One couple's journey from debt to $1.5 million in savings.

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What has changed since the Equifax data breach?

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A lot of people are nervous about managing their money. I'm here to say: It's not rocket science. There are small steps each of us can take to slowly start moving towards our long-term financial goals. We can do this, people.

— Andrea Coombes, CFP®

Andrea's latest articles

  • Best ETFs For November 2025

    With literally thousands of ETFs to choose from, where does an investor start? Below are some of the best ETFs by category, including some highly specialized funds.

    16 min read Nov 01, 2025
  • Best Mutual Funds In November 2025

    With literally thousands of available mutual funds, how do you find the top ones for your portfolio? Bankrate has highlighted some of the best mutual funds.

    11 min read Nov 01, 2025
  • Best Index Funds In November 2025

    Everything you need to know about the best index funds and ten of the top mutual funds and ETFs to consider adding to your portfolio this year.

    15 min read Nov 01, 2025
  • 10 Best Investments For 2025

    Bankrate's list of the best investments for 2025 is a mix of growth and safety to help guide both short- and long-term investors as they decide where to put their money.

    15 min read Nov 01, 2025
  • Best Short-Term Investments In 2025

    Short-term investments minimize risk, but at the cost of the potentially higher returns available from the best long-term investments.

    11 min read Nov 01, 2025