Mariah Ackary

Former Editor, credit cards

EDUCATION

University of South Carolina

About the author

Mariah Ackary is a personal finance writer specializing in small businesses and credit. Her work has been cited by media including Fortune, The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. Mariah is a lifelong writer. She hopes to make personal finance education easier and more approachable through her research and advice.

Education

Mariah earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in business administration from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina in 2019.

Media mentions

Retailers Push Sales, and Normalcy, but Economic Uncertainty Looms — The New York Times
Stressed-Out Americans Plan to Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts, Donate Less to Charity — The Wall Street Journal
How marketers can win this holiday season — Forbes
Should you wait until closer to Christmas to get shopping done? — TODAY Show
Consumer Confidential: How to buy gifts while on a tight budget — TODAY Show
Almost 79% of 2022 travelers experienced problems during a trip, survey finds — CBS News
4 out of 5 travelers say they've hit snags like soaring prices, long waits, and cancellations in 2022 — Business Insider
Almost everything is getting more expensive, but these 3 things are getting cheaper — Fortune
More Americans are relying on side-hustle money to make ends meet — Fortune
Staycation, Again? — The New York Times
How to Make Your Staycation Feel Like a Getaway — WebMD
The pandemic ‘quickly eroded savings’ for Gen Z, millennials — CNBC
As Americans spend, credit card debt is ticking back up — Reuters
Small businesses using personal funds to stay afloat during coronavirus crisis, study finds — Fox Business
It’s Now Easier To Get A Credit Card; Consumer Borrowing Is Soaring — Forbes
40% of Americans with credit card debt don’t know their interest rate, survey shows — CNBC
This Week In Credit Card News: How Much Stimulus Money Will You Get? How To Earn 5% Cash Back On Groceries — Forbes
Small businesses relying more on credit cards to survive — Bloomberg
Consumers’ Debt Appears to Increase as Credit Purchases Grow — American Consumer Credit Counseling
Your Money Briefing podcast — The Wall Street Journal

Mariah's latest articles

Wells Fargo Platinum vs. Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa

Wells Fargo Platinum cardholders who want to earn rewards might prefer to switch to a card like the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa.

5 min read Feb 01, 2022
Can you use a credit card for gambling?

The rules not only depend on the way you choose to gamble, they also vary from state to state and card to card.

3 min read Dec 20, 2021
Survey: 2 in 3 see no boost in personal finances in 2022

U.S. consumers see inflation as the biggest threat to improving personal finances.

4 min read Dec 20, 2021
Fed sees three rate hikes in 2022 and speeds up its taper of bond purchases

Soaring inflation is making it hard for the Fed to justify its aggressive policies.

8 min read Dec 15, 2021
How the Chase Sapphire Preferred pays for itself

When you break down the benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee is a steal.

4 min read Oct 22, 2021
Child tax credit 2021: How to qualify and how much you’ll get

Nearly 36 million Americans are eligible for the expanded credit.

5 min read Oct 20, 2021
Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI): What it is and how to calculate it

You’ll need to know your MAGI to determine whether you qualify for certain tax benefits.

2 min read Oct 18, 2021
Social Security payments set to jump 5.9% in 2022 following biggest COLA increase in nearly 40 years

Here’s how much the average Social Security recipient will receive.

2 min read Oct 13, 2021