How I used secured credit cards to rebuild my credit
Thinking about using secured credit cards to rebuild your credit? Here’s some advice from people who have done exactly that.
5 min read
Sep 03, 2021
About the author
Expertise
Personal finance, habit formation
Education
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), Illinois State University
Highlights
- Ten years of personal finance writing experience, with stories published on Vox, The Simple Dollar, The Penny Hoarder, Lifehacker and more
- Five years writing and editing The Billfold, a personal finance blog where people had honest conversations about money
- Author of Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales
Experience
Nicole Dieker has been a full-time freelance writer since 2012—and a personal finance enthusiast since 2004, when she graduated from college and, looking for financial guidance, found a battered copy of Your Money or Your Life at the public library.
In addition to writing for Bankrate, her work has appeared on CreditCards.com, Vox, Lifehacker, Popular Science, The Penny Hoarder, The Simple Dollar and NBC News. Dieker spent five years as writer and editor for The Billfold, a personal finance blog where people had honest conversations about money. Dieker also teaches writing, freelancing and publishing classes and works one-on-one with authors as a developmental editor and copyeditor.
Nicole Dieker’s debut novel, The Biographies of Ordinary People, is a Millennial-era Little Women that follows three sisters from childhood to adulthood. Dieker is also the author of Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales, in which she reworks classic fairy tales to highlight their hidden financial lessons.
"I never knew I needed Rumpelstiltskin to involve Bitcoin or a parable about instant pots, but I’m so much happier now that I’ve read both. These stories will both delight and get you thinking about money." — Lillian Karabaic, author of Get Your Money Together and host of Oh My Dollar!
Education
- MFA in Theatre, Illinois State University, 2008
- BA in Music, Theatre Minor, Miami University, 2004
Publications
- Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales (The Billfold, 2018)
- Earn More Money as a Freelance Writer (The Write Life, 2016)
- Start Here: 40 Freelance Writers Share How They Find Clients, Stay Motivated & Earn Well
- Today (contributor, Make a Living Writing, 2015)
Nicole's Latest Articles
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How to do a balance transfer with Bank of America
A Bank of America balance transfer credit card can help you avoid costly interest charges with a 0% intro APR offer.
7 min read Apr 28, 2021 -
Cash or debit vs. credit: What’s the best way to pay?
Use this guide and think twice before deciding which payment type is best next time you’re in the checkout line.
6 min read Aug 12, 2021 -
2020 was hard on my finances. Here’s what I’m doing in 2021 to get back on track
In December 2020, Alainta Alcin got laid off a month after buying her first home. Here’s how she turned the situation around and got her finances back on track.
5 min read Aug 11, 2021 -
How to use a credit card
Here’s how to choose and use your credit cards to hit your financial goals this year.
6 min read Aug 09, 2021 -
How long can a debt collector pursue old debt?
Debt collectors will keep calling even after the bank stops. Here’s what to expect.
8 min read Jul 30, 2021 -
TSA PreCheck vs. Clear: Which is best?
Decide whether you’d like to apply for TSA PreCheck, CLEAR or both.
6 min read Jul 29, 2021 -
Want to get out of credit card debt? Here’s how this couple paid off $27,000 in 17 months
Are you wanting to get out of credit card debt that you may have accumulated? Read for a story of how one couple did it successfully, and read their tips on how to get out of debt, too.
5 min read Jul 08, 2021