44% of homeowners saved specifically for their first home. Here’s how renters can do the same
Saving for a down payment while also paying rent is challenging.
7 min read
Feb 28, 2025
Susan Ladika
Contributing Reporter
Highlights
- More than three decades of journalism experience
- Helped consumers save money and spend wisely during the Great Recession
- Written key articles about avoiding fraud and identity theft
Experience
Susan Ladika spent more than three decades working as a journalist, reporting everywhere from Bali to Bosnia to Tampa Bay. She spent the first 12 years of her career working as a reporter and editor at newspapers in the Southeast, then moved to Europe, where she worked for the Associated Press and freelanced. Susan returned to the U.S. in 2001 and has been freelancing ever since.
Susan began writing about the fascinating field of personal finance for CreditCards.com and Bankrate during the heart of the Great Recession, when everyone wanted to learn how to save money and spend what they had more wisely.
Over the years she’s written about a wide range of personal finance topics, including credit cards and debit cards, financial scams and frauds, savings and checking accounts, real estate and insurance.