Authors

Saving For College Editorial Team

The Savingforcollege.com Editorial Team consists of current and past contributors, including Mark Kantrowitz, Martha Kortiak Mert, Marc Suhr, and others listed on our Authors page. We have dozens of years of experience with 529 plans and college savings and have published hundreds of articles empowering families with the knowledge to save wisely for college.

Chris Stack, Esq.

Managing Consultant, Savingforcollege.com

Chris Stack, Esq. Managing Consultant, Savingforcollege.com, is a nationally recognized 529 authority and experienced in educational finance. An attorney for over 30 years, licensed in New York & Pennsylvania, Chris has experience in finance, investments and law relating to tax- advantaged products, including Section 529, since it became federal law in 1996.

Jeffrey Trull

Jeffrey Trull is a marketing consultant, writer and editor at for Saving for College. With more than 14 years of experience in the personal finance space, he has written and edited hundreds of articles covering 529 plans, student loans and family financial planning. Jeffrey also develops content strategy and supports the editorial team.

Martha Kortiak Mert

COO

Martha Kortiak Mert is COO of Saving For College, where she oversees partnerships, content creation, data management and web development. Over the past ten years, she has edited and written numerous articles that appear on Saving For College, been interviewed for numerous articles and podcasts, and presented college savings webinars.

Zina Kumok

Zina Kumok is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance. A former reporter, she has covered murder trials, the Final Four and everything in between. She has been featured in Lifehacker, DailyWorth and Time.

Bethany McCamish

Bethany McCamish is a freelancer, teacher, and content creator for the His and Her FI blog and podcast. Her writing has been featured by multiple personal finance sites including Rockstar Finance, Women Who Money, and Money Middletons.

Brian Keaney

Brian Keaney is a father, a writer, and a long-time fan of 529 plans. He has been published in the Boston Sunday Globe, Forbes, and the Washington Post about a variety of topics.

Brian O'Connell

Brian O’Connell, a former Wall Street bond trader, is the author of two best-selling books, The 401k Millionaire and CNBC’s Creating Wealth. He also wrote the book Free Yourself from Student Loan Debt.

Carrie Pallardy

Carrie Pallardy started her career in healthcare journalism, but she is now a full-time freelance writer and editor. Her work spans multiple subjects including education, real estate, healthcare, and travel. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jeff White, CEPF

Jeff is a finance expert who has worked with individuals and businesses to better their financial situations. He's helped Fortune 500 companies, Inc's fastest-growing companies, and small businesses get the financing they need. Jeff has earned an MBA and JD and is a Certified Educator of Personal Finance (CEPF).

Jennifer Calonia

Jennifer Calonia is a Los Angeles-based personal finance writer whose goal is to help readers get excited about improving their financial health. Her work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Huffington Post, MSN Money, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider.

Joe Arns

Joe Arns is a freelance writer and investment professional. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Joe Messinger

CFP, ChFC, CLU

Joe Messinger, CFP, ChFC, CLU, is partner and director of college planning at Capstone Capital Wealth Partners. He created Capstone's College Pre Approval process that guides clients through a process that allows families to save the money they need, and eliminate the stress and anxiety that have around paying for college.

Joen Kinnan

Joen Kinnan began her career as a secondary school English teacher in Ohio and Michigan. After moving to the Chicago area, she became a writer and later department head for Marquis Who’s Who, a publisher of biographies. Subsequently, she served as a senior associate with William M. Young & Associates, where she developed and delivered workshops around the country.

Joseph Hurley

CPA, Founder

Joe Hurley launched Savingforcollege.com in 1999 while working as a tax CPA in Rochester, New York. He wrote and self-published the book 'The Best Way to Save for College--A Complete Guide to 529 Plans', now in its eleventh edition with over 100,000 copies sold.

Kat Tretina

Kat Tretina is a personal finance writer based in Orlando. With a master's degree in communications, her work has been featured in publications like Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Money Magazine, and many more.

Kathryn Flynn

Kathryn is a former Editor-in-Chief at Savingforcollege.com and is a subject matter expert on 529 plans. Since joining the team in 2014, she created content to help families and financial professionals understand the best ways to save for education. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune and other well-known media outlets.

Katie Reierson

Katie is a former corporate finance and strategy professional with a passion for communication. After a successful career in finance, she transitioned to writing for businesses and brands. Since making this shift, Katie has dedicated herself to helping others find their voice and share their expertise. As a mother of three, she combines her professional insights with

Kristen Kuchar

Former Managing Editor

Kristen Kuchar is Managing Editor and Content Strategist for Savingforcollege.com. She has covered personal finance issues with a focus on student loans and college savings for the last decade for a wide variety of publications. Kristen is passionate about creating content that eases the stress of paying for college and managing student loans. She graduated from Colum

Marc Suhr

Marc Suhr II was a Product Manager with Saving For College, where he worked closely with 529 plan partners helping to connect them to families and advisors looking for resources. Marc has presented several webinars on how to save and pay for college, and edited and written numerous articles on Saving For College.

Mark Kantrowitz

Former Publisher and VP of Research

Mark Kantrowitz is a nationally-recognized expert on student financial aid, scholarships and student loans. His mission is to deliver practical information, advice and tools to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about planning and paying for college.

Rob Zodda

Rob Zodda is an experienced freelance writer specializing in personal finance and higher education. He creates content and copy that helps families, students, and young adults make smart money decisions, and feel more confident in reaching their financial goals. He’s written on topics including student loans, financial aid, investing, credit cards, and more.