Home Authors Shannon Terrell
Shannon Terrell

Shannon Terrell

Editor

Shannon Terrell is a lead writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet and a former editor at Finder, specializing in personal finance. Her writing and analysis on investing and banking has been featured in Bloomberg, Global News, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates and Black Enterprise. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and English literature from the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Expertise

  • Share trading
  • Robo-advisors
  • Merchant services

Experience

  • Studying to become a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF)
  • Author of over 400 personal finance articles
  • Featured in publications, such as Black Enterprise and Yahoo! Finance
  • Earned over 66,000 views on her Finder YouTube video features
  • Interviewed key stakeholders in the investments industry, including co-founder of Thinkorswim and CEO of Tastyworks, Scott Sheridan and ArborCrowd co-founder and chief operating officer, Adam Kaufman

Education

  • Honours Bachelor of Arts (HBA), Professional Writing and Communication | University of Toronto Mississauga | 2014–2019

Featured publications

Industry insights from Shannon Terrell

We asked Shannon to demonstrate her expertise by answering a few questions about investments and personal finance.

Say you are handed $100,000. What is the most practical way to allocate a large sum of money?

Get an accurate picture of your finances, prioritize high-interest debt and open an investment account. You do not need to be debt-free to invest. If you have access to a 401(k) through work, max out your contributions. If you do not have a 401(k) or if this is your first time investing, explore beginner-friendly platforms that can manage your investments for you, like a robo-advisor.

What is the best way to keep from overspending?

Create a budget. It might be a pain, but it is worth it. If it feels too daunting to tackle with pen and paper, try a budgeting app: They are designed to do the legwork for you. All you need to do is sync your accounts to identify where you spend the most each month. Accountability is empowering and you can stow what you save in a high-yield savings or money market account. As your rainy day fund grows, so will your peace of mind.

What is the best way for first-time investors to break into the market?

Automated investment platforms like Acorns and Betterment are a solid way to learn the ropes. These beginner-friendly platforms are designed to pick and manage your investments on your behalf and provide protected exposure to the market. They can serve as a practical learning environment for anyone new to investing.

Featured videos

Latest articles by Shannon Terrell

180 articles written by this author

Artificial intelligence stocks

AI is one of the most exciting industries on the market. Here’s some of the top artificial intelligence stocks to watch.

Shannon Terrell 25 September 2023
Artificial intelligence stocks

Best Investing Apps for Kids & Teens for 2024

Custodial brokerage accounts for kids — because it's never too early to start saving and investing.

Shannon Terrell 22 November 2022
Best Investing Apps for Kids & Teens for 2024

What is payment for order flow?

How payment for order flow works and how it affects you as an investor.

Shannon Terrell 12 January 2022
What is payment for order flow?

Not knowing your stock’s cost basis can cost you

Methods of calculating cost basis and seven factors that impact the value of your investments.

Shannon Terrell 1 December 2021
Not knowing your stock’s cost basis can cost you

Marcus Invest review

Features, costs and ratings to consider before you open an account.

Shannon Terrell 22 November 2021
Marcus Invest review

Investing in your 40s: 8 keys to be ready to retire

How to invest for retirement: 8 ways to safeguard your portfolio.

Shannon Terrell 17 November 2021
Investing in your 40s: 8 keys to be ready to retire

Investing in your 30s: 8 wealth-building tips

Prepare to revamp your asset allocation and explore new investment classes.

Shannon Terrell 17 November 2021
Investing in your 30s: 8 wealth-building tips

How to start investing in your 20s: 7 keys for beginners

7 tips for starting a portfolio if you’re new to investing.

Shannon Terrell 17 November 2021
How to start investing in your 20s: 7 keys for beginners

ETFs vs. index mutual funds

We break down the similarities and differences that separate exchange-traded funds and index mutual funds.

Shannon Terrell 1 October 2021
ETFs vs. index mutual funds

Fundamental analysis: 5 must-have tools for valuing stocks

Steer clear of risky, uninformed trades with moomoo’s tools built for value investors.

Shannon Terrell 29 September 2021
Fundamental analysis: 5 must-have tools for valuing stocks
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