Louise Bastock, editor & video manager
Louise Bastock, editor & video manager
Louise Bastock manages and presents Finder’s videos in the UK. She was previously an editor and video presenter at the travel site Lonely Planet, researching trends and shooting in locations from Croatia to Abu Dhabi. Louise has written for fintech and lifestyle brands, including Flux, Culture Trip and David Lloyd. She has a BA (Hons) in English Literature from King’s College London, and her interests include stand-up comedy, travel and a quality cuppa tea.
In the face of the cost of living crisis, money and mental health have never been more interconnected. When we think about our personal finance journeys, it’s important to take a holistic approach to both understand the facts and define what financial wellness looks like for us as individuals.
Kate Steere, editor
Kate Steere, editor
Kate Steere is an editor at Finder, specialising in banking, fintech and cryptocurrency. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run.
Fintech has the potential to transform the financial lives of so many, but we need to make sure that we don’t leave the most vulnerable behind. For every step we take forward, we need to make sure we are aware of the gap it can create and focus on financial inclusion for everyone.
George Sweeney, writer
George Sweeney, deputy editor
George is a deputy editor specialising in investing. He draws on his extensive experience and a Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active.
Learning to diversify your (investing) portfolio correctly is like looking after your back. It holds everything together, and most of your work should be preventative to keep it all healthy.
Matt McKenna, head of content and PR
Matt Mckenna, head of content and PR
Matt Mckenna runs the communications and content marketing for Finder in the UK and is one of the company’s spokespeople. He has been conducting consumer research and investigations for 8 years within personal finance and also sits on the board of Citizens Advice Westminster. Outside of work, he can be found playing music and trying to finally achieve his childhood dream of catching a pigeon.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the preserve of science fiction movies, and it brings a fascinating mix of potential benefits versus risks. As an example, its ability to digest huge amounts of information could help to level the playing field for amateur investors, but the rising number of deep fake scams is something to be very concerned about.
Chris Lilly, Head of Publishing
Chris Lilly, head of publishing
Chris Lilly is the UK Head of Publishing at finder.com. He’s a specialist in credit-based products, including business and personal loans, mortgages and credit cards, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their borrowing. In his spare time, Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.
If the banks believe the economy has a positive outlook and that interest rates are likely to come down in the next few years, they may prefer to steer customers towards shorter fixed-rate savings or longer fixed-term mortgages.
Matthew Boyle, senior publisher
Matthew Boyle, senior publisher
Matthew Boyle is a mortgages and home services publisher at Finder. He has around a decade of experience with publishing useful guides to help consumers make better decisions. In his spare time, you’ll find him walking in the Norfolk countryside, admiring the local wildlife.
You could find yourself amazed at how much you can pocket by changing your bank account. Not only do banks offer tempting switching bonuses, but you can also get exclusive access to a savings account with a lucrative interest rate.
Sophie Barber, content marketing manager
Sophie Barber, content marketing manager
Sophie Barber is the content marketing manager for Finder UK, and she has over 5 years of experience in writing and publishing clear, concise and informative articles. She holds a Master’s in English from the University of Exeter, and in her spare time, you can find her hunting down London’s best vegetarian restaurants.
96% of Brits were planning to give up at least one expense due to the cost of living crisis – expenses such as eating out, shopping and foreign holidays were high on the list. Managing your money on a daily basis can be tricky when the cost of living is high, but there are free apps that can help you budget and others that can help you find great deals and discounts.
Liz Edwards, editor-in-chief
Liz Edwards, editor-in-chief
Liz Edwards has been a consumer writer and editor for more than 20 years, spending most of this time at the independent research and testing publication Which?. She champions consumer rights and specialises in content that helps people save money and get the best deal. She loves to cut through waffle to get to what people really want to know about products and services, and she likes all puns, even terrible ones. Liz was previously editor-in-chief at Finder UK.
Long-awaited government plans to regulate buy now, pay later (BNPL) services finally appeared in 2023. When this comes into effect, people should at last get the right information upfront so they know what they’re getting into.
Michelle Stevens, deputy editor
Michelle Stevens, deputy editor
Michelle Stevens was a deputy editor at Finder, specialising in banking, finance and mortgages. She has a journalism degree from the University of Sheffield and has been a journalist for more than 10 years, writing on topics including fintech, payment systems and retail. In her spare time, Michelle likes to travel, explore new foodie experiences and attempt to improve her own culinary skills.
If you want to set yourself a budget for the week, you could use either your banking app or a specialist budgeting app like Money Dashboard or Emma. These apps track your outgoings or send notifications for when you’re about to go over your allocated spending amount for that week.
Danny Butler, lead publisher
Danny Butler, lead publisher
Danny was a lead publisher at Finder specialising in insurance and investing. He previously worked at the global insurer Aon and has appeared in national media advising on insurance. Danny holds a BA in International Business from the University of Plymouth and has undying loyalty to his average-poor football team, Portsmouth FC.
There’s been a surge in innovation among car insurers after the pandemic highlighted the usage-based model of insurance. This, coupled with the rise of electric vehicles and other sustainable vehicles, will make for an exciting decade in the car insurance market.
Emily Herring, publisher
Emily Herring, publisher
Emily Herring was a publisher at Finder specialising in credit-based products, including credit cards and business and personal loans. Emily has a Masters in Creative Writing & Publishing and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media.
“Rising interest rates and the rising cost of living are squeezing wallets, and so many consumers are looking to build their credit to get access to better rates or types of credit they might not have been able to get before. Credit-building products can help – but only if you always make your payments.
Sara Benwell, writer
Sara Benwell, writer
Sara Benwell is an award-winning freelance journalist, comms consultant and editor, specialising in personal finance, pensions and investments. She is a consumer affairs expert focused on helping people better understand how to manage their money. Sara is also the editor of Strategic Risk magazine.
Sara was previously the consumer finance editor at Good Housekeeping, the UK’s most widely read women’s magazine. She has also worked as the editor of Insurance Investor, Fund Operator, Pensions Insight, Engaged Investor and Reward Magazines.
Frank Corva, writer
Frank Corva, writer
Frank Corva is a cryptocurrency writer and analyst for digital assets. Frank has turned his hobby of studying and writing about crypto into a career with a mission of educating the world about this burgeoning sector of finance. He worked in Ghana and Venezuela before earning a degree in applied linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University. He taught writing and entertainment business courses in Japan and worked with UNICEF in Nambia before returning to the States to teach at universities in New York City. He spent years as a publicist and graphic designer in the music industry, working for record labels like Warner Music Group and Triple Crown Records, and he’s also a former music journalist whose writing and photography has been published in Alternative Press, Spin and other outlets.
Katherine Denham, writer
Katherine Denham, writer
Katherine Denham is a freelance journalist, writer and consumer champion specialising in personal finance. She has written for The Times since 2019. She also has bylines in The Sunday Times, Times Money Mentor, City A.M. and a number of financial trade publications. When she’s not working, she can be found hiking and drawing pictures of her tortoise.
Georgie Frost, writer
Georgie Frost, writer
Georgie Frost is a multi-award-winning freelance sport and finance broadcaster and journalist. She has worked with The Times, Mail/MailOnline, Business Reporter, and The Financial Times. She is a regular contributor and presenter on BBC, talkTV/talkRADIO, Times Radio and GB News, and she hosts a number of popular finance and business podcasts. Georgie began her career as a sports journalist at the Guardian Media Group before moving to the BBC and then making the shift to finance, presenting her own daily show on Share Radio. During her time there, she was named financial broadcaster of the year and ranked in the top 5 best new presenters in the UK at the APA Awards. Georgie is passionate about encouraging more girls into sports and is a qualified coach and FA referee.
While football club ownership is typically the domain of Russian oligarchs and Middle Eastern sheiks, there is a way for United fans to feel more aligned with the club – by investing in it. (Capital at risk.)
Rebecca Goodman, writer
Rebecca Goodman, writer
Rebecca Goodman is an award-winning freelance journalist with more than a decade of experience working across personal finance titles. Rebecca specialises in consumer money topics and regularly writes for The Guardian, The Sun, The Mirror, LoveMoney and Moneywise magazine.
If you want to boost your credit score, you’ll need to see it as an ongoing process. Your financial history plays a big part in determining your credit score, but it’s also important to make sure your personal information is up-to-date, correct and accessible by lenders.
Alice Guy, writer
Alice Guy, writer
Alice Guy is head of pensions and savings at the investing platform interactive investor. Alice qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG London before working for Tesco Plc as a business analyst. She then became a writer and self-professed finance geek. She loves to write about budgeting, saving, investing and building wealth.
Starting a stock portfolio is the first step to building your investment wealth. It’s a good idea to sit down and think about your circumstances, your attitude to risk and when you’ll need to access your investment.
Cathy Hudson, writer
Cathy Hudson, writer
Cathy is a freelance journalist specialising in money, property, smart homes and technology. She worked at Which? for 12 years, first as a money writer and then as an editor, before going freelance in 2018.
She’s written for publications including The Money Edit, Ideal Home, lovePROPERTY, The i newspaper, and the London Evening Standard. Cathy is also a Homes Under the Hammer superfan.
Cherry Reynard, writer
Cherry Reynard, writer
Cherry Reynard is a financial journalist. She’s written for a range of publications, including the Financial Times, The Telegraph and the Independent. Cherry co-authored a book on investing in emerging markets and is a six-time winner of the Investment Management Association’s freelance journalist of the year award.
Tom Rodgers, writer
Tom Rodgers, writer
Tom Rodgers was a cryptocurrency writer for Finder. Tom is a seasoned financial journalist and editor who has written for The Times, Forbes and some of the highest-traffic investing websites in the world.
Marc Shoffman, writer
Marc Shoffman, writer
Marc is an award-winning freelance journalist specialising in business and personal finance. His work has appeared in print and online publications ranging from FT Business to The Times, Mail on Sunday and Business Insider. He also co-presents the In For A Penny financial planning podcast.
Zoe Stabler, writer
Zoe Stabler, writer
Zoe is a senior writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. She was previously a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. Zoe has a Diploma for Financial Advisers from The London Institute of Banking and Finance, a BA in English literature and several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. She has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink.
You don’t have to try (investing) with real money – loads of providers have demo or training accounts with virtual funds and no risk at all.
Ceri Stanaway, writer
Ceri Stanaway, writer
Ceri Stanaway is a researcher, writer and editor with more than 15 years’ experience, including a long stint at independent publisher Which?. She’s helped people find the best products and services, and avoid the pitfalls, across topics ranging from broadband to insurance. Outside of work, you can often find her sampling the fares in local cafes.
If cost-of-living increases are forcing you to prioritise what you spend money on, stopping your pension contributions could seem like an easy sacrifice. Avoid this if you can, or if you feel you have no choice, restart contributions as soon as you’re able.
Mark Tovey, writer
Mark Tovey, writer
Mark is a freelance journalist whose work has been published in The Motley Fool and The Guardian, among other sites. He’s worked as a data journalist and has a BA in Economics from the University of Sussex as well as an NCTJ journalism qualification.
Rachel Wait, writer
Rachel Wait, writer
Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers and is a keen baker in her spare time.
With so many different options to choose from, it’s not always easy to know which account or prepaid card will be best for your teen. To give you a helping hand, we chose top picks depending on your child’s age.