Derek Silva
Credit Card and Retirement Expert
Derek Silva is determined to make personal finance accessible to everyone. He writes on a variety of personal finance topics for SmartAsset, serving as a retirement and credit card expert. Derek is a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®). He has a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has spent time as an English language teacher in the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The message Derek hopes people take away from his writing is, “Don’t forget that money is just a tool to help you reach your goals and live the lifestyle you want.”
Posts by Derek Silva:
Patrice Washington had her fair share of financial troubles when she was younger. Now she helps others take control of their finances with honest and direct advice. She isn’t just going to drone on about building a budget though. Washington prefers to help people understand why they struggle with money so that they can build a solid foundation that will help them build wealth for the rest of their lives. Read more
Personal finance is not something that’s typically taught in school. Alexa von Tobel understands this and has dedicated her life to teaching people the financial lessons they need. Once the CEO of financial planning firm LearnVest, von Tobel has helped people gain control of their spending. Also, with her book she has brought awareness and financial knowledge to college-aged readers. Have questions about how to manage your money? Speak with a financial advisor today. Read more
Wes Moss has spent his career helping people to retire as soon as possible and as happily as possible. As a certified financial planner, Moss has experience showing people ways to reach their financial goals. He has also worked with people of all levels to help create them create retirement plans. Read more
Nicole Lapin is a financial expert and successful entrepreneur who learned everything the hard way. She never studied finance or business. Instead she worked hard and tried to learn as much about… Read more
Many people dream about retirement as a time to relax, have fun or just do whatever they want. To have the retirement of your dreams, you’ll need savings. How much you need depends on multiple… Read more
Farnoosh Torabi has spent years working in finance. She’s written about topics ranging from saving money on groceries to investing your money more wisely. She’s also the host of the award-winning… Read more
You found a new job and can no longer contribute to your previous employer’s 401(k) or 403(b). If your new employer offers an equivalent retirement account, you can directly transfer the money from… Read more
Visa credit cards come with certain standard features that protect you as a consumer, but some cards offer additional benefits. Is your Visa credit card labeled as Signature? The Visa Signature… Read more
The 52-Week Money Challenge first got a lot of coverage in 2013 when someone posted it on their Facebook page. Today it’s a very popular way for people to build their savings and create good saving… Read more
If you’ve thought about investing any time over the past decade, you might have heard people talking about robo-advisors. The first big robo-advisor popped around the time of the Great Recession.… Read more
If you’re looking to accrue more for your retirement savings, a Roth IRA might just be the place to put it. Roth IRAs allow the money you contribute to the account to grow tax-free, since you will… Read more
The last time you visited your bank or used an ATM, you might have seen a sign that says your deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This insurance is a big part of why… Read more
You have some money that you want to put in the bank. What type of bank account should you put it in to make sure you get the most bang for your buck? It can get confusing with all the potential… Read more
Jim Cramer ran a successful hedge fund for 14 years. He regularly made over $10 million annually. Then he retired from that life to focus on writing and media. He started a successful TV show in 2005… Read more
Clark Howard is a consumer expert whose goal is to help people save more and spend less. He offers his financial advice through a nationally syndicated radio show and also makes regular TV… Read more
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been… Read more
The financial gap between men and women is decreasing but there is still a big divide. That’s part of why Amanda Steinberg founded DailyWorth in 2009. She felt women needed a dedicated, financial… Read more
Did you buy a new cell phone only to have it stolen a few weeks later? Did someone just spill coffee all over your brand new laptop? Well, your credit card may have you covered thanks to a benefit… Read more
There’s no doubt that credit cards can be useful. With a credit card in hand, you don’t have to carry cash everywhere. You can use a cash back credit card to earn extra cash on your usual spending or… Read more
Once dubbed the“CEO Whisperer” by Fortune Magazine, Tony Robbins is yet another big name to be caught up in the #MeToo movement. The best-selling author and personal-growth guru to the stars … Read more
It always seems to happen. You make an expensive purchase and everything works perfectly, until the day after the manufacturer’s warranty ends. You skipped out on the store’s expensive extra warranty… Read more
Rachel Cruze is in the unique position of having learned about money since she was a child. Her father, financial expert Dave Ramsey, taught her how to stay out of debt and live within her means. Now… Read more
Formerly a money coach with Dave Ramsey’s organization, Chris Hogan is now a recognized personal finance expert with his own following. His first book, “Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age; It’s a… Read more
J. Money is a professional blogger who’s risen to fame over the past decade for his personal finance blog, Budgets Are Sexy. He has helped people understand their finances by talking openly about his… Read more
Credit cards are basically a staple nowadays. About 79% of Americans have at least one credit card, according to a 2016 Federal Reserve report. We take for granted that we can use credit cards at… Read more
