Reviewers & Authors

PayKedge articles include the name of a skilled writer and have to be approved by an independent expert who holds a specific qualification (AFC®, CFP®, JD, or an NMLS-licensed lender). Certification and license details can be checked by anyone; every writer's profile shows their individual license or certification ID.

Our policy for the editorial board. Writers cannot approve their own work. Two individuals are credited on each money page and state guide: the writer and the person who reviewed it.
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Jared Castellano, AFC®
Senior Financial Educator

An Accredited Financial Counselor bringing 8 years of experience from a nonprofit credit counseling background. Creates money-focused content; skilled in payday loans, handling debt, and military financial matters.

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Laura Castellano, CFP®
Editorial Reviewer

Certified Financial Planner™ and previous Reuters journalist covering consumer finance. Has 18 years in both journalism and fee-only financial planning. Principal reviewer for money guides and state-specific pages.

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Rachel Bauer, JD
Consumer Law Reviewer

Consumer rights lawyer with Stanford training and membership in the California Bar. Previously with NCLC and the Consumer Federation. Evaluates content on TCPA, FDCPA, state loan statutes, CFPB rules, and the MLA.

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Carmen Bauer
Senior Personal Finance Writer

Columbia-trained personal-finance journalist with 10 years at Bankrate and NerdWallet. Bad-credit lending, subprime products, EWA, and gig-economy finance.

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Sophia Underwood, AFC®
Military & Veterans Editor

United States Marine Corps veteran, graduate of the Naval Academy, and an AFC® concentrating on military finances. Spent 7 years with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Military OneSource. In charge of MLA compliance.

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Andre Nakamura
Licensed Lender Reviewer

A lender licensed by the NMLS with 15 years spent at a regional credit union. Also teaches as an adjunct lecturer at UT Arlington. Assesses content on underwriting, ATR standards, CSO/CAB regulations, and spotting fraud.

How we build our editorial board

All writers are required to submit a credential that can be checked — such as a license number, certification ID, or institutional link. Each person agrees to PayKedge's standards for impartiality and reveals any financial ties to lenders, lead generators, or debt-settlement companies. People with open consumer-protection actions anywhere cannot contribute.

See the Editorial Policy and Ownership Disclosure for our detailed procedures.