
Banking
See top banking accounts for 2025, backed with Bankrate's expertise. Low fees, online banks, savings accounts and more—find the best with The Bankrate Awards.
Karen Bennett is a senior consumer banking reporter at Bankrate. Her expertise lies in finding the best savings accounts, checking accounts and CDs, as well as all things personal finance. She’s been a reporter at Bankrate since 2021, and she holds a master’s degree in Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in English.
Karen’s writing experience spans topics including bank accounts, saving money, budgeting, and credit cards, as well as lifestyle and health. She also spent time as a writer of product reviews and a reporter for local newspapers in Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C. In addition, she worked for over a decade as a writer and product manager for CoolSavings, a website devoted to saving money on groceries, travel and other products.
Karen stays on top of the latest in banking and personal finance. Topics she writes about for Bankrate include how to choose the best high-yield savings account, the latest statistics on checking account fees and ways to protect yourself from bank fraud.
On the personal finance front, Karen has covered topics such as progress for women in banking and the pitfalls of spaving deals (spaving is the act of spending more money to qualify for money-saving promotions).
When she’s not working, Karen enjoys working on her novel, as well as reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with her family.
The pillars of smart money management include having an emergency fund in a high-yield savings account, paying down debt, following a budget and living within your means.
— Karen Bennett
See top banking accounts for 2025, backed with Bankrate's expertise. Low fees, online banks, savings accounts and more—find the best with The Bankrate Awards.
You can find a CD account that significantly out-earns the national average if you shop around among banks.
Read up on leading CD rates today and the impact of economic trends on your savings. Bankrate can help you choose the right CD offer to maximize your savings potential.
Read up on leading CD rates today and the impact of economic trends on your savings. Bankrate can help you choose the right CD offer to maximize your savings potential.
Read up on leading CD rates today and the impact of economic trends on your savings. Bankrate can help you choose the right CD offer to maximize your savings potential.
Read up on leading CD rates today and the impact of economic trends on your savings. Bankrate can help you choose the right CD offer to maximize your savings potential.
Discover today's top CD rates and gain insights on how economic trends impact your yield with Bankrate's expert analysis of CD products.
Navigating the world of personal finance is daunting, but it’s particularly so for Gen Zers.