Raina He

I write about personal finance and travel, with a special interest in the intersection of the two. After graduating from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media with a B.A. in Media & Journalism, I worked as an editor at NextAdvisor with TIME and CNET Money (both owned by Red Ventures). While there, I wrote and edited articles about banking, loans, investing, credit cards, and general financial advice.

In 2023, I decided to put what I write about into practice. In the course of one year, I saved up enough money to take a fully financially-independent gap year (like a mini version of the popular FIRE movement), racked up enough credit card points to redeem for thousands of dollars of "free" travel, and quit my job to travel the world and pursue freelance writing full-time. I'm documenting my journey on Instagram and TikTok @rainainwanderland and creating content around the topics of travel and personal finance.

I'm currently open to freelance work in the subject areas of travel and personal finance. If you're interested in having me write for you -- whether features about my own experiences, well-researched "how-to" guides and SEO articles, or something else -- I'd love to connect. You can reach me at rainaheditorial@gmail.com.

Here are the kind of things I've written in the past:

Reviews, best lists, and rate pages:
U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card Review 2024 - Forbes Advisor
6 Best Credit Cards for a 500 Credit Score (or Less) - Newsweek Vault
PNC CD Rates: February 2024 - Newsweek Vault

First-person news/interest stories:
Travel Blogs Convinced Me I Needed Airport Lounge Access. They Were Wrong - CNET Money
I Traveled to 36 Countries This Past Year. The Card I Reached for the Most Surprised Me - CNET Money

Other news/interest stories:
What's the Best Way to Get Airport Lounge Access for Free? We Did the Math - CNET Money
Latest American Express® Gold Card Changes: Higher Annual Fee, New Credits and More

Evergreen/demand/educational content:
How To Transfer Capital One Miles - Newsweek Vault
Budgeting 101: How to Budget - MarketWatch Guides

Data journalism:
Student Loan Debt Statistics and Trends - MarketWatch Guides
Are Side Hustles the New Normal? 54% of Americans Say They’ve Taken on Side Gigs - MarketWatch Guides

Stories about topics other than personal finance:
More Companies Are Adopting 4-Day Workweeks. Here's How to Pitch One to Your Boss - CNET Money
9 Cheapest Places to Travel in Summer 2024 - Newsweek Vault