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Rae Hartley Beck

Deputy Editor of Investing and Retirement

About

Rae Hartley Beck first started writing about personal finance in 2011 with a regular column in her college newspaper as a staff writer. Since then she has become a leader in the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement and has over 300 bylines in prominent publications including Money, Bankrate and Investopedia on all things personal finance. A former award-winning claims specialist with the Social Security Administration, Rae continues to share her expert insider knowledge with Forbes Advisor readers.

Rae Hartley Beck first started writing about personal finance in 2011 with a regular column in her college newspaper as a staff writer. Since then she has become a leader in the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement and has over 300 bylines in prominent publications including Money, Bankrate and Investopedia on all things personal finance. A former award-winning claims specialist with the Social Security Administration, Rae continues to share her expert insider knowledge with Forbes Advisor readers.

Rae was a recipient of the 2024 Envestnet Scholarship and is currently attending the College for Financial Planning. She aims to take the CFP® exam in March 2025.

She has created and taught courses to small and large groups on topics including Social Security benefits, credit card rewards programs, budgeting, creating and establishing credit, first-time home buying and beginner investing.

Rae went from having her family home foreclosed on when she was in high school to becoming a homeowner at age 24. This experience taught her that with the right knowledge, diligence and luck many people can achieve financial stability on limited means. She shares that knowledge by volunteering with a range of nonprofits, creating free educational financial content and individually mentoring women and teens. As a former foster parent to older teenagers, Rae focused on teaching the next generation the skills they need to prosper in a system that is rigged against them.

When not heckling her friends into opening a Roth IRA, Rae can be found backpacking in the desert Southwest with her retired racing sled dog and reading an average of four books a week.

Expertise

  • Social Security
  • Retirement
  • Investing
  • Early Retirement
  • Roth IRA
  • 401(k)
  • Health Savings Account
  • Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE)
  • 529 plans
  • Investing for kids
  • Low-income investing
  • Personal finance
  • Budgeting
  • Credit card rewards
  • Rewards travel
  • Tax optimization
  • Tax planning
  • Consumer finance

Achievements

  • Recipient of nine performance awards in just under six years of employment with the Social Security Administration including a Commissioner’s Citation
  • 12+ years of experience writing, creating and editing personal finance content
  • Achieved $100,000 net worth before W-2 income surpassed $28,000
  • Went from being foreclosed on in high school to homeowner at 24
  • Earned and redeemed over $100,000 in credit card rewards without paying a cent in interest

Other Publications

Education

Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, B.A. in history and education studies

College for Financial Planning, CFP® certification professional education program

Honors and Awards

  • Deputy Commissioner’s Team Award- Social Security Administration.
  • Eight other performance-related awards from the Social Security Administration.
  • Recipient of the 2024 Envestnet scholarship

Professional Memberships

  • Women’s Personal Finance: course teacher and book club manager
  • Forget Cyber Monday, Stocks Are On Sale Today

    While I’m a frugal person by nature, even I am struggling to avoid the siren call of the Cyber Monday deals. At moments like this, I try to remember that the greatest gift you can give yourself is financial stability—today...
    Forget Cyber Monday, Stocks Are On Sale Today
  • What Is A Fiduciary Financial Advisor?

    Not all financial advisors are created equal. Nearly anyone can give financial advice, but how do you know that the advice they’re giving you is reliable and best fits your needs? When entrusting a professional with your life’s savings, how...
    What Is A Fiduciary Financial Advisor?
  • Federal Reserve Starts 2025 By Keeping Rates Unchanged

    In justifying its decision to keep the federal funds rate steady at a range of 4.25% to 4.50% after its March meeting, the Federal Reserve cited three rationales: economic growth is solid, unemployment is low and inflation is still "somewhat"...
    Federal Reserve Starts 2025 By Keeping Rates Unchanged
  • 5 Best Currency ETFs

    Currency ETFs provide investors with a simple way to invest in foreign exchange markets, where traders bet on the performance of different international currencies. This sophisticated investment class is not for the faint of heart, and it demands a good...
    5 Best Currency ETFs
  • 5 Best S&P 500 Index Funds Of 2025

    Thanks to their low costs and ease of use, exchange-traded funds are becoming more popular than ever for building diversified portfolios. But for many investors, S&P 500 index funds remain the overwhelming favorite when it comes to long-term investing. The...
    5 Best S&P 500 Index Funds Of 2025
  • 401(k) Contribution Limits For 2025

    A workplace 401(k) plan helps you save a substantial amount each year for retirement, but there are annual limits on contributions by you and your employer. Whether you choose a traditional 401(k) for the upfront tax break or a Roth...
    401(k) Contribution Limits For 2025
  • 7 Best Small-Cap ETFs of 2025

    Small-cap stocks offer big advantages for your investment portfolio. Nimble, small companies grow faster than large-cap firms, and they can deliver higher returns when markets are rising. Just keep in mind that small-cap outperformance also comes with greater volatility and...
    7 Best Small-Cap ETFs of 2025
  • Best Variable Annuities of 2025

    A variable annuity is a way to get the stability of a traditional annuity product with the gains of an investment account—for a price. Unlike with a more common fixed annuity, a variable annuity lets you invest in subaccounts like...
    Best Variable Annuities of 2025
  • 10 Best Recession Stocks Of 2025

    Recession risk in the United States has receded. But geopolitical risk, election risk and restrictive monetary policy all threaten the current market rally. And what about the next inevitable recession? Investors can weather the market turmoil by investing in certain...
    10 Best Recession Stocks Of 2025
  • 10 Best Small-Cap Stocks of 2025

    Small-cap stocks are usually considered to be stocks with market capitalizations somewhere between $250 million and $2.5 billion. They are the world’s potential up-and-coming companies. Of course, most companies start out as small-caps, but by continually growing their earnings, their...
    10 Best Small-Cap Stocks of 2025
  • Best Roth IRA Accounts Of 2025

    Please note: TD Ameritrade has recently been incorporated into Charles Schwab. The Roth IRA is a unique and powerful tool for retirement savings. That’s because this type of individual retirement account comes with tax-free withdrawals, a huge advantage that gives...
    Best Roth IRA Accounts Of 2025
  • Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Of April 1, 2025

    From bitcoin and Ethereum to Dogecoin and Tether, there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies, which can make it overwhelming when you’re first getting started in the world of crypto. To help you get your bearings, these are the top 10...
    Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Of April 1, 2025
  • 6 Best Online Brokers For Day Trading Of 2025

    Professional traders are a demanding bunch. That’s because the margin between success and failure in markets can be paper thin—using the right trading platform can make all the difference. Day traders earn their living by entering and closing out multiple...
    6 Best Online Brokers For Day Trading Of 2025
  • Best Crypto Wallets

    Crypto wallets provide a safe place to store cryptocurrency, although they work a little differently than tucking cash into a billfold. There are countless options to choose from—deciding which one fits your needs is the first step. Different wallets support...
    Best Crypto Wallets
  • Best Portfolio Management Apps Of 2025

    Picking the right assets and aligning your allocation with your goals can be tough. An investing app for portfolio management–often called an investment portfolio management app–can make that job a lot easier. Countless options are available, from simple free apps...
    Best Portfolio Management Apps Of 2025
  • 6 Best IRA Accounts Of 2025

    Opening an individual retirement account (IRA) is one of the most effective ways to bolster your retirement strategy. Stashing away just a few hundred extra bucks a month in an IRA earns you valuable tax benefits and helps you maximize...
    6 Best IRA Accounts Of 2025
  • 9 Best Gold IRAs Of 2025

    A gold IRA allows you to own physical gold bullion while also benefiting from the tax advantages of an individual retirement account. However, we would not recommend this special type of individual retirement account for most investors. For instance, you...
    9 Best Gold IRAs Of 2025
  • Best Robo-Advisors Of 2025

    No matter how long you’ve been investing, choosing the best robo-advisor for your needs can be challenging. Between fees, features and funds, there are myriad aspects to compare and consider. That’s why Forbes Advisor researched dozens of robo-advisor platforms to...
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  • 10 Best Investment Apps Of 2025

    Investing apps have historically been some of the worst apps to use. For an industry that relies so heavily on technology for forecasting and charting, the investing space seems to lag on UX design. I’ve been investing since 2011, and...
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  • 10 Best Fixed Annuity Rates Of 2025

    If you’re looking for a fixed annuity, some products pay much higher guaranteed annuity rates and offer more benefits than others. To help you find the right fit, we researched 215 fixed annuities from the 75 largest companies in the...
    10 Best Fixed Annuity Rates Of 2025
  • 10 Best Growth ETFs Of 2025

    Growth ETFs can save you precious research time by bundling together many high-growth assets into one easy to buy ETF. Growth ETFs come with impressively high long term returns that make these an attractive set-it-and-forget-it option. It’s difficult to predict...
    10 Best Growth ETFs Of 2025
  • Edelman Financial Engines Review 2025

    Edelman Financial Engines is a good choice for investors looking for personalized service from a fiduciary financial advisor who is affiliated with a large firm. Investors looking for quality advice who don’t mind working with a smaller firm will enjoy...
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  • I’m a Money Expert. Here’s Why I Use A Financial Advisor Anyway

    For the past 13 years, I’ve been obsessed with learning everything I could about money and how to make it work for me. What started as a deep desire to escape poverty became a path to wealth—and a passion for...
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  • Best Bank Bonuses and Promotions Of 2025

    Bank bonuses are an easy way to earn cash with relatively minimal effort. The best bank bonuses typically require you to either deposit a lump sum, receive a minimum amount of direct deposits or some combination of the two. Whichever...
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  • Best Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Of 2025

    Health savings accounts (HSAs) can soften the blow of medical bills. They are used to pay health-related expenses and designed to help people—especially those with high-deductible health insurance plans—save on qualified spending. HSAs offer tax advantages, growth potential and more.
    Best Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Of  2025
  • Best Free Business Checking Accounts Of 2025

    The best free business checking account is First Internet Bank’s Do More Business Checking, which is among the only free interest-bearing business checking accounts. However, First Internet Bank lacks branches, so if in-person banking is important to you, you may...
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  • Recession Fears—What To Do With Your Money During A Stock Market Slump

    The vibes are shifting. Just a few weeks ago, stocks hit all-time highs and a report showed the economy grew better than expected in the second quarter. Since then, investors have begun to worry that the July employment report, coupled...
    Recession Fears—What To Do With Your Money During A Stock Market Slump
  • Best Brokerage Account Bonuses

    If you want to invest in the stock market, you need to open a brokerage account first. These accounts are your gateway to the markets, helping you to buy and sell securities like stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds....
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  • 6 Best Self-Directed IRAs

    Do you feel limited by conventional retirement investing options? If so, you may want to check out self-directed IRAs to help diversify your portfolio. These specialized IRAs make it possible to invest in alternative assets you won’t find at everyday...
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  • August 2024 Crypto Market Forecast

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finally approved the first ever spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in July. That development, however, hasn't been the bullish catalyst Ethereum investors hoped it would be. Despite the launch of nine spot...
    August 2024 Crypto Market Forecast
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About

Rae Hartley Beck first started writing about personal finance in 2011 with a regular column in her college newspaper as a staff writer. Since then she has become a leader in the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement and has over 300 bylines in prominent publications including Money, Bankrate and Investopedia on all things personal finance. A former award-winning claims specialist with the Social Security Administration, Rae continues to share her expert insider knowledge with Forbes Advisor readers.