Full-Time
Lead Writer/Content Strategist 2
Student Loans
Posted on 10/31/2025
NerdWallet
501-1,000 employees
Personal finance guidance with product comparisons
Compensation Overview
$84k - $158k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Remote in USA
Remote
US Citizenship Required
 Content & Writing (1) |
|---|
- 5+ years of editorial experience, with at least 3 years writing about personal finance, ideally student loans
- Track record of thought leadership with an ownership mentality and ability to take informed risks
- Excellent writing, reporting, and communication skills
- Passion for self-improvement and comfort with constructive feedback
- Experience interviewing sources, managing and updating content, and analyzing data sets
- Familiarity with search engine optimization and proven ability to improve content performance
- Strong collaboration skills, with experience using spreadsheets, Google Docs, and analytics tools
- Ability to balance evergreen, review, and news content while working cross-functionally
- Review and analyze student loan lenders using NerdWallet’s rubric, transforming complex data into clear, digestible content
- Research, report, and write well-sourced articles and guides that position NerdWallet as the go-to destination for student loan insights
- Use analytics to evaluate student loan content, making improvements that increase reach, engagement, and impact
- Maintain and optimize existing student loan pages so readers always have access to the most accurate and relevant information
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners — from spokespeople to newsletters and app content teams — to ensure borrowers understand how policy and market shifts affect them
- Apply SEO best practices so content is easy to discover
- Track, measure, and report on performance, using insights to refine strategy
- Serve as a subject-matter expert, ensuring student loan messaging across NerdWallet is consistent, accurate, and consumer-focused
- Previous experience covering student loans, or a high-level understanding of how federal and private student loans work
NerdWallet is a financial guidance platform that helps people compare and understand financial products. It offers tools and resources for credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, insurance, and debt options, plus calculators and educational content to simplify complex money topics. Users access detailed product comparisons and expert advice, while the site earns revenue through affiliate marketing by earning commissions when users sign up for products via recommendations. This model lets the service be free for users while maintaining trust and transparency. NerdWallet’s goal is to help consumers make smarter financial decisions by providing clear information and practical tools.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2009
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- College Finance acquisition on March 12, 2026, bolsters student loan marketplace.
- AI referral traffic delivers much higher conversion rates than traditional search.
- Institutional investors like Tudor and Vanguard increase stakes in Q3 2025.
What critics are saying
- Google AI Overviews collapse organic search traffic within 6-12 months.
- Credit card revenue declines compress margins as banking offsets fail.
- Morgan Stanley downgrade erodes investor confidence by Q3 2026.
What makes NerdWallet unique
- NerdWallet combines editorial content, comparison tools, and 500+ partner referrals.
- Platform empowers consumers and SMBs with objective guidance on credit cards and loans.
- Proprietary technology reduces information asymmetry in financial marketplaces.
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Benefits
Health and wellness
Retirement support
True work-life balance
Career development
Employee resource groups
Employee engagement
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -4%2 year growth
↓ -5%Tudor Investment Corp has acquired a new stake of 261,321 shares in NerdWallet (NASDAQ:NRDS) during the third quarter, valued at approximately $2.8 million, according to a regulatory filing. The investment signals institutional confidence in the personal finance platform's growth potential. Other major institutional investors have also adjusted their positions. Vanguard Group increased its stake by 1.2% to nearly four million shares, whilst Arrowstreet Capital boosted its holdings by 26.1% to over 1.1 million shares. NerdWallet, which provides independent financial guidance and comparison tools to consumers, reported its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings in February 2026. The company is expected to release its full-year 2026 financial results in late February 2027.
AI financial advisors vs. Human financial advisors: what actually makes sense in 2026. Spendify Team Everyone's asking AI about money now. The New York Times recently profiled couples using ChatGPT for retirement planning. NerdWallet published a guide to AI-assisted financial goals. Nearly half of Americans have already used AI tools for personal finance questions. This isn't a trend that's going to reverse. But it raises a real question: should you rely on AI for financial advice, or do you still need a human? The honest answer is less dramatic than the headlines suggest. What AI is genuinely good at. AI shines at tasks that involve your data, pattern recognition, and questions that have relatively straightforward answers. Everyday spending questions. "How much did I spend on groceries this month?" "What's my biggest expense category?" "Am I on track with my budget?" If your AI has access to your actual financial data - through something like Spendify's MCP server - these answers are instant and accurate. Subscription and recurring charge audits. AI can scan all your accounts, find every recurring charge, and calculate the total. A human advisor can do this too, but they're going to charge $200/hour for it. Debt payoff math. Snowball vs. avalanche, the impact of extra payments, estimated debt-free dates. These are calculations, and AI does calculations well. Budget analysis. Comparing actual spending against targets, identifying trends over time, flagging unusual transactions. This is pattern recognition at scale. Explaining concepts. "What's a 401k match?" "How does compound interest work?" "Should I pay off debt or save?" AI gives solid, well-sourced explanations. Not always nuanced, but a good starting point. What AI is genuinely bad at. AI struggles with anything that requires understanding your full life context, navigating ambiguity, or making judgment calls where the "right" answer depends on values and emotions. Tax strategy. Tax optimization involves understanding your income sources, state residency, filing status, deductions, estimated future income, and dozens of other variables. It's also one area where mistakes are expensive. AI can explain tax concepts. It shouldn't be making your tax decisions. Estate planning. Wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, power of attorney. These are legal documents with real consequences. AI can explain what they are. It can't draft ones that hold up in court. Insurance decisions. How much life insurance do you need? Disability insurance? Umbrella policy? These depend on your family situation, health, income, assets, and risk tolerance in ways that generic answers can't capture. Major life transitions. Getting married, having kids, changing careers, getting divorced, inheriting money, losing a job. These moments require someone who understands not just the numbers but the emotional and psychological weight behind them. Behavioral coaching. This is the underrated value of human advisors. A good advisor stops you from panic-selling in a downturn or taking on too much risk in a bull market. AI can tell you not to panic-sell. Your advisor can talk you through it at 9 PM on a Tuesday when the market dropped 5%. The real divide isn't AI vs. human. The useful way to think about this isn't "which one should I use?" It's "which one for which question?" Use AI for the operational layer. Day-to-day spending, budget tracking, subscription management, transaction categorization, quick financial calculations. These are high-frequency, data-heavy tasks where AI is faster, cheaper, and often more thorough than a human. Use a human advisor for the strategic layer. Tax planning, estate planning, insurance, retirement projections with real complexity, and accountability during emotional financial moments. These are low-frequency, high-stakes decisions where nuance and judgment matter. Most people don't need a financial advisor for everyday money management. And most people don't need AI for estate planning. Match the tool to the task. The data problem that makes AI less useful. Here's the thing most people don't realize: when you ask ChatGPT or Claude a question about your finances without connecting your actual data, the AI is guessing. It gives you a generic answer based on averages and assumptions. "How much should I spend on housing?" You'll get the standard 30% rule. But the AI doesn't know your income, your debt obligations, your location, or your savings goals. Studies show AI hallucinations hit 27-41% on finance questions when there's no real data to ground the answers. That's not a failure of intelligence - it's a data problem. This is why connecting your actual financial data to AI matters. When your AI can see your real accounts, transactions, and budgets, it stops guessing and starts analyzing. The answers go from "generally, experts recommend..." to "based on your March spending, here's what's happening." Spendify's MCP server does exactly this - connects your spending, budgets, and debt data to Claude, VS Code, Cursor, and other AI tools. The AI still isn't a licensed financial advisor. But it's a dramatically more useful tool when it can see your real numbers. When to hire a human advisor. If any of these apply to you, a human advisor is worth the investment: * You have a household income above $200,000 and complex tax situations * You're within 10 years of retirement and need a drawdown strategy * You've received a large inheritance or windfall * You're going through a divorce and need to divide assets * You own a business and need to plan for succession * You have estate planning needs (trusts, generational wealth transfer) * You need someone to hold you accountable to a financial plan For everything else - tracking spending, managing budgets, paying off debt, understanding where your money goes - AI connected to your real data is faster, cheaper, and available at 2 AM when you can't sleep because you're thinking about your credit card balance. They work better together. The best setup in 2026 isn't AI or human. It's AI for daily money management and a human for strategic decisions. Use Spendify and AI to stay on top of your day-to-day finances. When you hit a major life decision - or when the numbers get complex enough that you need someone who's seen this situation before - bring in a professional. Your AI handles the data. Your advisor handles the judgment. You handle the decisions.
NerdWallet shares fell 1.9% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to "Underweight" from "Equalweight", citing concerns about profit margins. Analyst James Faucette suggested Wall Street's profitability estimates may have been overly optimistic. The firm also cut its price target to $9.00 from $14.00. The move follows strong fourth-quarter 2025 results reported 22 days earlier, when NerdWallet beat expectations with GAAP earnings of $0.19 per share on revenue of $225.4 million, surpassing consensus estimates of $0.17 per share and $183.5 million in revenue. NerdWallet shares are down 22.4% year-to-date and trading at $10.04, 37% below their 52-week high of $15.93 from December 2025.
Mesirow advises Candidly on the sale of its subsidiary, College Finance Company. Mar 12, 2026, 11:00 ET * College Finance Company, a subsidiary of Candidly, has been acquired by NerdWallet, Inc. * College Finance Company operates a private student loan marketplace that connects borrowers with loan offers from major lenders. * Mesirow acted as the exclusive financial advisor on this transaction, highlighting the firm's continued success in the Technology & Services sector. CHICAGO, March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Mesirow, an independent, employee-owned financial services firm, today announced it acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Candidly on the sale of its subsidiary, College Finance Company LLC ("College Finance"), to NerdWallet, Inc. Founded in 2020 and based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, College Finance is the leading marketplace to connect borrowers with private student loan offers from major lenders. The Company utilizes its proprietary technology platform via direct to consumer and affiliate marketing strategies to match borrowers with lenders. College Finance leverages its long-term, proprietary relationships with major lenders to provide borrowers with access to clear and relevant data, and drive growth in the private student loan market. "We were pleased to advise Candidly on this transaction, which represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the College Finance platform," said Bob Lockwood, Managing Director at Mesirow Investment Banking. "I have had the opportunity to work with the executive team at College Finance across multiple transactions, tracking their entrepreneurial successes over many years." "This transaction marks an exciting new chapter for College Finance and a meaningful step forward in advancing our mission to simplify the college funding journey for families," said Kevin Walker, President & Co-Founder of College Finance. "With Mesirow's guidance throughout the process, we found a partner that shares our long-term vision and commitment to innovation in education finance." "Candidly customers and partners will continue to have full, uninterrupted access to the College Finance marketplace and everything it offers," said Laurel Taylor, Founder and CEO of Candidly. "For Candidly, this sale is an accelerant - sharpening our focus on the multi-agentic AI platform that we believe will define how personalized financial guidance is delivered at scale." The sale of College Finance marks another successful Technology & Services transaction completed by Mesirow Investment Banking. In recent years, the firm has completed more than 350 transactions across its verticals. With deep sector expertise, long-standing client relationships, and a commitment to delivering tailored solutions, Mesirow continues to build a proven track record of highly successful transactions. About Mesirow Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Private Capital & Currency, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. About College Finance College Finance is dedicated to helping students, parents, and graduates make informed choices about financing higher education by providing an unrivaled platform connecting borrowers and lenders in the private student loan market. The Company provides borrowers with access to clear, accurate, and relevant data to make smarter decisions that reduce borrowing costs and maximize the long-term value of their education investment. To learn more, please visit www.collegefinance.com. About Candidly Candidly is the category leading, AI-native technology platform providing holistic financial guidance for employers, financial institutions, and workplace service providers. Founded in 2016, the company's mission is to help hardworking Americans move beyond debt, into wellness and ultimately wealth through comprehensive, holistic, and personalized digital experiences. Through partnerships with leading employers, workplace service providers, and financial institutions, Candidly is positioned to serve 1 in 2 U.S. workers. To learn more, please visit www.getcandidly.com. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow investment vehicle(s). Mesirow Financial, Inc. is not affiliated with College Finance, LLC, Candidly or their affiliates. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. Investment Banking services offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. Award recognition disclosures: mesirow.com/award-recognition-disclosures SOURCE Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.
Mesirow advises Candidly on the sale of its subsidiary, College Finance Company. * College Finance Company, a subsidiary of Candidly, has been acquired by NerdWallet, Inc. * College Finance Company operates a private student loan marketplace that connects borrowers with loan offers from major lenders. * Mesirow acted as the exclusive financial advisor on this transaction, highlighting the firm's continued success in the Technology & Services sector. CHICAGO, March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Mesirow, an independent, employee-owned financial services firm, today announced it acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Candidly on the sale of its subsidiary, College Finance Company LLC ("College Finance"), to NerdWallet, Inc. Founded in 2020 and based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, College Finance is the leading marketplace to connect borrowers with private student loan offers from major lenders. The Company utilizes its proprietary technology platform via direct to consumer and affiliate marketing strategies to match borrowers with lenders. College Finance leverages its long-term, proprietary relationships with major lenders to provide borrowers with access to clear and relevant data, and drive growth in the private student loan market. "We were pleased to advise Candidly on this transaction, which represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the College Finance platform," said Bob Lockwood, Managing Director at Mesirow Investment Banking. "I have had the opportunity to work with the executive team at College Finance across multiple transactions, tracking their entrepreneurial successes over many years." "This transaction marks an exciting new chapter for College Finance and a meaningful step forward in advancing our mission to simplify the college funding journey for families," said Kevin Walker, President & Co-Founder of College Finance. "With Mesirow's guidance throughout the process, we found a partner that shares our long-term vision and commitment to innovation in education finance." "Candidly customers and partners will continue to have full, uninterrupted access to the College Finance marketplace and everything it offers," said Laurel Taylor, Founder and CEO of Candidly. "For Candidly, this sale is an accelerant - sharpening our focus on the multi-agentic AI platform that we believe will define how personalized financial guidance is delivered at scale." The sale of College Finance marks another successful Technology & Services transaction completed by Mesirow Investment Banking. In recent years, the firm has completed more than 350 transactions across its verticals. With deep sector expertise, long-standing client relationships, and a commitment to delivering tailored solutions, Mesirow continues to build a proven track record of highly successful transactions. About Mesirow Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices around the world, The AI Journal Ltd. serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Private Capital & Currency, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, The AI Journal Ltd. invest in what matters: its clients, its communities and its culture. About College Finance College Finance is dedicated to helping students, parents, and graduates make informed choices about financing higher education by providing an unrivaled platform connecting borrowers and lenders in the private student loan market. The Company provides borrowers with access to clear, accurate, and relevant data to make smarter decisions that reduce borrowing costs and maximize the long-term value of their education investment. To learn more, please visit www.collegefinance.com. About Candidly Candidly is the category leading, AI-native technology platform providing holistic financial guidance for employers, financial institutions, and workplace service providers. Founded in 2016, the company's mission is to help hardworking Americans move beyond debt, into wellness and ultimately wealth through comprehensive, holistic, and personalized digital experiences. Through partnerships with leading employers, workplace service providers, and financial institutions, Candidly is positioned to serve 1 in 2 U.S. workers. To learn more, please visit www.getcandidly.com. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow investment vehicle(s). Mesirow Financial, Inc. is not affiliated with College Finance, LLC, Candidly or their affiliates. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. Investment Banking services offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. Award recognition disclosures: mesirow.com/award-recognition-disclosures SOURCE Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.