Headshot of Lauren Nicholson

Lauren Nicholson

Staff Writer

Lauren Nicholson is a staff writer at LendingTree, where she covers personal loans, credit cards and auto loans. She has written popular LendingTree articles including the Best Unsecured Loans and the Easiest Credit Cards to Get. Lauren was also responsible for developing the rating methodologies for Preapproved Car Loans and the Best Used Car Websites.

As someone who does an inordinate amount of research before making financial decisions, Lauren particularly enjoys writing reviews of financial products. She believes that when consumers have enough information, they will choose the right loans or credit cards — and keep more money in their wallets.

Before joining LendingTree, she worked in the education sector as a college counselor and marketing associate. Lauren is passionate about using clear, concise language to empower readers as they make important financial decisions.

Specialties

  • Personal loans
  • Auto loans
  • Credit cards

Achievements

  • 40+ articles written for LendingTree
  • 5+ years of writing and editing experience

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Master of Arts, New York University

Bringing work home

“My four-year-old son has recently shown an interest in money. I’ll sometimes chat with him about the basics, but I wasn’t sure how much he was retaining until he offered to sell me a piece of his pizza for $100,000 at dinner last week. When I countered with $2, he told me I could ‘just get a loan’ to pay him the full $100,000.”

Articles by Lauren Nicholson

How to Get Boat Loan Preapproval

Key takeaways When you apply for a preapproved boat loan, the lender will do a thorough credit check and send you an offer with the... read more

Should I Buy a New or Used Car?

Key takeaways New cars are more expensive up front, but you can customize them with the exact features you want. You’ll have to do research... read more

What Happens If You Have a Bad Credit Score?

Key takeaways Bad credit can limit your access to money, housing, cars and even jobs. It’s possible to get loans, credit cards and mortgages with... read more

Credit Check for Employment: Why Do Employers Check Credit?

Key takeaways Employers can check your credit report unless you live in a state or city with laws that make hiring credit checks illegal. An... read more

LendingClub Auto Refinance Review

LendingClub auto loans at a glance Refinance auto loans Starting annual percentage rate (APR)4.99% Loan terms24 to 84 months Loan amounts$4,000-$55,000 See Auto Refinance Rates... read more

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