Carissa Rawson MBA, MS Expertise: Personal finance, credit cards, award travel, real estate Title: Personal finance writer Education: University of Edinburgh, Norwich University, National University, American Military University Location: San Diego, California Highlights Carissa Rawson has spent the last six years writing about credit cards, award travel, and personal financeCarissa manages a rental portfolio spanning across the U.S.She has an MBA from Norwich University and is currently pursuing an MFA from National University Experience Carissa Rawson is a personal finance writer at The Balance. After seven years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic translator, she moved on to freelance writing, focusing on credit cards and award travel. She further honed her skills as a personal finance reporter and writer for The Points Guy, where she covered breaking news in credit cards and travel. Since then, she's broadened her focus to a wider realm of personal finance, from home loans to credit scores.She has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Upgraded Points, and Nerdwallet. She began freelancing for the Balance in 2020.Carissa manages a portfolio of rental properties across the U.S., with the intent to one day live comfortably on her passive income. Education Carissa has acquired a bachelor's in Middle Eastern Studies from the American Military University. She has also completed an MBA with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University, an M.S. from the University of Edinburgh in Advanced Arabic, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from National University. About The Balance The Balance, a Dotdash Meredith brand, makes money easy to understand. We give people tools they need to not only make smart financial decisions but also prepare for the experiences they will have along the way. Our team of expert writers and editors have extensive qualifications in the topics they cover, and many of them have MBAs, PhDs, CFPs, and other advanced degrees and professional certifications. We require our writers to use primary sources in their articles, which are also approved by our Financial Review Board and fact-checked. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.