Joe Cortez Expertise: Bitcoin, NFTs, Cryptocurrency, Personal Finance, Consumer Credit Education: The College of Wooster Highlights Joe is a personal finance journalist, focused on digital payment technologies that are changing how the world does business through digital tokens, cryptocurrency exchanges, and through credit cards. After starting his career with CBS News and CNN affiliates, Joe transitioned into focusing on consumer finance topics, using his skills to dig deep into the world of cryptocurrency and personal finance to help individuals and families make better decisions about their assets and grow wealth over time. Experience After beginning his career in electronic journalism with CBS News and CNN affiliates in California and Ohio, he transitioned into consumer finance in 2012 with USI Insurance Services. With USI, Joe used content and social media to help his audiences understand the value of auto, home, and travel insurance through blogs, appearances on podcasts, and appearances in media. Joe was featured as a personal finance and insurance expert by The Network Journal, Cheapism.com, TheStreet and CheapFlights.com.Since 2014, Joe has focused heavily on independent reporting in cryptocurrency, and personal finance. He has contributed to a number of major online publications, such as Coindesk, where the focus is on collecting and using digital tokens to gain value. He has tracked the rise of cryptocurrency since the release of the Bitcoin White Paper in 2008, and is currently mining Bitcoin while staying invested in Ethereum, Amp, Stellar Lumens, and Loopring. Joe has written for The Balance since June 2022. Education Joe attended The College of Wooster, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies in 2006. He has continued his education through Coursera, continually learning about updates in the financial and cryptocurrency world. 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.