J.R. Duren Expertise: Credit Cards, Personal Finance, Mortgages Title: Terms Editor Education: Bethel Seminary, San Diego State University Location: Jacksonville, FL Highlights More than a decade of writing and editing experience7+ years writing and editing articles on financial topics, including mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer credit products Has written for publications in the United States, Finland and Spain Experience J.R. Duren is a terms editor at The Balance, a role in which he focuses on publishing articles that provide clear answers for common questions about personal finance and small business.J.R. has worked as a full-time and freelance editor consumer-focused websites including LendingTree and HighYa.com. He began his career as a marketing writer and transitioned to a reporting role at The Villages Daily Sun, where he covered community news and health for two years. Over the years, his writing and reporting has been featured on Glassdoor.com, Homes.com, and H&R Block.J.R. was born in San Diego and now lives in Jacksonville with his wife and two children. Education Bachelor of Arts, English, San Diego State UniversityMaster of Divinity, Bethel SeminaryBachelor of Religious Studies, Southern California Bible College 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.