About

The Dough Roller is a blog about money. How to make it, give it, save it, and spend it in a way that moves us closer to financial freedom.

We discuss everything from asset allocation to zero coupon bonds, from savings yields to real estate investing, and from raising financially fit kids to raising financially fit parents (yes, even our parents need raising now and again–at least mine do). Your comments are what make this blog interesting and are welcomed, encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Quick Links

Here are some ways to explore everything that Dough Roller has to offer:

Weekly Newsletter: Sign up for our free newsletter that goes out every Saturday. It’s packed with links to articles to help you make the most of your money.

The Dough Roller Money Podcast: We publish episodes every week. If you really want to jump into the deep end of the pool, start with our 31-Day Money Challenge.

Behind the Dough Roller

Rob Berger

Rob Berger founded the Dough Roller in May 2007. The mission of the Dough Roller is to help people make sense out of the ever-more complicated world of personal finance, investing, and money management. What started out as a simple blog about money has turned into a website enjoyed by nearly 2 million visitors a year. Rob’s articles on personal finance have been syndicated to Forbes, MSN Money, U.S. News & World Report, and Yahoo! Finance.

Rob has invested in the stock market for nearly 20 years and real estate for more than eight. He holds a law degree from Boston University and an undergraduate degree in English from Evangel University. He lives in Virginia with his wife of more than 20 years, their two teenaged children, and their Shih Tzu, Sophie:

Abby Hayes

Abby is a freelance journalist who writes on everything from personal finance to health and wellness. She spends her spare time bargain hunting and meal planning for her family of three. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, and lives with her husband and children in Indianapolis.

Michael Pruser

After amassing more than $255,000 in debt on a math degree from the University of Miami, Michael now enjoys spending time at home and writing about personal finance.

Stephanie Colestock

Stephanie is the managing editor at Dough Roller, as well as a small business owner, writer, and fitness blogger. She earned a Biology degree from Baylor University, but has instead focuses her true love of the written word toward the world of personal finance.

Her money interests include playing “retirement catch-up,” managing her rental properties, and practicing frugality. She lives in Washington, DC with her two small children, an even smaller bichpoo, and way too many books. She can be reached at stephanie@doughroller.net.

Charles Aquino

Charles is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, and manages IT and operations in multiple optometry offices throughout Southern California.  In his spare time, he enjoys helping small businesses grow, hiking and cooking with his wife.

Derek Brameyer

Derek is the VP of Operations and previous Android lead at WillowTree, Inc., helping design and build Android, iOS, and web apps for some of the world’s biggest companies.   Derek is an avid Lego enthusiast, software engineer, and Taylor Swift fan.

Aliyyah Camp

Aliyyah Camp is a freelance writer with interests in personal finance and personal development. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Communication. She maintains a blog at RichAndHappyBlog where she writes about everything from saving money to life skills. You can find her on Twitter and Pinterest @RichHappyBlog.

Michelle Dash

Evan Gautier

Evan is an attorney licensed in California and Oregon. Though his legal practice is mainly focused on civil litigation, Evan has a passion for tax, retirement planning, and personal finance. When not in court or at the office, Evan can be found hiking Southern California or tending his suburban backyard farm with his wife and daughter. Evan earned his J.D. from Western State College of Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Chapman University.

Mark Hull

Mark is an Army Aviator and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.  Currently stationed in Europe, he spends his free time with his beautiful bride and two sons.

Chris Mamula

Chris is a husband, father, and adventure seeker who loves to seek new challenges and continue to learn. He became a personal finance junkie obsessed with DIY financial planning to figure out how to retire in his early 40’s. He wants to leave the rat race to fully pursue these things that he is most passionate about. Chris grew up in a depressed steel town where he learned his most important financial lessons from his parents. These include the power of frugality, creativity, generosity, and hard work. His investing and  tax planning education was not obtained until realizing the importance of self-education after bad experiences with the financial industry early in his professional life. These factors shape his viewpoints while writing about wealth building, early retirement, and DIY financial planning from the perspective of a consumer advocate. He shares his personal path to financial independence at eatthefinancialelephant.com.

Kevin Mercadante

Kevin Mercadante is a freelance professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of his own personal finance blog, OutOfYourRut.com. He lives in New Hampshire and has backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry.”

Claire Millard

Claire is a freelance writer, career coach, and a member of the UK Institute for HR Professionals (CIPD). Having worked for ten years in global corporate businesses in the UK, Claire now works with individuals and businesses across Europe, while enjoying the adventure of living as a digital nomad. Along with her family, she’s currently combining work with travel around South East Europe, based in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Mike Toub

By day, Michael Toub is an IT geek who loves solving problems and sharing knowledge. He graduated Drexel University with a degree in Information Systems Analysis and Development. For the last 12 years, he’s served as volunteer Treasurer of his condo association. With an annual budget of $11 million dollars and 1,000 residents living in one high-rise, there’s no shortage of people and money challenges requiring creativity.

Michael enjoys researching and implementing optimal solutions in the spheres of technology, gadgets, efficiency, and personal finance. He can be reached on twitter @MichaelToub.

Adam Luehrs

Based in Oceanside, California, Adam Luehrs has been writing finance-related articles since 2009, mostly related to investing and personal finance. Previously, he worked in technical support and software testing.

Topics

We cover just about every topic involving money:

Banking: From the best bank rates to making the most of CD ladders, we cover everything to help you make the most of your money:

• Best Online Banks
• Best CD Rates
• High Yield Savings Account Rates
• Free Online Checking Accounts
• No Penalty CD Rates
• Today’s Mortgage Rates

Credit: A good credit score can help you save thousands of dollars on everything from home mortgages to credit cards to even auto insurance:

• How to Get Your FICO Credit Score for Free
• Credit Score vs. Credit Report–What’s the difference?
• Does Bouncing a Check Affect Your Credit Score?
• Do Balance Transfers Hurt Your Credit Score ?
• What is a Good Credit Score?

Credit Cards: From cash back to travel rewards to 0% intro offers, we cover some of the best credit card offers available:

• Balance Transfer Credit Cards
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• Travel Reward Credit Cards
• Low Interest Credit Cards
• Prepaid Credit & Debit Cards
• Bad Credit Credit Cards

Investing: Investing articles cover everything from the best discount brokers to retirement investing:

• Best Discount Brokers
• Morningstar Users Guide
• Best Discount Brokers for IRA Retirement Accounts
• Online Brokers That Pay interest on Cash

Personal Finance: From managing our money to developing good spending habits, we cover the entire scope of personal finance issues:

• 10 Online Budget Tools
• How to Get Out of Debt Fast | 23 Tips and Tools
• How To Become A Millionaire | 5 Practical Steps Anybody Can Follow

Retirement-Planning: It seems to be getting harder and harder to save for retirement. To help you get a head start on your golden years, you’ll find articles on everything from 401(k)s and IRAs to retirement investing and retirement living.

• 11 Online Retirement Calculators
• Dave Ramsey’s Step #4: A Visual Guide to Saving 15% for Retirement in a Roth 401(k)
• Are you Saving Enough for Retirement? Check Out This Rule of Thumb
• Reader question: Should you invest in a 401(k), a Roth IRA, or pay off credit card debt?

Smart Spending: One of the easiest ways to build wealth is to spend money smartly. From finding good deals to making every dollar last, we cover it all:

• 51 painless money saving tips
• 20 Inexpensive Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills
• 25 Ways to Save Money on Gas
• How to Turn Gift Cards into Cash