Helaine Olen

Helaine Olen
Occupationjournalist, author
Alma mater
Notable works
SpouseMatt Roshkow
Children2

Helaine Olen is an American journalist and author based in New York. She is a columnist for The Washington Post and, before that, Slate, where she wrote the column The Bills. She is the author or co-author of three books: Office Mate (2007), Pound Foolish (2012), and The Index Card (2016).

Biography

Olen was born in the mid-1960s, and is Jewish.[1][2] She graduated from Smith College with a BA in English, and earned an MA in journalism at the University of Minnesota.[3][4][5]

She is a columnist for The Washington Post[6] and, before that, Slate, where she wrote the column The Bills.

Olen is a contributor to Post Opinions.[3] Her work has appeared in Slate, the Nation, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Salon, Reuters, Rolling Stone, and the Atlantic.[3][4][5] She was a lead writer and editor for The Los Angeles Times’ “Money Makeover” series.[4] She has also appeared on "Frontline," the BBC, NPR, C-Span, MSNBC, "All Things Considered", and "The Daily Show."[7][5]

Olen is the author or co-author of three books: Office Mate (2007), Pound Foolish (2012), and The Index Card (2016).[5][3]

She serves on the advisory board of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.[3]

Olen is critical of the personal finance industry's typical advice to consumers, suggesting that it leaves them unprepared for major downturns such as market crashes, layoffs, and medical bills.[8]

Honors and awards

  • Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Best in Business awards, Honorable Mention for Commentary, 2017;
  • Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Best in Business awards, Personal Finance, 2016;
  • National Women’s Political Caucus, Exceptional Merit in Media Award, 2013
  • named one of Business Insider's "50 Women Who Are Changing the World"
  • named one of the "Top 30 Most Influential People in Personal Finance and Wealth" by MoneyTips.[3][7]

Personal life

Olen is married to the script writer Matt Roshkow[9] and has two sons; the family lives in New York City.[10][3] One of her sons is American influencer and comedian Jake Shane Roshkow, and she has one other son.

Selected works

  • Losee, Stephanie; Olen, Helaine (2007). Office mate: the employee handbook for finding – and managing – romance on the job. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media. ISBN 978-1598693300. OCLC 145431720.
  • Olen, Helaine (2008). "The mean moms". In Shari MacDonald Strong (ed.). The maternal is political: women writers at the intersection of motherhood and social change. Berkeley, Calif.: Seal Press. ISBN 978-0786750757. OCLC 649315093.
  • —— (2012). Pound foolish: exposing the dark side of the personal finance industry. New York: Portfolio/Penguin. ISBN 978-1591844891. OCLC 809989018.[11][12]
  • ——; Pollack, Harold (2016). The index card : why personal finance doesn't have to be complicated. New York. ISBN 978-1591847687. OCLC 928750850.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References

  1. ^ Danford, Natalie. "Looking Behind the Curtain: PW Talks With Helaine Olen: Personal Finance 2012". PublishersWeekly.com.
  2. ^ "Bringing Up the Kindele". Helaine Olen. February 7, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Helaine Olen"
  4. ^ a b c "Helaine Olen - SheSource Expert". Women’s Media Center.
  5. ^ a b c d "Confessing Money: Stories of Spending in America Today". International Center of Photography. January 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Helaine Olen". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "About Life and Money with Helaine". UExpress.
  8. ^ "Financial Advisers Selling Bogus Advice?". NPR. March 5, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  9. ^ "Prettier Than Napoleon: The Nanny Gets Dooced". July 16, 2005.
  10. ^ "Helaine Olen". WMC SheSource. Women's Media Center.
  11. ^ Roger Lowenstein (January 11, 2013). "Book Review: Pound Foolish by Helaine Olen". Businessweek.com.
  12. ^ Kelly, Caitlin (December 29, 2012). "'Pound Foolish' Eyes Problems of Personal Finance Advice". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2015.