Robin Hartill

I’m a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, personal finance writer, editor and content strategist who delves into the messy, complicated realities of money.


My personal finance education started the hard way. I racked up debt in college, destroyed my credit and spent years trying to rebuild while living on a newspaper reporter’s salary. That experience shaped the way I think about money — and the way I write about it.


Too much personal finance advice assumes people have unlimited time, energy and resources to navigate systems that are anything but simple. The reality is that most people are juggling work, bills, debt, family responsibilities and financial uncertainty all at once. Advice like “Max out your 401(k)” or “Just pay off your credit card every month” ignores the tradeoffs and constraints most people face in the real world.


For the past decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of personal finance journalism, editorial strategy and audience growth. I pitched the concept for The Penny Hoarder’s “Dear Penny” advice column and later became Dear Penny following a companywide restructuring in 2019. Over the next four-and-a-half years, I grew the column to more than 100,000 weekly readers while launching a companion newsletter that grew to roughly 20,000 subscribers.


Since becoming an independent writer and editor in 2023, I’ve written, edited and consulted for brands including NerdWallet, Yahoo Finance, CNET, Capitalize and The Motley Fool, where I also led financial product ratings strategy.


My work focuses on translating complicated financial systems — insurance, taxes, investing, banking, credit and retirement — into language normal people can actually understand. I’m especially interested in the gap between how financial systems are supposed to work and how they actually work for the people navigating them.


I don’t pretend to have all the answers to life’s most difficult money questions. But I try to approach every piece of content I touch with empathy for the reader and whatever financial reality they’re facing.


  • Home
  • About me
  • Personal Finance Writing
  • Dear Penny Advice Column
  • Investment Writing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Credit and Debt
  • Insurance
  • Estate Planning
  • Selected works
The Motley Fool • 9th January 2023

Inherited a Roth IRA? Here's What You Need to Know About Rules, Taxes, and Beneficiaries

The distribution rules for inherited Roth IRAs can get complicated and depend on two key factors: the beneficiary's relationship to the original account owner and when the original account owner died.
The Balance • 5th August 2022

Types of Trusts

In estate planning, many believe a will is the only document they need to fulfill their wishes after their death. But a trust avoids probate and gives you more control over how your property is distributed.
The Balance • 2nd August 2022

How To Set Up a Living Trust

A living trust is a legal entity you form to transfer assets upon your death or to manage your assets if you become incapacitated. Learn about whether you need a living trust.
The Penny Hoarder • 26th June 2020

A Money Guide for Couples Who Are Totally in Love… but Never Want to Marry

Love and marriage don’t always go hand in hand these days. If you're in love but don't plan to marry, estate planning is even more important.
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