About Us
About Us
We are a team of financial nerds and consumer advocates here to help you achieve financial success.
Who We Are
We are a team of financial nerds and consumer advocates here to help you find the best financial products and services. The company was founded by coworkers who were tired of reading biased reviews and unhelpful information on the internet. The goal of Smartest Dollar is to educate our users about complex topics and recommend products that fit their needs.
Michael Stromberg
Michael Stromberg is the head of software development for Smartest Dollar. In addition to working as a software developer, Michael also has a background in engineering and business. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MA in Business Economics from UCSB.
Michael LaFirenza
Michael LaFirenza started Smartest Dollar after struggling to find reliable financial and insurance information online while performing research for a separate business. Michael holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCSB.
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones is a senior writer for Smartest Dollar. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and has degrees in Philosophy and Political Science from UCLA. He is an expert on all things related to law, public policy, and insurance.
Our Work
No single product or service can be the best solution for every person or business. Large businesses will surely have different needs from mom-and-pop shops or individual consumers. We strive to match every user with the right solution for their specific needs.
Part of empowering users to find the right solution for them is to help them gain a deep understanding of complex topics. This manifests in lengthy product and service guides that are the culmination of weeks (or months) of research. These guides contain everything someone would want to know about a given topic.
For readers looking to deepen their understanding of a particular product or service, reading these guides from start to finish is likely the right approach. However, we understand that this is not for everyone. Many of our users want to make a quick and informed choice, which is why we also hand pick products that we feel are the best for a variety of common use cases (e.g. the best for small business, the best for individuals with poor credit, etc.).
We constantly strive to improve the website and the information we provide. If you feel we’ve missed the mark on something, have ideas for new guides, or simply want to provide additional feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Advertising Disclosure
Many of our product and service reviews contain links that generate affiliate revenue for Smartest Dollar. When you click on one of those links or if you make a purchase using one of those links, we often earn a commission. These commissions pay our bills and help us keep Smartest Dollar running. That said, we never let affiliate revenue affect our research process. Our brand relies on us providing honest and objective reviews. We don’t recommend any products that aren’t the best in their category.
Contact Us
Have questions, recommendations, or partnership ideas? Send an email to [email protected] or message us through the contact form below.