Melissa Lambarena is a senior writer on the credit cards team at NerdWallet. She has enthusiastically covered credit card-related topics for over seven years. Her prior experience includes nine years as a content creator for several publications and websites. Through her work, she aims to help readers extract value from credit cards to meet financial goals like stretching their budget, building credit, traveling to dream destinations and paying off debt. She explores these topics in the Millennial Money column featured in The Associated Press. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, USA Today and Yahoo Finance, among others. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Education: B.A. in sociology from University of California Los Angeles
- Organizations: National Association of Hispanic Journalists
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Use Your Credit Card to Get Quick Cash with Low Fees
Credit cards are a convenient way to pay for something, but historically they've lacked flexible or inexpensive ways to access your credit line beyond making purchases. But lately, more convenient and affordable options are surfacing. In recent years, both traditional credit card issuers and startups have introduced products and features that make it easier — and cheaper — to tap your credit line to reimburse a friend, pay off large purchases at lower rates, cover a bill you can't normally pay with a card, or get cash deposited into your bank account. We sat down with Melissa Lambarena, our credit cards expert, to chat through all of the new options on the market.
