Consumer Finance Watchdog Reporter

Join Bankrate’s Watchdog and Investigations team as a writer focused on producing high-impact investigative and accountability journalism primarily covering mortgage lending. 

• Report on questionable, confusing, or predatory practices in home lending and adjacent industries, with the goal of protecting and informing consumers. 
• Create compelling stories that translate complex financial topics into clear, relatable, and actionable insights for everyday Americans.
• Collaborate with editors, data reporters, multimedia producers, and subject-matter experts to deliver journalism that builds trust and positions Bankrate as the consumer’s advocate in financial decision-making.

This role is open to remote or hybrid candidates (East coast preference), with hybrid being central to our New York, NY or Charlotte area offices. Must be able to work Eastern Standard Time hours.

What You’ll Do:

Investigative & Accountability Reporting

• Pitch, research, and write original investigative and watchdog stories that uncover questionable practices in the mortgage industry.
• Pursue public records, data sets, and expert interviews to build evidence-based narratives.
• Develop storylines that not only highlight problems but also offer readers actionable takeaways that improve financial decision-making.
• Consistently deliver work that has the potential to influence industry practices, prompt accountability, and inform public conversation.

Content Creation & Storytelling

• Produce accurate, fair, and engaging content across long-form investigations, explainers, and timely watchdog coverage.
• Translate complex financial systems and products — including mortgage, refinance and home equity — into accessible, reader-first narratives that increase engagement and trust.
• Collaborate with editors and data teams to integrate charts, graphics, or interactive features, maximizing audience impact and time spent.
• Contribute to a publishing cadence that balances depth of reporting with relevance to consumer needs.

Collaboration & Cross-Platform Work

• Work closely with the Watchdog Editor and fellow reporters to shape and execute the investigative agenda.
• Partner with multimedia, social, and SEO teams to ensure stories reach broad audiences and drive measurable engagement.
• Contribute to cross-platform projects that combine text, video, audio, and graphics, helping the team expand its influence and storytelling reach.

Standards & Trust

• Uphold Bankrate’s standards for editorial independence, transparency, and fairness.
• Ensure accuracy through rigorous fact-checking, sourcing, and quality control, maintaining high editorial quality that builds consumer trust.
• Collaborate across departments to embrace innovative formats and workflows that scale the watchdog team’s impact.

What We’re Looking For:

• 5+ years of experience in investigative, watchdog, or accountability journalism.
• Demonstrated ability (in part, via your published clips) to produce impactful stories that reveal hidden practices, protect consumers, or hold institutions accountable.
• Experience with financial reporting or consumer-focused journalism preferred, but not required.
• Understanding of the broader mortgage industry, key players and specific loan products preferred, but not required.
• Strong reporting and writing skills, with a talent for investigative digging and narrative storytelling.
• Ability to analyze financial documents, corporate filings, or data to uncover hidden insights.
• Excellent interviewing skills and ability to cultivate sources, from regulators and industry insiders to academics and advocates, plus everyday people.
• Team-oriented mindset with willingness to collaborate across disciplines (editorial, data, multimedia).
• Capacity to explain complex financial topics in a clear, relatable way that serves the reader first.

Benefits: 

The following benefits are provided by Red Ventures, subject to eligibility requirements.

• Health Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, and vision)
• Life Insurance
• Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Holiday Pay
• 401(k) with match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Bonding Benefit Program
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): We believe time to rest and recharge is essential.  That’s why we offer a generous and flexible PTO policy.  Full-time employees accrue 20 days of PTO for a full calendar year annually, with an increase to 25 days after five years of service.

• Total Cash Compensation Range: $105,000 - $150,000 per year + equity

*New York City Compensation Range: $131,250 - $187,500 per year + equity

Who We Are:

Bankrate is redefining the future of financial decision-making. For nearly five decades, we’ve empowered tens of millions of consumers to make smarter financial choices and helped hundreds of leading financial institutions grow. Today, we’re evolving from a marketplace into a next-generation technology platform—underpinned by proprietary data, AI-driven innovation, and deep enterprise integrations. With  our track record of delivering consumers quantifiably better offers—for example, on home loans  where we lead the market—Bankrate stands at the center of the $60B U.S. financial services acquisition opportunity. As we expand through  omnichannel marketing and strategic  partnerships, and launch  unique consumer product applications, we’re building a more efficient, personalized, and connected financial ecosystem—one grounded in trust. Join us as we transform five decades of credibility into the next era of financial technology.

Red Ventures is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or any other basis protected by law. Employment at Red Ventures is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. 

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. This includes providing reasonable accommodation where appropriate. Should you require a reasonable accommodation to apply or participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. 

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.

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