# Helaine Olen

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{{short description|American journalist based in New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox writer
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| name             = Helaine Olen
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| occupation       = journalist, author
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*[Smith College](/source/Smith_College) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts))
*[University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota) ([MA](/source/Master_of_Arts))
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| notable_works    = 
* ''[Pound Foolish](/source/Pound_Foolish)'' (2012)
*''[The Index Card](/source/The_Index_Card)'' (2016)
| spouse           = Matt Roshkow
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'''Helaine Olen''' is an American [journalist](/source/journalist) and author based in New York. She is a columnist for ''[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)'' and, before that, ''[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))'', where she wrote the column ''The Bills''. She is the author or co-author of three books:  ''Office Mate'' (2007), ''[Pound Foolish](/source/Pound_Foolish)'' (2012), and ''[The Index Card](/source/The_Index_Card)'' (2016).

==Biography==
Olen was born in the mid-1960s, and is Jewish.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/55133-looking-behind-the-curtain-pw-talks-with-helaine-olen-personal-finance-2012.html|title=Looking Behind the Curtain: PW Talks With Helaine Olen: Personal Finance 2012|first=Natalie|last=Danford |website=PublishersWeekly.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://helaineolen.com/2012/02/07/bringing-up-the-kindele/|title=Bringing Up the Kindele|date=February 7, 2012|website=Helaine Olen}}</ref> She graduated from [Smith College](/source/Smith_College) with a BA in English, and earned an MA in journalism at the [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota).<ref name="auto">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/helaine-olen/ "Helaine Olen"]</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://womensmediacenter.com/shesource/expert/helaine-olen|title=Helaine Olen - SheSource Expert |website=Women’s Media Center}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.icp.org/events/confessing-money-stories-of-spending-in-america-today|title=Confessing Money: Stories of Spending in America Today|date=January 8, 2020|website=International Center of Photography}}</ref>

She is a columnist for ''[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/helaine-olen |title=Helaine Olen |newspaper=The Washington Post |accessdate=13 May 2019}}</ref> and, before that, ''[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))'', where she wrote the column ''The Bills''.

Olen is a contributor to Post Opinions.<ref name="auto"/> 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''.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/> She was a lead writer and editor for ''The Los Angeles Times''’ “Money Makeover” series.<ref name="auto1"/>  She has also appeared on "Frontline," the BBC, NPR, C-Span, MSNBC, "All Things Considered", and "The Daily Show."<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.uexpress.com/life/life-and-money-with-helaine/about|title=About Life and Money with Helaine|website=UExpress}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/>

Olen is the author or co-author of three books:  ''Office Mate'' (2007), ''[Pound Foolish](/source/Pound_Foolish)'' (2012), and ''[The Index Card](/source/The_Index_Card)'' (2016).<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto"/>

She serves on the advisory board of the [Economic Hardship Reporting Project](/source/Economic_Hardship_Reporting_Project).<ref name="auto"/>

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.<ref name="npr">{{cite web|title=Financial Advisers Selling Bogus Advice?|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/03/05/173520615/financial-advisors-selling-bogus-advice|website=NPR|accessdate=10 July 2018|date=5 March 2013}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
*[Society of American Business Editors and Writers](/source/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](/source/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](/source/MoneyTips).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto3"/>

==Personal life==

Olen is married to the script writer Matt Roshkow<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bamber.blogspot.com/2005/07/nanny-gets-dooced.html|title=Prettier Than Napoleon: The Nanny Gets Dooced|date=July 16, 2005 |publisher=}}</ref> and has two sons; the family lives in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shesource.org/experts/profile/helaine-olen#full|title=Helaine Olen|publisher=[Women's Media Center](/source/Women's_Media_Center)|website=WMC SheSource}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> One of her sons is American influencer and comedian [Jake Shane Roshkow](/source/Jake_Shane), and she has one other son.

==Selected works==
* {{Cite book|last1=Losee|first1=Stephanie|last2=Olen|first2=Helaine|title=Office mate: the employee handbook for finding – and managing – romance on the job|date=2007|publisher=Adams Media|isbn=978-1598693300|location=Avon, Mass.|oclc=145431720}}
* {{Cite book|last=Olen|first=Helaine|title=The maternal is political: women writers at the intersection of motherhood and social change|date=2008|publisher=Seal Press|editor=Shari MacDonald Strong|chapter=The mean moms|isbn=978-0786750757|location=Berkeley, Calif.|oclc=649315093}}
* {{Cite book|last=Olen|first=Helaine|author-mask=2|title=Pound foolish: exposing the dark side of the personal finance industry|title-link=Pound Foolish|date=2012|publisher=Portfolio/Penguin|isbn=978-1591844891|location=New York|oclc=809989018}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-01-11/book-review-pound-foolish-by-helaine-olen|title=Book Review: Pound Foolish by Helaine Olen|author=Roger Lowenstein|work=Businessweek.com|date=January 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = 'Pound Foolish' Eyes Problems of Personal Finance Advice|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/business/pound-foolish-eyes-problems-of-personal-finance-advice.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2012-12-29|access-date = 2015-06-20|first = Caitlin|last = Kelly}}</ref>
* {{Cite book|last1=Olen|first1=Helaine|author1-mask=2|last2=Pollack|first2=Harold|title=The index card : why personal finance doesn't have to be complicated|title-link=The Index Card|date=2016|isbn=978-1591847687|location=New York|oclc=928750850}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite news|title = Can't Save? Here's Why|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/opinion/sunday/cant-save-heres-why.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2013-01-12|access-date = 2015-06-20|first = Helaine|last = Olen}}

== External links ==
* [http://helaineolen.com Personal website]
* {{C-SPAN|69355}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olen, Helaine}}
Category:Living people
Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers
Category:American women non-fiction writers
Category:Jewish advice columnists
Category:Jewish American journalists
Category:Los Angeles Times people
Category:Slate (magazine) people
Category:Smith College alumni
Category:University of Minnesota alumni
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century American women journalists
Category:21st-century American journalists
Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers
Category:21st-century American women writers
Category:The Washington Post journalists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Helaine Olen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helaine_Olen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helaine_Olen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.