Personal finance editor Kiplinger to depart USA Today

Lisa Kiplinger, the personal finance editor at USA Today, has announced her departure from the news organization.

Her last day will be Dec. 2.

Kiplinger has been with the Gannett newspaper since 1997, first as a copy editor on the Money desk. She became personal finance editor in April 2015.

As personal finance editor, Kiplinger produces a four-page weekly section devoted to all things money. She plans the section, assigns — and sometimes writes — stories and works with freelancers to edit the content, craft the headlines and develop visual concepts.

“Nineteen years of reading USA Today’s Money section on a daily basis has given me lots of good strategies for saving, investing and retirement,” said Kiplinger in an email to Talking Biz News. “Now, after taking all my colleagues’ good financial advice (John Waggoner and Sandy Block, I’m talking about you), I’m fortunate enough to be able to take the leap and try something new: Getting a life.

“Seriously, USA Today has been a wonderful experience. I’ve learned so much and made some life-long friends. It’s tough to leave, but life is short,” she added.

“In the new year I’ll think about a fresh start freelancing as an editor or writer. After watching every episode of ‘House Hunters International,’ my husband, Peter Brewington, and I have long thought about living overseas — at least part-time – and hiking the Camino de Santiago.

“This career change, for which we’ve been saving and planning for a long time, is a step in that direction.”

Before USA Today, she worked as a news copy editor for Florida Today, another Gannett paper.

She’s a University of Florida graduate.