Study: Top vacation spots where short-term rental prices jump the most in the high season
Vacation rental rates can double in popular U.S. summer destinations during peak season.
10 min read
May 21, 2025
Alex Gailey
Data Reporter & Analyst, Personal Finance
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7Years of experience
EXPERTISE
- Personal finance
- Women's finances
- Income and wealth inequality
- Investing
- Workplace trends
- Debt management
- Economy
EDUCATION
- B.A. in Journalism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
About the author
As a data reporter and analyst at Bankrate, Alex Gailey writes data-driven stories that break down complex financial topics and help consumers make better money decisions. When she’s not crunching numbers together for broader money stories on the economy, real estate or consumer spending, she’s covering consumer finance from the perspective of financially vulnerable groups, including women, people of color and low-income families. As part of her beat, she analyzes how these groups navigate financial challenges, the workplace, building wealth and other emerging trends related to money. She’s covered personal finance for seven years and before that, she reported on economic development in Atlanta.
Alex has interviewed hundreds of personal finance experts, from certified financial planners and economists to career advisors and financial therapists. She believes in thorough reporting and interviewing experts to have a pulse on consumer finance trends and news. She also spends a lot of her time talking to everyday people to better understand their money experiences.
Before joining Bankrate, Alex worked for NextAdvisor in partnership with TIME Magazine, The Boston Globe, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Charlotte Business Journal. Her work has been cited by the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, CBS News and more. She’s a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW), Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and was selected as a Goldschmidt data fellow in 2024.
Alex beyond Bankrate
Alex wants you to know
Alex has found value-based budgeting to be an effective way to empower herself to stay on track and accomplish her financial goals. The beauty of value-based budgeting is the intentionality behind it. By intentionally aligning your saving and spending habits with what you value most, you’ll increase your chances of achieving your financial goals while still enjoying life.
“Creating space within households for healthy money dialogues is critical”
Survey: You’re more likely to get a raise if you learned about money as a kid
Americans who grew up with a strong financial education were 1.5 times more likely to have successfully negotiated pay raises during their careers.
Read more
Alex's latest articles
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The motherhood penalty: Mothers earned 35 percent less than fathers in 2024
A new Bankrate analysis shows mothers earned 31 percent less in wages than fathers in 2023.
11 min read May 09, 2025 -
Study: Renting is increasingly more affordable than buying in most large U.S. metros
Metros with big gaps in renting vs. buying have also seen home prices skyrocket in recent years.
9 min read Apr 23, 2025 -
One chart every investor should read – especially those who have been whipsawed by the recent market volatility
Why investors should ignore tariff-induced market swings, according to one chart.
4 min read Apr 14, 2025 -
Child tax credit: Who’s eligible, how to claim it, and more
If you have a child under 17, the child tax credit can be a valuable tool for cutting your tax bill.
4 min read Apr 02, 2025 -
Gender pay gaps vary by state, industry, job and race and ethnicity. Here’s where pay disparities are the widest
The gender pay gap impacts all women, but not in the same way.
9 min read Mar 14, 2025 -
Women with student loans are more likely to be overwhelmed as repayment plans keep changing. These tips can help
Women make up the biggest share of the college population, and they carry more student loan debt on average.
8 min read Mar 10, 2025 -
Survey: You’re more likely to get a raise if you learned about money as a kid
A new Bankrate survey shows how our childhood influences our money habits.
9 min read Feb 24, 2025