CFP® · MS Personal Financial Planning · 10 Years Experience
Daniel Park is a CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) and holds an MS in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University. He began his career as a consumer lending analyst at LendingTree in Charlotte, NC — analyzing debt payoff patterns across thousands of borrowers — before joining SmartAsset as a personal finance writer where he built their budgeting content practice.
Daniel achieved his own financial independence at age 35 using the FIRE principles he now teaches, giving him firsthand authority on aggressive savings strategies, frugality optimization, and passive income construction. His budgeting and FIRE analysis has been featured in CNBC Make It, Business Insider, and MarketWatch. At MONEYlume, Daniel covers the fundamentals: how to build a budget that actually works, how to get out of debt fast, and how ordinary Americans can reach financial independence decades ahead of schedule.
View LinkedIn ProfileEducation: MS Personal Financial Planning, Kansas State University · BA Economics, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill · CFP® (CFP Board)
All content by Daniel Park, CFP® is written according to MONEYlume's editorial standards. Facts are verified against primary sources including the IRS, Federal Reserve, CFPB, and peer-reviewed financial research. Articles are updated when regulations or market conditions change significantly.