Sharon Epperson: The CNBC Correspondent Helping Americans Master Their Money
Sharon Epperson has spent more than two decades translating complicated financial topics — retirement planning, student debt, estate planning — into advice everyday viewers can actually use. As CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, she’s become one of the network’s most trusted voices, and her own survival of a life-threatening health scare has turned her into a prominent advocate outside the newsroom as well.
Here’s a closer look at her background, career, and advocacy work.
Who Is Sharon Epperson?
Sharon Emily Epperson, born April 12, 1968, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent. In that role, she covers how people manage, grow, and protect their money — from saving and investing for retirement to paying for college, managing debt, and estate planning. Beyond her CNBC segments, she’s a regular contributor to NBC’s “Today” show and appears on NBC Nightly News and NBC News Now. She also edits CNBC’s Money 101 newsletter.
Epperson was named one of “12 to Watch in TV News” in 2018, recognition of her influence in financial television journalism.
Early Life and Education
Epperson is the daughter of David E Epperson and Cecelia T. Epperson, a retired schoolteacher, and grew up in Pittsburgh. She attended Taylor Allderdice High School, her hometown alma mater, which later inducted her into its Hall of Fame.
Sharon went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology and government from Harvard University, followed by a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. She also holds an honorary doctorate from Carlow University in Pittsburgh.
Career Timeline
Time Magazine
Before moving into television, Epperson worked as a correspondent for Time magazine, covering business, culture, social issues, and health out of the New York bureau. She also worked in Time’s New Media department, producing video pieces — early experience that helped position her for a shift into television. She has said her involvement with the National Association of Black Journalists, which she joined in college, connected her with NBC recruiters at the organization’s national convention, ultimately leading to her hire at CNBC alongside two other magazine reporters brought in to learn television.
CNBC Energy Correspondent
Epperson spent eight years as CNBC’s senior energy correspondent, reporting daily on commodities markets from the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), where she covered global energy, metals, and commodities trading.
CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
Epperson transitioned into her current role as senior personal finance correspondent, where her reporting spans retirement savings, mortgages, student loans, credit card and other debt, and building a financial legacy through estate planning. In 2015, she served as one of six panelists covering a Republican presidential primary debate, extending her role beyond personal finance into broader political and business coverage.
Teaching at Columbia University
Epperson is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and has also taught at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. Her courses focus on preparing graduate students for careers in media, including practical skills like resume writing, interviewing, and personal branding, alongside personal finance fundamentals for young professionals — a natural extension of her on-air reporting into the classroom.
Health Journey and Brain Aneurysm Advocacy
In September 2016, Epperson survived a ruptured brain aneurysm that nearly took her life. Rather than keeping the experience private, she has become an outspoken advocate for brain aneurysm awareness and research funding, folding the topic of preparing finances for unexpected health emergencies into her professional reporting as well.
In September 2018, Epperson and her family established the Sharon Epperson Chair of Research through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, funding grants aimed at improving early detection of the condition. She now serves as an ambassador for the organization, using her platform to raise awareness of a condition that often shows no warning signs before it strikes.
Books and Recognition
Epperson is the author of “The Big Payoff,” a personal finance guide aimed at helping couples build a shared financial plan, covering everything from budgeting and homebuying to protecting family wealth over time.
Her financial writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Weekend, Self, Essence, and Ebony, in addition to her earlier work at Time.
Her accolades include the Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Savvy Inspiration Award from the financial empowerment nonprofit Savvy Ladies, the Vanguard Award, and a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media for Outstanding Online Host, recognizing her “Financial Advisor Playbook” video series on CNBC.com.
Personal Life
Epperson is married to Christopher John Farley, whom she wed in 1997. She frequently speaks at conferences, colleges, and universities on personal finance topics, and remains active with the National Association of Black Journalists, an organization she has credited with helping launch her broadcast career.
Where Is Sharon Epperson Now?
Sharon Epperson continues to serve as CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, appearing regularly across CNBC and NBC News platforms while continuing her advocacy work with the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and her teaching at Columbia University.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sharon Epperson cover at CNBC? She’s CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, covering retirement planning, debt management, college savings, and estate planning, among other topics.
What happened to Sharon Epperson in 2016? She survived a ruptured brain aneurysm in September 2016 and has since become an advocate for brain aneurysm awareness and research funding.
Where did Sharon Epperson go to college? She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.
What did Sharon Epperson do before CNBC? She worked as a correspondent for Time magazine, covering business, culture, social issues, and health, before joining CNBC roughly two decades ago.
Has Sharon Epperson written any books? Yes, she authored “The Big Payoff,” a personal finance guide for couples.
