Highlights 

• 2021 CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 

• 2021 Ignition Top 50 Women in Accounting 

• 2019 Graduate of the American Institute of CPAs Leadership Academy

Experience

Charlene Rhinehart, CPA, is a personal finance editor at GoodRx. She has been a certified public accountant for over a decade. She has worked primarily in commercial banking, real estate, and community development. 

Charlene’s path to accounting began as an auditor at a Big Four accounting firm. She was later selected to join a financial analyst leadership development program at JPMorgan Chase, where she landed rotational opportunities in the commercial bank controller’s group and real estate finance. She went on to manage regulatory reporting requirements for the commercial bank. She also served as the associate controller of community development banking, where she developed the blueprint behind the firms’ first $100 million investment in the city of Detroit. 

Charlene has been an active member of the Illinois CPA Society for over 15 years and has served as chair of the society’s Individual Tax Committee. She has also served as the director of professional development and vice president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. Her work has appeared in publications such as Accounting Today, Illinois CPA Society Insight Magazine, American Express, Nasdaq, and Black Doctor. She is the author of “Debt-Free Before Graduation” and “Dividends Are a Queen’s Best Friend.” 

Charlene has been recognized as a 2021 CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40, 2021 Top 50 Women in Accounting by Ignition, 2021 Black CPA Centennial Inaugural 40 Under 40 award recipient, 2021 Illinois CPA Society Lester McKeever Emerging Leader in Advancing Diversity Award recipient, Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) 2019 Woman to Watch, and 2015 ICPAS Young Professional Leadership Award. She was also recently selected as a recipient of the Illinois CPA Society Distinguished Service Award. 

Education

Charlene holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and finance from DePaul University in Chicago. She also graduated with a minor in community service studies. After graduation, Charlene passed her exams to become a certified public accountant. She’s also a project management professional (PMP), distinguished toastmaster (DTM), and former certified fraud examiner (CFE).  

Charlene has participated in many fellowships, including the Americorps M3C fellowship, Vincentian Mission fellowship, and City Bureau Reporting fellowship. In 2019, she graduated from the AICPA Leadership Academy.