The Zebra Content Team

Meet our expert insurance writers and reviewers

Why you can trust The Zebra

The Zebra partners with some of the companies we write about. However, our content is written and reviewed by an independent team of editors and licensed agents. Reference our data methodology and learn more about how we make money.

The Zebra's expert insurance writers

Our team of staff writers isn't just skilled in penning insightful articles—they're insurance experts holding professional licenses and boasting years of collective experience in the industry. Each writer brings a unique blend of in-depth knowledge and practical expertise, making complex insurance topics accessible and engaging for our readers.

To discover more about their diverse backgrounds and the valuable contributions they make to The Zebra, please review the detailed list below.

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Renata Balasco

Senior Content Strategist

Renata joined The Zebra in 2020 as a Customer Experience Agent. Since 2021, she has worked as licensed insurance professional and content strategist.…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 5 years of experience in the insurance industry
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Kristine Lee

Insurance Analyst

Kristine is a licensed insurance agent who joined The Zebra in 2019 as an in-house content researcher and writer. Before joining The Zebra, she was a…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 6+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry
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Ava Lynch

Insurance Analyst

Ava joined The Zebra as a writer and licensed insurance agent in 2016. She now works as a senior insurance contributor, providing insights and data a…

Credentials
  • 9+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Tara Stumpf

Manager

Tara joined The Zebra in 2025, bringing 18 years of marketing and public relations experience with fintech and insurance brands. She specializes in c…

Credentials
  • 18+ years of experience in the fintech & insurance industries
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Beth Swanson

Insurance Analyst

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance

Expert insurance reviewers

At The Zebra, the integrity and accuracy of our content are upheld by our esteemed in-house insurance agency review team. Our reviewers are not just experts; they are passionate advocates for consumer education, leveraging their extensive industry experience to ensure that every piece of content we publish is both informative and meticulously accurate. 

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Erica Alderete

Customer Service Manager

Erica began at The Zebra in 2020 as a Licensed Service Agent, bringing six years of insurance experience from her career at Progressive where she spe…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 10+ years in the insurance industry
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Riliey Cullip

Senior Agency Trainer

Riliey brings 10 years of insurance experience, starting her career at a commercial brokerage before moving into personal lines at State Farm, where …

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Life and Health
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Katie Gold

Head of Agency

Katie has worked in the insurance industry for more than 12 years. She started her career in claims with Allstate insurance, but with a background in…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Life, Accident and Health
  • Series 6 License (Investment Company/Variable Contracts Products Limited Representative)
  • Series 63 License (Uniform Securities Agent)
  • Series 26 License (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Principal)
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Nathan Foster

Agency Trainer

Nathan is an insurance professional with a focus on creating positive customer experiences with more than 10 years of industry experience.

Nathan tra…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent - Property and Casualty
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Nicholas Fernandez

Senior Manager of Agency

With over 6 years of industry experience spanning commercial and personal insurance lines, Nicholas is a dedicated insurance professional lending his…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Johnny Hawkins

Sales Manager

Johnny’s insurance experience began when he joined The Zebra in 2020 as a Customer Experience Agent, supporting the sales team by servicing policies …

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 5 years experience in property & casualty insurance
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Jordan Lazare

Digital Manager of Agency

With a 10-year career in the insurance industry, Jordan brings a wealth of experience in property and casualty insurance. He has experience in both c…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Life, Health and Variable Annuities
  • 10+ insurance experience
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Samantha McGee

Sales Manager

Samantha McGee began her career at The Zebra in a non-licensed support role, where she quickly uncovered a passion for making insurance more accessib…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 4+ years of experience in the insurance industry
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Alejandro Rojas

Customer Service Escalations Specialist

Alejandro joined The Zebra in 2019 with over a decade of insurance experience. He began his career as a bilingual sales agent at Progressive Insuranc…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Blake Trew

Sales Manager

Blake joined The Zebra in 2021 after a 5-year career at GEICO, where he started as a producer selling auto, property, cycle, RV, and boat policies be…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent - Property and Casualty
  • 7+ years insurance experience
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Amber Vigil

Sales Manager

Amber Vigil has three years of experience in the insurance industry and joined The Zebra in 2024. As manager, she leads a group of sales agents, ensu…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty

The Zebra's content contributors

The Zebra delivers content across a broad spectrum of topics, supported by talented professional writers. Each writer brings fresh insights and specialized knowledge, ensuring our content is as diverse as it is informative. Explore the profiles of our esteemed contributors below.

Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips is a personal finance writer whose expertise in insurance and investments has been developed through over fifteen years...

Learn more about Bob


Editorial policy

The Zebra aims to provide the highest quality insurance guides on the internet. Our content teams are composed of experienced editors and licensed insurance agents and experts whose focus is to create unbiased, comprehensive and accurate resources that help insurance shoppers. 

While we do partner with a number of insurance companies, we maintain complete editorial independence. Our evaluations of our partners' products are entirely our own. As The Zebra is an insurance marketplace, we are not tied to any one insurance company, allowing us to provide unbiased reviews and trustworthy guidance rooted in data and expertise.

The Zebra's Editorial Standards

Learn more about The Zebra's editorial standards, processes, team and independence from the company's insurance company partners.


Frequently asked questions— our experts

At The Zebra, we are committed to delivering the most current and relevant insurance information. Our editorial team continuously monitors the industry for any significant changes, trends, or updates, ensuring that our content reflects the latest insights within days of their occurrence. Additionally, our rates and comparisons are updated in real-time thanks to our dynamic data sources, providing you with the most accurate information at any moment.

We welcome your inquiries and interest in our content. If you have specific questions or need further details about a topic, please feel free to reach out directly to our team at press@thezebra.com.

We are always on the lookout for knowledgeable individuals who can add depth and perspective to our content. If you have experience in insurance, particularly with a background in writing or a license in property and casualty insurance, we would love to hear from you. Prospective contributors are encouraged to reach out via email at press@thezebra.com to discuss opportunities with our content manager.

Each piece of content offered by expert input is thoroughly reviewed and approved by the contributors themselves to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Additionally, we always credit our experts, acknowledging their contributions prominently within our content.

About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

  • The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
  • The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
  • The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
  • The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.