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Sarah George

Sarah George

Writer

Sarah George is a personal finance writer at Finder who’s spent the last four years wielding her digital pen on all things banking and insurance. Her know-how has been featured in such publications as CBS, CNET and Reviews.com, and she was a panelist in Finder’s 2020 money-saving webinar. Sarah earned an English education degree and is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance.

Expertise

  • Car, motorcycle, home and life insurance
  • Insurance for specific car models
  • Analysis of industry reports
  • Insurance policy comparison

Experience

  • Studying to become a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF)
  • Skilled at breaking down jargon-heavy insurance principles into easy-to-understand terms and concepts
  • Author of over 400 insurance articles, including reviews, informational guides, news and data-driven stats pieces
  • Expertise featured in digital publications and news networks, including CBS, CNET and Reviews.com
  • Panelist on Finder’s 2020 webinar, “How to Find $500 in Your Budget This Month"

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in English Education | Pensacola Christian College | 2010–2014

Featured publications

Industry insights from Sarah George

We asked Sarah to flex her expertise by answering a few questions about insurance risks for drivers and homeowners in 2021.

I live in an area of California at high risk of wildfires. I’m having a difficult time finding an insurance company willing to sell me homeowner’s coverage. What can I do?

You can contact the California Department of Insurance for a list of companies that insure homes in at-risk areas. At best, you’ll find private companies that will accept your home’s wildfire risk. Otherwise, you might need to use the state’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan. The FAIR Plan spreads the risk of insuring high-risk homes across multiple insurers while offering low coverage for homeowners — some insurance is better than none. Either way, you’ll probably work with the company on fireproofing your home to lower your risk.

Car insurance companies in Europe use dash cams to offer lower premiums. Do you see auto insurers in the US moving to this in the coming years?

Car insurance companies in the US are traditionally slow to make major changes, and some of that is tied to state laws and getting approval to lower premiums. That said, insurers are adopting more and more technology — look at the rise of insurtechs and telematics policies that have paved the way for tracking technology in insurance. If insurers encourage drivers to use dash cams, the footage could help with fighting insurance fraud, which costs companies billions of dollars every year to pay for false claims.

I don’t currently have flood insurance for my home, but live on the coast. How will FEMA’s new flood insurance rules affect me if I buy a policy today?

If you buy a policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) before October 1, 2021, you’ll get the benefit of being grandfathered into the new Risk Rating 2.0 system. Current policyholders won’t be subject to the new risk rating methodology until their policy renews on or after April 2022. This new rating system is designed to use new technology and industry best practices to produce rates that are fair, accurate and better represent a property’s actual flood risk. Current laws won’t allow most policyholders’ premiums to rise by more than 18% per year, unless you meet certain criteria. So buying a policy now could help you keep your premiums lower for longer if you live in a flood-prone area. In some cases, you may see a lower premium because the new system looks at your home’s risk and rebuild value, among other factors.

Featured videos

Latest articles by Sarah George

136 articles written by this author

12 youth financial literacy programs

Thumb through a list of ready-made lessons and games to teach kids about money.

Sarah George 29 November 2022
12 youth financial literacy programs

Citi Priority Checking account review

Manage your banking, investing and personal wealth strategy under this Citi account.

Sarah George 13 July 2022
Citi Priority Checking account review

Found business banking review

Found is a free business bank account designed for freelancers, gig workers and the self-employed. But you can't deposit or write checks.

Kimberly Ellis & Sarah George 18 May 2022
Found business banking review

How much does gas cost?

Find out gas costs based on your city, state or make and model.

Sarah George 13 April 2022
How much does gas cost?

Wyshbox life insurance review

Track your debts and needs to keep the coverage amount that fits your life stage.

Sarah George 30 March 2022
Wyshbox life insurance review

The Zebra car insurance review

See real prices from brand name insurance companies in this site’s user-friendly quote tool.

Sarah George 24 March 2022
The Zebra car insurance review

Walnut life insurance review

Try this life insurance membership with free wellness perks but short life insurance terms.

Sarah George 15 December 2021
Walnut life insurance review

Car insurance in San Diego

These top 4 companies should narrow down your car insurance options in San Diego.

Sarah George 24 November 2021
Car insurance in San Diego

Pretected car insurance review

Get recommendations for the top car insurance companies for you within minutes. But you won’t see your actual rate unless you go through the insurer’s quoting process.

Sarah George 9 November 2021
Pretected car insurance review

Waffle car insurance review

Access an intuitive app, wide coverage and few exclusions when Waffle’s car insurance drops in late July.

Sarah George 23 June 2021
Waffle car insurance review
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