About

Brad Larson, Licensed Insurance Agent

Brad Larson has been in the insurance industry for over 16 years. He specializes in helping clients navigate the claims process, with a particular emphasis on coverage analysis. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Political Science. He also holds an Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in General Insurance (AINS) designations, as well as a Utah Property and Casualty license.

Brad started out as a claims adjuster for a national carrier and has since switched to the agency side of the insurance business. He is an experienced Director of Operations skilled in negotiation, employment practices, liability, and fraud detection. Brad is licensed in all P&C lines.

Michael Vereecke, Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist

Michael Vereecke is the president of Customers First Insurance Group. He has been a licensed insurance agent for over 13 years. He also carries a Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) Designation, providing him the expertise to spot holes in businesses’ coverage.

Since 2009, he has worked with many insurance providers, giving him unique insight into the insurance market, differences in coverage forms, and the best training available. Michael is a member of the Macomb Family Services Board, the Anchor Bay Chamber, and MIPIA (Michigan Association of Professional Insurance Agents).

Tracey L. Wells, Licensed Insurance Agent & Agency Owner

Tracey L. Wells is a licensed insurance agent and Farmers insurance agency owner with 23 years of experience. He is proud to be a local Farmers agent serving Grayson, Georgia and surrounding areas. With experience as both an underwriter and agent, he provides his customers with insight that others agents may not have.

His agency offers all lines of insurance including home, life, auto, RV, business, and pet insurance. Tracey specializes in commercial, rideshare, worker’s compensation, and liability insurance. A proud United States Navy veteran, Tracey had the opportunity to protect our Nation’s freedoms while traveling to over 25 countries.

Scott W. Johnson, Licensed Insurance Agent

Scott W Johnson is an independent insurance agent in California. Principal Broker and founder of Marindependent Insurance Services, Scott brings over 25 years of experience to his clients. His Five President’s Council awards prove he uses all he learned at Avocet, Sprint Nextel, and Farmers Insurance to the benefit of his clients.

Scott quickly grasped the unique insurance requirements of his clients along the mountains, coast, and flood plains of California. He enjoys working with start-ups and conducting small business risk analysis. He sells all lines of coverage including property, life, health, casualty, earthquake, and flood insurance.

Brett Surbey, Corporate Paralegal

Brett Surbey is a corporate paralegal specializing in tax reorganizations and the creation of corporations so they can successfully navigate all aspects of their business and mitigate risks where necessary. He has assisted lawyers on a number of enigmatic transactions, including M&As, complex corporate succession plans, and amalgamations.  

In addition to his legal career, he is a known expert published for his work on topics surrounding insurance, mortgages, and business. His professional writing has appeared in publications such as Forbes Advisor, U.S. News & World Report, Industry West Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and various academic journals.

Michelle Robbins, Licensed Insurance Agent

Michelle Robbins has been a licensed insurance agent for over 13 years. Her career began in the real estate industry, supporting local realtors with Title Insurance. After several years, Michelle shifted to real estate home warranty insurance, where she managed a territory of over 100 miles of real estate professionals. Later, Agent Robbins obtained more licensing and experience serving families and individuals to secure their investments and families with life insurance protection.  

Most notably, throughout her career, she has assisted many individuals in difficult times of need as a family service counselor with several funeral homes, mortuaries, and memorial parks in California. This experience resulted in a natural progression into health and disability insurance. Today, Agent Robbins’ licensing extends across many states from the west coast to the east coast. She is licensed in life, health, Medicare, disability, and property & casualty insurance.

Aaron Englard, Insurance Premium Auditor

With over a decade of experience in insurance premium auditing, audit department management, and business audit representation, Aaron has developed a deep understanding of audit regulations, compliance requirements, and industry best practices. As the Founder & CEO of AdvoQates, he specializes in representing businesses during their audits to ensure accurate, transparent, and fair assessments from insurance companies.

Aaron is also the Founder & Managing Partner of STAY E LLC, an industry-leading firm providing premium audit educational services to auditors, vendors, and insurance companies. He brings expertise in audit training, field auditing, compliance oversight, and audit operations, having successfully led teams and developed programs that improve accuracy and compliance across the industry.

Daniel Walker, Licensed Insurance Agent

Daniel Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has run his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for over 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an insurance agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, life, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco.

To ensure our content is accurate and up-to-date, Daniel reviews and fact-checks hundreds of insurance articles each month. He is passionate about helping consumers make the best decisions when choosing their insurance coverage. His mission is to guarantee the information you receive on our site regarding insurance rates and policy advice is accurate, evidence-based, current, and trustworthy.

Zach Fagiano, Insurance & Finance Analyst

Zach Fagiano has been in the insurance industry for over 10 years, specializing in property and casualty and risk management consulting. He started out specializing in small businesses and moved up to large commercial real estate risks. During that time, he acquired property & casualty, life & health, and surplus lines brokers licenses. He’s now the Senior Vice President overseeing global risk management consulting.

Zach is a subject matter expert and has spent much of his career focused on catastrophic modeling, captive management, and strategic risk management for large public and private investment companies, hedge funds, and risk management for a publicly traded large retailer. When not working in risk and insurance, Zach can be found restoring classic cars and running in endurance races.

Michael Leotta, Insurance Operations Specialist

Michael earned a degree in Business Management degree with an insurance focus, which led to a successful 25-year career in insurance claims operations and support. He possesses a high-level of business acumen across multiple areas of the insurance industry. Over the course of his career, he served in multiple roles supporting claims operations including: Claims Specialist, Claims Trainer, Claim Automation & Procedures Specialist, and Process Analyst.

His primary areas of expertise are in complex insurance claim handling with a litigation focus, claims training, jurisdictional guidelines, process improvement, and data analytics. Michael has developed a keen understanding of the insurance industry, and well-rounded general business proficiency.

Kristen Gryglik, Licensed Insurance Agent

Kristen is a licensed insurance agent working in the greater Boston area. She has over 20 years of experience counseling individuals and businesses on which insurance policies best fit their needs and budgets. She knows everyone has their own unique needs and circumstances, and she is passionate about counseling others on which policy is right for them.

Licensed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Florida, Kristen has over 15 years of experience working in the insurance industry. She currently works for Liberty Mutual as a Resident Sales Representative providing auto, home, and life insurance policies and counseling in personal finance and retirement planning.

Jeffrey Manola, Licensed Insurance Agent

Jeffrey Manola is an experienced insurance agent who founded TopQuoteLifeInsurance.com and NoMedicalExamQuotes.com. His mission when creating these sites was to provide online consumers searching for insurance with the most affordable rates available.

Not only does he strive to provide consumers with the best prices for insurance coverage, but he also wants those on the market for insurance to be well-informed about the different types of insurance options available. His goal is to provide readers with all the information necessary to make a confident insurance purchase.

Dani Best, Licensed Insurance Producer

Dani Best has been a licensed insurance producer for nearly 10 years. Dani began her insurance career in a sales role with State Farm in 2014. During her time in sales, she graduated with her Bachelors in Psychology from Capella University and is currently earning her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Since 2014, Dani has held and maintains licenses in Life, Disability, Property, and Casualty.

Dani has worked for two State Farm agencies and was the top life insurance producer in both offices. Dani has extensive experience with life, home and auto insurance, disability policies, and how individual insurance coverages work. She is also trained in financial services provided by State Farm, such as cash back rewards and credit cards, checking and savings accounts, and home and auto loans. She applies her drive to help others to her approach with insurance, using her expertise to make difficult topics and situations less complex and stressful.

Brandon Frady, Licensed Insurance Agent

Brandon Frady has been a licensed insurance agent and insurance office manager since 2018. He has experience in ventures from retail to finance, working positions from cashier to management, but it wasn’t until Brandon started working in the insurance industry that he truly felt at home in his career. In his day-to-day interactions, he aims to live out his business philosophy in how he treats his customers.

Auto and property insurance are often legally required products, so no one is excited to purchase them. This is why Brandon’s approach to selling insurance is fully customer-centric. His goal is to provide the highest quality insurance customers can confidently purchase and then leave to work its magic protecting their investments. Brandon avoids cold calling and pressuring customers to purchase. Instead, he relies on referrals, insurance education, and exceptional customer service.

Ted Patestos, Licensed Insurance Adjuster

Theodore (Ted) Patestos is a seasoned innovator and policyholder advocate in the public adjusting industry. With a career dedicated to turning data into actionable insights, Ted has championed tools and strategies that improve transparency, efficiency, and outcomes for both consumers and adjusters. He developed Claim Machine, a platform that uses weather data to help public adjusters, contractors, and restoration firms identify impacted properties.

In 2023, Ted co-founded Tiger Adjusters, the first tech-enabled public adjusting franchise in the U.S. The company brings together experienced insurance professionals to support homeowners and businesses through the claims process, with a mission rooted in ethical advocacy and innovation. Under Ted’s leadership, Tiger Adjusters has recovered millions in settlements for clients across the country.

Justin Wright, Licensed Insurance Agent

Justin Wright has been a licensed insurance broker for over 9 years. After graduating from Southeastern Seminary with a Masters in Philosophy, Justin started his career as a professor, teaching Philosophy and Ethics. Later, Justin obtained both his Property & Casualty license and his Life and Health license and began working for State Farm and Allstate.

In 2020, Justin began working as an independent broker. Since going independent, Justin has extended his licensing across several states along the East Coast to Midwest. He currently specializes in life insurance, annuities, and health insurance, including Long Term Care insurance. He still maintains his Property & Casualty license as well.

Joel Ohman, Executive Chairman

Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity-backed digital media company. He is a published author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who has a passion for creating new things, from books to businesses. He has previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He has an MBA from the University of South Florida.

Joel has been mentioned as an insurance expert in many different online and print publications including AOL, Business Insider, idrivesafely, Consumer Affairs, Inc.com, CNET, MarketWatch, Forbes, OppLoans, Yahoo!, and TheStreet, to name a few.

Laura Berry, Former Licensed Insurance Producer

Laura Berry has experience as a licensed producer selling life, health, and property insurance coverage for both Allstate and State Farm. She has dedicated many hours to helping her clients understand the insurance marketplace so they could find the best car, home, and life insurance products for their circumstances.

While she currently helps businesses take advantage of the federal R&D tax credit, she still takes time to provide guidance on insurance. It is her belief that current insurance shoppers should have access to accurate information so they can find the appropriate insurance product for their needs.

Kalyn Johnson, Insurance Claims Support & Sr. Adjuster

Kalyn grew up in an insurance family with a grandfather, aunt, and uncle leading successful careers as insurance agents. She soon found she has similar interests and followed in their footsteps. After spending about ten years working in the insurance industry as both an appraiser dispatcher and a senior property claims adjuster, she decided to combine her years of insurance experience with another passion, writing.

As an insurance writer and researcher, she specializes in real estate, healthcare, finance, and all lines of insurance. When Kalyn isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children.

Benjamin Carr, Former State Farm Insurance Agent

Benjamin Carr worked as a licensed insurance agent at State Farm and Tennant Special Risk. He sold various lines of coverage and informed his clients about their life, health, property/casualty insurance needs.

Assessing risks and helping people find the best coverage to suit their needs is a passion of his. He appreciates that insurance was designed to protect people, particularly during times of crisis. All insurance consumers should be informed and should understand how individual policies can protect them, their families, their possessions, and their homes. That mission serves him in his work to this day.

Laura D. Adams, Insurance & Finance Analyst

Laura Adams is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers and listeners benefit from her practical advice. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by planning for the future and making smart money decisions. She received an MBA from the University of Florida and lives in Vero Beach, Florida.

As a professional accountant and financial analyst for several companies, Laura is a trusted source on various finance topics for TV, radio, online articles, and print publications. She’s been featured on major news outlets, including FOX Business, AP News, Apartment Therapy, Go Banking Rates.

Sara Routhier, Sr. Director of Content

Sara Routhier, Managing Editor and Outreach Director, has professional experience as an educator, SEO specialist, and content marketer. She has over five years of experience in the insurance industry. As a researcher, data nerd, writer, and editor she strives to curate educational, enlightening articles that provide you with the must-know facts and best-kept secrets within the overwhelming world of insurance.

Her work has been featured on: CBS, Denver Post, DriversEd, ESPN, Finance101, Finder, FOX5, Legal Advice, MSN, PrettyMotors, SeattleTimes, StarTribune, USA Today, WalletHub, Yahoo Finance, and the Zebra.

D. Gilson, PhD, Professor & Published Author

D. Gilson is a writer and author of essays, poetry, and scholarship that explore the relationship between popular culture, literature, sexuality, and memoir. His latest book is Jesus Freak, with Will Stockton, part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Series. His other books include I Will Say This Exactly One Time and Crush.

His first chapbook, Catch & Release, won the 2012 Robin Becker Prize from Seven Kitchens. His second chapbook, Brit Lit, a series of poems on Saint Britney Spears, is available from Sibling Rivalry Press. D. is the editor of Lunch and lives in the Missouri Ozarks.

Melanie Musson, Published Insurance Expert

Melanie Musson is the fourth generation in her family to work in the insurance industry. She grew up with insurance talk as part of her everyday conversation and has studied to gain an in-depth knowledge of state-specific insurance laws and dynamics as well as a broad understanding of how insurance fits into every person’s life, from budgets to coverage levels.

Through her years working in the insurance and finance industries, she has gained invaluable first-hand experience. She specializes in autonomous technology, real estate, home security, consumer analyses, investing, cryptocurrency, digital security, and vehicle safety. Her expertise has been featured by The Penny Hoarder, in an e-book by Best Companies, by Forbes, Yahoo!, The New Yorker, Oprah, Fox Business, U.S. News, and Dollarsprout.

David Reischer, Licensed Attorney

David Reischer, Esq. is an attorney and the CEO of LegalAdvice.com. His mission is to provide consumers with affordable access to accurate legal advice. He writes guides to give people expert advice to help solve their legal problems no matter their personal or financial situation. He graduated from law school in 2000 with a joint MBA/JD degree from Brooklyn Law School and Zicklin School of Business. 

He has been a practicing attorney in New York State specializing in real estate transactions, family law, business law, and other general practice matters for over 16 years. He has extensive litigation experience in New York Civil and New York Supreme Court in both the commercial and civil divisions.

Rick Musson, Police Sergeant

Rick Musson began his law enforcement career in Bozeman, Montana, shortly after completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He has served many roles in the department, including as a traffic officer, senior crash investigator, detective, field training officer, firearms instructor, and currently the training sergeant.

For the past 15 years, he has been on the SWAT team and currently serves as team leader. As a gifted communicator and teacher, he enjoys sharing his public safety expertise with others. He seeks to help people improve their safety skills in all aspects of their lives. When he’s not serving his community, he enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting with his family. He has been quoted in various online publications including The Progressive Investor, Unfinished Man, Very Well Family, and Scary Mommy.

Alexandra Arcand, Insurance and Finance Writer

Alexandra Arcand is an outreach administrator and insurance expert located in North Central Ohio. She has a passion for writing, investing, and education. As an insurance content writer for over three years, Alexandra has first-hand experience in business finance, economics, and real estate.

She leads an outreach writing team that specializes in travel, real estate, healthcare, law, finance, and all lines of insurance. Alex enjoys researching and learning new things each day in the ever-changing industries of insurance and finance. Her advice has been published on several impressive sites including Best Colleges, Authority Magazine, and RentCafe. 

Daniel S. Young, Insurance Content Managing Editor

Daniel S. Young began his professional career as chief editor of The Chanticleer, a Jacksonville State University newspaper. He also contributed to The Anniston Star, a local newspaper in Alabama. Daniel holds a BA in Communication and is pursuing an MA in Journalism & Media Studies at the University of Alabama.

With a strong desire to help others protect their investments, Daniel has written hundreds of articles covering auto, home, life, renters, and business insurance. He strives to make complex insurance concepts easy for his readers to understand. In 2024, Daniel transitioned to the role of Managing Editor, where he oversees a team of writers working diligently to produce the highest quality, most helpful insurance content on the web.

Laura Kuhl, Insurance Content Team Lead

Laura Kuhl holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Writing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Her career began in healthcare and wellness, creating lifestyle content for doctors, dentists, and other healthcare and holistic professionals. In 2018, she started writing for the cannabis industry. She curated news articles and insider interviews with investors and small business owners, leading to conversations with key players in the legal and insurance industries.

For the past five years, Laura has worked with insurance industry professionals across multiple markets, including business, auto, and life insurance, to create content that is accessible to everyone. She believes insurance does not need to be complicated and continues to create content that is straightforward, unpretentious, and jargon-free.

Luke Williams, Insurance and Finance Writer

Luke Williams is a finance, insurance, real estate, and home improvement expert based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specializing in writing and researching for consumers.

He studied finance, economics, and communications at Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a degree in Corporate Communications.  His insurance and finance writing has been featured on Spoxor, The Good Men Project, FangWallet, and Global Banking and Finance Review. In his free time, he builds interior and exterior home decor, including awnings, doors, tables, chairs, and more, and especially enjoys cooking. 

Laura Gunn, Insurance and Finance Expert

Laura Gunn is a former teacher who uses her passion for writing and learning to help others make the best decisions regarding finance and insurance. After stepping away from the classroom, Laura used her skills to write across many different industries including insurance, finance, real estate, home improvement, and healthcare. 

Her experience in various industries has helped develop both her writing skills and scope of knowledge. She is able to tackle some of these intricacies and relay important information to others who need to make real-life everyday decisions. Her expertise has been featured in many publications including News Hunt 360, HOLR Magazine, and IH Services Inc.

Tonya Sisler, Insurance Content Team Lead

Tonya Sisler has been a technical insurance writer for over five years. She uses her extensive insurance and finance knowledge to write informative articles that answer readers’ top questions. Her mission is to provide readers with timely, accurate information that allows them to determine their insurance needs and choose the best coverage.

Tonya currently leads a team of 10 insurance copywriters and works closely with them on industry research and content creation. Tonya has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina in Journalism and has worked for over 15 years in management roles.

Dorothea Hudson, Insurance and Finance Writer

Dorothea Hudson has been professionally writing in many spheres since 2013. She has written on entertainment, insurance, finance, travel, technology, AI, renewable energy, crypto, fundraising, and real estate for many websites. Her work has been published for British retailer Marks and Spencer, Kroger Magazine, the Vision Group, and more.

Her passions include writing, music, running, travel, technology, coding, and crypto. She enjoys educating her readers on insurance and providing practical financial advice. Dorothea graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in English. She also was a student abroad at Cambridge University, studying English and creative writing. Her expertise has been quoted in many award-winning publications including Forbes, GoBankingRates, Real Homes and Yahoo News.

Chris Tepedino, Feature Writer

Chris Tepedino is a feature writer that has written extensively about car insurance for numerous websites. He has a college degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and has experience reporting, researching investigative pieces, and crafting detailed, data-driven features.

His works have been featured on CB Blog Nation, Healing Law, WIBW Kansas, and Cinncinati.com. He has been a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, UpJourney, and Translate by Humans.

Rachel Bodine, Feature Writer

Rachel Bodine graduated from college with a BA in English. She has since worked as a Feature Writer in the insurance industry and gained a deep knowledge of state and countrywide insurance laws and rates. Her research and writing focus on helping readers understand their insurance coverage and how to find savings. Her expert advice on insurance has been featured on sites like PhotoEnforced, AllWomensTalk, and AutoGespot.

Merriya Valleri, Insurance and Finance Writer

Merriya Valleri is a skilled insurance writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. Merriya has a strong desire to make understanding insurance an easy task while providing readers with accurate and up-to-date information. Merriya has written articles focusing on health, life, and auto insurance.

She enjoys working in the insurance field, and is constantly learning in order to keep up with the current, ever-chaning market. Merriya has a Bachelor’s Degree in Writing, using her skills to promote educational experiences for her readers.

Schimri Yoyo, Licensed Agent & Financial Advisor

Schimri Yoyo is a financial advisor with active insurance licenses in seven states and over 20 years of professional experience. During his career, he has held roles at Foresters Financial, Strayer University, Minnesota Life, Securian Financial Services, Delaware Valley Advisors, Bridgemark Wealth Management, and Fidelity. 

Schimri is an educator eager to assist individuals and families in achieving their own financial success stories. He has been featured in several publications, including Sophisticated Investor, RocketHQ, DivorceMag, Exercise.com, and Insurance.com.