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Sarah Sharkey

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who covers banking, credit, student loans, and insurance for The College Investor. She has written for leading financial outlets including Bankrate, Business Insider, and more, helping readers make confident choices about borrowing, saving, and building wealth.

Sarah holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Florida, and her background in management and research informs her clear, practical approach to complex financial topics. 

Sarah’s latest articles

fixed interest rate
January 1, 2026

moomoo Offering 8.1% APY On Your Univested Cash

moomoo has a limited time offer for new users. Earn a staggering 8.1% APY for up to 3 months with its current promotion. Find out more.

A graphic promoting "The College Investor" features a light gray background with prominent yellow and black accents, visually representing the balance between legal careers and financial decisions. On the left, a stylized scale with one pan filled with yellow and the other with black symbolizes the careful consideration of choices, particularly relevant for students seeking bar exam loans. To the right, a black and white gavel striking a sound block signifies the legal profession and the bar exam itself. Abstract geometric shapes, including a triangular outline, a plus sign, and scattered black dots, add a modern, professional aesthetic. This image serves as a header for an article discussing the best bar exam loans and financing options for aspiring attorneys.
November 25, 2025

Best Bar Exam Loans: Compare Your Options For 2026

A bar exam loan can ease the financial strain and allow you to focus on your final step to becoming a lawyer. Here are the best bar exam loans available today.

A stylized graphic depicts a stack of books with red covers and white pages, symbolizing education, topped by a black graduation cap or mortarboard, representing academic achievement. To the lower right, a prominent red circle with a white dollar sign inside highlights the financial aspect of student loans. The background features various abstract geometric shapes and patterns in red, black, and white, creating a modern and clean design that supports the article's focus on the challenges and burdens of student loan debt in retirement for older Americans. This visual emphasizes the intersection of education, finance, and the persistent issue of student loan debt. Source: The College Investor
November 18, 2025

How To Handle Student Loan Debt In Retirement

Around 9 million over the age of 50 are still paying off federal student loans. What are the challenges of retiring with student loans?

This graphic illustrates the concept of using a 529 plan for trade school expenses, featuring a prominent blue piggy bank wearing a graduation cap, symbolizing education savings. A dollar sign coin is dropping into the piggy bank, emphasizing financial investment. Dashed lines extend from the piggy bank to three circular icons: a camera representing photography or media studies, a wrench and screwdriver representing hands-on trade skills, and a chef's hat representing culinary arts. These icons signify various vocational paths eligible for 529 fund use, as discussed in the article. The background is split between a dark gray section with white geometric shapes and plus signs, and a lighter gray section with blue dots, providing a dynamic yet professional aesthetic for "The College Investor" brand.
October 28, 2025

How To Use A 529 Plan For Trade School

Planning to attend a trade school and wondering if you can use the money from your 529 plan? Here’s what you need to consider and how to cover shortfalls.

A modern, minimalist graphic representing the Rocket Money app on a smartphone, set against a background of abstract shapes and patterns. The white smartphone, outlined in a thin white border, displays "ROCKET Money" at the top, along with a prominent dollar amount of "$3,156," indicating its use as a personal finance platform for tracking budgets and net worth. Below the amount, there are blue horizontal bars representing financial data or transactions within the budgeting app interface. The smartphone is partially enclosed within a large, dark gray circle on the right side of the image, contrasting with the predominantly white background. The background features various geometric elements including a vertical row of light blue dots, thin black lines, small black plus signs, a shaded triangle with diagonal lines, and a pattern of small black dots along the top right edge. A light blue circle is partially visible at the bottom left, adding to the clean, digital aesthetic. This image illustrates the core functionality of Rocket Money, a comprehensive financial empowerment tool for managing money, canceling subscriptions, and tracking financial standing, as discussed in the accompanying article.
October 17, 2025

Rocket Money Review: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

In this Rocket Money review you’ll learn how this app can save you thousands of dollars. Here’s how it works and what it costs.

Crew family banking review
September 30, 2025

Crew Family Banking Review: Pros And Cons

Looking for ways to teach your kids how to manage money while maintaining some control over their access to funds? Find out if Crew can help in our full review.

An illustrative graphic for The College Investor website, featuring digital elements that represent financial tracking and reviews for the Copilot money app. The image displays a dark blue browser window on the right with a white line graph showing an upward trend, indicating positive financial growth or investment review. To the left and slightly below, a dark grey speech bubble icon contains three white stars, signifying a user rating or positive review for the budgeting tool. A light blue pointer icon is visible within a smaller section of the browser window. The background is a light cream color with a stylized dark blue shape in the upper left corner containing the text "THE COLLEGE INVESTOR," and additional plus signs and dot patterns further emphasize the digital and analytical theme related to personal finance.
September 21, 2025

Copilot Money Review: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

Copilot Money is a budgeting app and financial assistant that can help you budget and track your spending. Here’s what you need to know about it.

American First Credit Union review
September 16, 2025

American First Credit Union Review: Top Savings Accounts

American First Credit Union offers a suite of savings products including a high-yield savings CD or money market. But is it right for you?

Tello Review
September 12, 2025

Tello Review: Unlimited Mobile Plan With No Contracts

Tello gives you the option to build your own cell phone plan, with a customized amount of data, minutes, and texting. See what they offer.

Student Choice Student Loans Review
August 8, 2025

CUSelect Student Loans Review: Pros And Cons

Struggling to find the lowest student loan interest rates? Find out how CUSelect can help in this CUSelect Student Loans review. Learn more.

how to switch banks
July 28, 2025

How To Switch Banks Step-By-Step

Switching banks takes time so make sure to choose one that satisfies you for the long term. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to switch.

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