Many of our articles assess and compare financial products such as credit cards, bank accounts, loans, brokerages, and insurance. This policy explains how those reviews are produced and what our ratings mean.
How we evaluate products
We judge each product against the things that actually matter to the people who would use it. Depending on the category, that includes cost (rates, fees, and charges), value (rewards, returns, or coverage), accessibility and eligibility, ease of use, customer support, transparency of terms, and safety or regulation. We weigh these factors against how a typical reader in the target audience would experience the product.
Where our information comes from
Reviews are based on the provider’s official terms and disclosures, publicly available data, regulatory information, and, where relevant, the documented experiences of customers. When figures such as rates and fees are involved, we verify them against the provider at the time of writing and date the review accordingly.
How ratings work
When we assign a rating or score, it reflects our overall assessment across the factors above for the intended use case. A product that is excellent for one type of reader may score lower for another, so we explain who a product suits rather than declaring a single universal winner. Ratings are our editorial judgment, not a guarantee of results for your situation.
Independence
Our reviews are not for sale. No provider can pay for a better score, a higher ranking, or favorable wording, and partners do not see reviews before they publish. Some pages contain affiliate links, which are disclosed, but those relationships never change our verdicts. See our Affiliate Disclosure and Advertiser Disclosure for the full picture.
Keeping reviews current
Products change, and so do their terms. We revisit reviews on a schedule and update them when the facts move, adjusting the “last updated” date. If you find a detail that is out of date, please tell us through our Contact page.