How we make money
Smarts is free to read. Here’s who pays for it.
Some companies pay us when you click or apply. Here’s what that changes, what it doesn’t, and how you can tell.
The short version
Four things worth knowing before you click anything.
Free for you
Reading Smarts costs you nothing. Our links are what keep it that way.
Companies pay us
Some pay when you click or apply. Some pay a commission when you’re approved for a product. That can affect which companies we feature and where.
Ratings stay ours
It never changes our ratings or what we say about a company. Our editors set the ratings, and no company can pay to change one.
Advertisers don’t edit
Advertisers have no editorial input on our content. The analysis, opinions and research are the author’s.
How to spot it
Look near the top of a guide. Many have an Advertiser Disclosure link that brings you to this page.
Some guides also put a note near their offers: “Smarts.co independently reviews financial products. We may earn a commission from partner links.”
You’ll see it again in the footer of our pages: “Some companies on this page pay Smarts when you click or apply. That can affect which companies appear and where. It never changes our ratings.”
Who decides what
All of the analysis, opinions and research on the site are the author’s and will not be influenced or edited by advertisers.
Some guides rate companies out of 5. Those ratings are our editors’ opinion. Companies can’t set them, and payment never changes them.
Your information
From our privacy policy: “We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information unless we provide you with advance notice.”
There are exceptions, like hosting partners and others who help run the site, so read the whole thing: Privacy Policy.
The fine print
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
We try to keep information accurate and up to date, but we sometimes make mistakes and cannot guarantee the accuracy of our information.
This site contains user-generated content. This content is not provided or commissioned by any of our advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers and it is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
More: Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Questions about any of this?
Ask. Smarts is run by Brian Meiggs and his company, MeiggsMedia. You can read more about who we are on the About page.