Editorial Methodology

How Credit and Cents Reviews & Selects Financial Products

Our review process is independent, data-driven, and always reader-first. Here is exactly how we evaluate every product we recommend.

Our Core Editorial Principles

✅ Independence Editorial decisions are made independently of our commercial relationships. Affiliate partners do not review, approve, or influence our content before publication.	✅ Accuracy All rates, fees, and product terms are verified directly at issuer websites before publication. We update content when terms change.
✅ Transparency We clearly disclose when we earn commissions and explain exactly how that affects what appears on the site. No hidden agendas.	✅ Reader-First If a product does not genuinely serve our readers’ needs, we do not feature it — regardless of commission rates offered by the issuer.

How We Evaluate Secured & Credit-Building Credit Cards

Every secured and credit-building card we review is assessed across six dimensions with weighted scores. Our final recommendation is based on the total weighted score, not on commission rates.

Evaluation Dimension	Weight	What We Look At
Approval Accessibility	25%	Does approval require a credit check? What credit score is needed? Approval rate data.
Bureau Reporting	25%	Does the card report to all 3 major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) every month?
Cost Efficiency	20%	Annual fee, monthly fees, deposit requirement, and APR relative to the credit-building benefit.
Score Improvement Data	15%	Published cardholder score improvement data, upgrade-to-unsecured pathways, and FICO tracking tools.
Rewards & Added Value	10%	Cash back rates, mobile app quality, free score monitoring, and deposit installment options.
Customer Experience	5%	User reviews from Trustpilot, WalletHub, and Reddit. Customer service responsiveness and complaint resolution.

How We Evaluate High Yield Savings Accounts & CDs

Evaluation Dimension	Weight	What We Look At
APY Rate	35%	Current APY verified at the bank’s website. Rate tiers, minimum balance requirements, and promotional vs. standard rates.
FDIC Insurance	30%	Is the account FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor? We only feature FDIC-insured accounts.
Fee Structure	15%	Monthly maintenance fees, minimum balance fees, transfer fees, and early withdrawal penalties for CDs.
Access & Convenience	10%	Mobile app quality, transfer speed, Zelle compatibility, and ease of account opening.
Bank Stability	10%	Institution size, years in operation, assets under management, and regulatory standing.

How We Monitor & Update Information

📅 Weekly

Savings rates, CD rates, and promotional offers are verified every week. Pages are updated when rates change by 0.10% or more.

📅 Monthly

Credit card terms, annual fees, cash back rates, and card feature changes are reviewed monthly. All “last updated” dates reflect the most recent verification.

📅 Immediately

When a product is discontinued, a promotion ends, or a material change occurs, we update the relevant page within 24 hours of confirmation.

Corrections Policy

We take accuracy seriously. If you find an error in any piece of content on Credit and Cents, please contact us with the details. We will review and correct verified errors within 48 hours and add a correction note to the affected page.

Questions about our methodology? Contact us here — we respond to all editorial inquiries.