How we rate
Every product is scored on the same public rubric — cost first, never payout.
- Five weighted criteria, applied identically to every product in a category.
- Real, total cost carries the most weight; what a provider pays us carries none.
- Scores are set before any advertiser link is added to the page.
The rubric
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| True cost | 40% | Total dollars over a year: fees, interest, tips, memberships. |
| Transparency | 25% | How clearly costs and terms are disclosed up front. |
| Approval odds | 15% | Realistic access for a thin or damaged file. |
| Flexibility | 10% | Terms, amounts, and the ability to exit without penalty. |
| Support | 10% | Reporting to bureaus where relevant, and real customer help. |
Illustrative weights — the production rubric and each product's scores are published per category.
How the score is built
We gather each product's published terms, model the true first-year cost for a typical user, and score all five criteria on the same scale. The weighted total sets the ranking. Two products with similar totals are broken apart by cost. We re-check the numbers on a regular cycle and after any major terms change — see the date stamp on each page.
When we say "wrong for you"
A high score doesn't make a product right for everyone. Each page carries a plain "wrong for you if" section, because the highest-scoring option in a category can still be the wrong rung for your situation. The cheapest move is often not to borrow at all — and we'll say so.
Payout plays no part in any of this. Read how we make money for the guardrails that keep it that way.