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Our ratings and review process ensures the products we include in our recommendations are truly products we use ourselves and would recommend to our own family and friends. That’s what has always set us apart – we do not let advertising deals influence our product ratings or which products we recommend or list on page.
Simply put, we put the best products on page, as rated by our experts (who have no knowledge of any of our advertiser compensation or partnerships).
While rating models and the criteria they assess do vary by product category, there are generally three core themes that products rated favorably by Motley Fool Money's analysts have in common.
Time is a valuable commodity and we want to help members of our community achieve their financial goals as fast as possible. We believe the fewer solutions a person needs to get where they want to be financially, the better. That means our rating models are biased toward products that have straightforward structures with simple offers that don't risk either confusing potential customers or hiding watered-down product offerings behind disclaimers and small print.
The market is packed with offers, which means competition is simply too high to be stuck with a product that charges unjustifiably high fees for a given feature set. When a product has the combination of limited perks and high fees, our ratings will not be favorable.
Companies that go the extra mile to build trust with customers and to provide transparency at all levels will tend to receive higher overall editorial ratings. Again, competition benefits consumers and that may not be any clearer than when it comes to trust and transparency. There are simply too many great products available in the market. The standout options are built with a customer first mentality, because simply put, the companies that don't take this view point end up becoming less competitive over time as they are overtaken by companies that adhere to these values.
Offers are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on a card's rewards, fees, and APRs. Our highest-rated cards generally include the following:
For credit cards, this mostly means biasing ratings toward offers that include well-rounded perks, such as a competitive rewards program and 0% intro APR offers. Items assessed may include:
And for travel and points cards:
The market is packed with offers, and competition is simply too high to be stuck with a card that charges an unjustifiably high fee. For example, many best-in-class credit cards can be found without paying an annual fee. In contrast, some valuable credit cards charge a high annual fee that can be justified. It's when the card has a combination of limited features and high fees that our ratings will not be favorable. Items assessed may include:
Cards with the highest ratings in the APR category will have: A below-category average regular APR and a competitively-long introductory period with 0% intro APR for balance transfers and purchases, or both. Keeping interest charges low ensures we're keeping our community's finances in mind when recommending best-in-class offers. Items assessed may include:
For more information on how we rate credit cards, check out our full credit cards methodology.
Bank products, such as savings, checking, and money market accounts, are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on annual percentage yield (APY) and fees. Our highest-rated banking products generally include the following.
Accounts that offer competitively-high APYs for most users will generally earn the highest ratings. More restrictive offerings, including those with introductory rates and/or complex qualifying tiers to earn a stated APY, will not fare as well. Items assessed may include:
The low to no fee theme is even more of a focus for banking products, where the default assumption for most consumers is that they shouldn't incur fees for routine account maintenance. Items assessed may include:
Bank accounts should give you simple and fast access to your funds. Items assessed may include:
Motley Fool Money publishes Best CD Rates pages but does not rate CD products themselves, as is the case with other banking products such as savings, checking, and MMAs. Please see the following for more details on Motley Fool Money's policies surrounding CD rates tracking and inclusion on Best CD Rates pages.
For more information on how we rate banks and credit unions, check out our full bank account methodology.
Broker and robo-advisor products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on fees, ease of use, and quality of the trading platform and research offerings. Our highest-rated products generally include the following:
We run a comprehensive review of routine fees, since account management costs can have a meaningful impact on your ability to invest profitably. Items assessed may include:
A high level of scrutiny is put on a brokerage's service and support, especially considering that a customer will likely interact with their brokerage's support team on multiple occasions. Items assessed may include:
Today's online brokers need a well-rounded suite of products and features to stand out in our ratings since we think brokerages need to provide a one-stop shop that meets an investor's comprehensive needs. Items assessed may include:
For more information on how we rate credit cards, check out our full brokerage methodology.
Cryptocurrency products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on fees, cryptocurrency selection, security, and transparency, and know your customer rules. Our scores are based on:
Crypto exchanges charge several types of fees that can add up quickly and that aren't always transparent. That's why fees and other costs are most heavily weighted in our crypto exchange ratings. We consider all costs associated with buying and selling cryptocurrencies, including transaction fees, maker and taker fees, withdrawal fees, deposit fees, and spreads. Top-rated platforms generally have fees and spreads that add up to no more than 2% of a transaction. We also consider minimum trade amounts, giving top ratings to platforms with a minimum transaction of $10 or less.
We evaluate platforms based on overall customer experience based on our editorial team's research. Top-rated crypto exchanges have customer support available by phone and chat and highly rated mobile apps. We also give higher ratings to platforms that provide solid research and educational materials for users. Exchanges may lose points in this category if users report frequent outages or if their execution time is slow compared to its peers.
We evaluate every crypto exchange's security protocols and history of breaches. Top-rated platforms store most assets in cold wallets and have robust security features, including two-factor authentication and account encryption. An exchange may not receive the highest rating if it's been involved in a major security breach or been accused of serious misconduct by the SEC (like fraud or co-mingling client funds) in the past three years.
We consider the number of cryptos a platform offers, as well as the availability of other crypto-related investment options, like NFTs or derivatives.
The best crypto exchanges allow users to earn rewards and are transparent about how they generate them. Many top-rated platforms also provide other ways to earn rewards, such as a crypto savings account or debit card.
For more information on how we rate credit cards, check out our full cryptocurrency methodology.
Loan products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on:
The easiest way to save money when getting a loan is to find a product with a competitively low interest rate. Items assessed may include:
Cutting origination fees is now table stakes in the personal loans market. We also think fees should be $0 or justifiably low across the life of a loan. Items assessed may include:
The most valuable loan products tend to offer a deep bench of options that meet a wide array of customer needs. These include a diverse range of loan amounts and terms, as well as loan structures. Items assessed may include:
Mortgage lender products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on:
The mortgage lending market has become crowded and competitive, which is a benefit to consumers. Competition drives mortgage rates and fees lower and we place a high level of importance on these items. Items assessed may include:
A high-quality lender will tend to have both a quality online experience that makes the application and underwriting process simple. Further, great customer service throughout the underwriting process and after closing is critical. We assess the following in this realm:
While the majority of homeowners are seeking plain vanilla mortgage offerings, such as a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, it is valuable for a lender to offer a wide array of products and terms for a wide array of consumer needs. Items assessed for loan versatility include:
Insurance products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, primarily focusing on:
With so many options for insurance across the board these days, it's easiest, and quite effective, to first look at the bottom line. Do single out competitive prices across insurance categories it's important to focus on:
Insurance provides coverage for unexpected financial burdens and piece of mind. But it's important to check your policies and see how you can lower your premium. Insurance companies offer discounts for all sorts of things now from safe driving to good grades to automatic bill pay. Pay attention to:
The benefits of insurance these days have gone far beyond just what your policy covers. Most companies and policies come with perks -- some of which may be completely unrelated to your insurance policy. Take a look at:
Policy research and coverage options are great, but how is the process when you have to actually use your insurance policy? The best coverage doesn't hold much value if it's a hassle to get paid out. Pay special attention to:
For more information on how we rate insurance, check out our full insurance methodology.
All products are reviewed in depth and evaluated at least quarterly to ensure that any offers Motley Fool Money rates highly keep pace with, or are ahead of the competition.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule. If we wouldn't recommend an offer to a close family member, we wouldn't recommend it on Motley Fool Money either. That editorial integrity guides our ratings methodologies and explains why we only stand behind the best products, based on our editorial opinions, not advertiser compensation.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.