How we cover credit cards.
We're an independent editorial site. No bank affiliation, no ranked product lists, no fabricated APRs or sign-up bonuses. Here's exactly how we research, write, and maintain this guide.
What we will publish
- Categorical guidance. “Secured cards typically charge $0 annual fees and require a $200 deposit.” That's a category statement, not a product claim.
- Comparison tables that note “verify with issuer.” We name cards and give general structural facts (issuer, category, whether ITIN is accepted), but for live numbers we link out.
- Process explainers. How a hard inquiry works, how secured-card graduation works, how to read your statement. This content doesn't change quickly and we own the depth on it.
- Pathway-specific advice. A 19-year-old college student and a 35-year-old immigrant need different guidance. We separate.
What we will not publish
- Specific APRs or sign-up bonuses. These change quarterly. Publishing a static APR on a static page is misinformation by the time the page is six months old. We link to the issuer instead.
- Ranked “best card 2026” lists. Rankings imply we've evaluated every card on equal terms. We haven't. Most ranked lists are commercial decisions, not editorial ones.
- Editorial “star ratings.” Same reason as rankings. Star ratings on cards are typically a commercial scoring rubric dressed up as editorial.
- Affiliate-conversion-driven layouts. Big “Apply now” buttons next to every card recommendation push the reader toward a transaction. We push toward decision quality.
Where we get our information
- Issuer websites. The primary source of truth for card terms. We link directly when discussing specific products.
- CFPB credit-card agreement database. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes the full text of every US credit-card agreement. consumerfinance.gov/credit-cards/agreements is the authoritative public record.
- Federal statute. The CARD Act of 2009, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act. These are the legal frameworks for everything we describe.
- FICO and VantageScore documentation. Public scoring methodology documents from the score creators.
Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you click through and apply for a card, we may earn a referral commission at no cost to you. Commissions do not influence our editorial recommendations.
We don't accept payment for placement. We don't accept payment to feature specific cards. The site's editorial structure, pathways, approval guidance, post-approval education, is built around what beginners need, not around which card pays the most commission.
Update cadence
We review this guide quarterly and update specific pages when issuer terms change in ways that affect the structural advice. We do not chase APR fluctuations because they're not the value we provide. The freshness stamp at the bottom of every page reflects the most-recent verification date.
Corrections policy
If you spot a factual error, please email [email protected]. We aim to correct verified errors within seven days and we date the change at the foot of the affected page.