Method
The rule comes first, and it is printed on the page
Every ranking on this site follows one written rule. Here is each rule, and where the figures behind it come from.
What every ranking has in common
Before we rank a category, we write down the rule that decides the order. That rule is printed on the page where the ranking appears, and the figure it sorts on is marked on every card.
There is no score out of ten and no star rating. A product is placed by a figure you can check against the lender's own terms.
What a lender pays us plays no part. We earn money when you apply through some links, but no ranking reads that figure, and no lender can pay for a place. Our advertiser disclosure says who pays us.
Personal loans
Ordered by the lowest starting APR. The APR includes interest and any origination fee, so it is the fairest single figure for comparing what a loan costs.
A starting APR is the best rate a lender offers. The rate you are offered depends on your credit.
Some lists are ordered by cost instead, such as the lowest origination fee. Either way, the figure a list sorts on is marked on each card.
Student loan refinancing
Ordered by the lowest starting fixed APR. A fixed rate is the one you are quoted and held to.
Lenders that offer only variable rates are listed after the rest. A variable rate can rise after you sign, so ranking on it would reward a figure that may not last.
High-yield savings
Ordered by the highest APY you earn with no conditions attached.
Some accounts pay more if you keep a minimum balance or set up direct deposit. We rank on the rate you get without meeting those conditions, and show the higher rate beside it with its condition.
Tax filing
Ordered by the lowest price for a federal return, then by the lowest price for a state return.
Your prequalified offers
When you check your rate, the offers you see are ordered by the lowest APR you were offered. If two tie, the one with the lower top of its range goes first. We show one offer from each lender.
Where the figures come from
Every rate and fee comes from the lender's published terms, or from the lender through our offer partner. Any condition on a rate is shown right next to it.
Every figure carries the date it was last checked. The rate on the page and the rate in the page's machine-readable data come from the same record, so they always match.