How we select and verify listings.

What we list, and what we leave out

The comparison center covers a deliberately small set of 15 real products from recognizable providers whose public product pages we can inspect directly. It does not cover every provider or every product, and a provider’s absence is not a judgment about it. Inclusion does not mean the provider reviewed our page or endorsed RatesMatter.

We do not list products we cannot verify from a public source, and we do not run lead forms or pass your information to providers. Selecting a listing takes you to the provider’s own site.

What we record for each listing

For each product we record the headline figure the provider publishes, such as an APR range, an APY, or a sample rate with its assumptions; key fees and minimums; material conditions, such as introductory periods, balance tiers, or borrower assumptions behind a mortgage example; a link to the provider’s source page; the provider’s own as-of date when one is shown; and the date we checked it.

When a provider does not publish a figure we can verify, the listing says to check the provider rather than estimating one. An unavailable figure means we could not verify it, not that the product is unavailable.

How often we check, and what happens when a check is missed

Mortgage and refinance listings are rechecked each business day, because published mortgage rates change often. Their checked figures expire two days after the check. Savings, credit card, and personal loan listings are rechecked at least weekly, and their figures expire seven days after the check. Any listing is rechecked promptly when we learn its terms may have changed.

When a check expires, the headline figure, metrics, and detailed terms are hidden and replaced with a prompt to check the provider, while the source link and the date of the last check stay visible. That way a missed recheck shows up as missing data, never as a stale number presented as current. A check date is the date we looked, not a live feed or a promise that the rate stayed the same until expiry.

How an update is made

A recheck compares every recorded field with the provider’s current public page, including fees, conditions, introductory periods, and the assumptions behind any sample rate. A verification date is never extended without that check. Each update is reviewed before it goes live, and the site’s automated checks confirm that listing labels, source links, sorting, and freshness rules still hold.

Order, sorting, and labels

Listings appear in alphabetical order by default. You can sort by published rate instead, which uses the lowest published APR or the APY, with listings whose figures are unavailable or expired placed last. Compensation does not change either order.

Each listing carries one of three labels. Editorial means there is no advertiser or referral relationship: RatesMatter earns nothing if you apply. Sponsored Listing means the link can earn something: from an advertiser, RatesMatter may earn a commission if you apply; from a provider’s referral program, RatesMatter may receive a bonus or other compensation if you open an account. The listing details say which applies. Paid Placement means the provider paid for the placement. 11 of the 15 provider listings are editorial, with no advertiser or referral relationship. Ally Bank (online savings account), SoFi (fixed-rate personal loan), and Upgrade (personal loans through partner banks) are advertisers and are labeled Sponsored Listing: RatesMatter may earn a commission if you apply through their links. Marcus by Goldman Sachs (online savings account) links through its referral program and is labeled Sponsored Listing: RatesMatter may receive a rate bonus or other compensation from Marcus if you open an account through that link.

Clicks and measurement

Provider links go through a branded RatesMatter address and our redirect service before reaching the provider or its advertising network. When your privacy settings allow measurement, we count how often a listing is seen, opened, and clicked. These counts help us understand which listings are useful; they are not applications or conversions, and they never include calculator values or personal details. The privacy notice describes exactly what is collected and how to turn measurement off.

Limits to keep in mind

Published rates are examples, not quotes. Mortgage lenders base their sample rates on different assumptions about credit, down payment, points, and location, so two lenders’ published rates are not a matched comparison. The rate you are offered depends on your application. Use listings to decide whom to ask, then compare written offers, such as Loan Estimates, for your own situation.

Calculators and guides

The same standards apply beyond listings. Calculator formulas are tested by automated checks, and every figure in a guide or calculator example is recalculated before publishing. Guide sources are checked against the claims they support, and our editorial standards explain what an update date means.