Methodology and editorial standards: how we research and compare products
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By Pallavi Madabushi · Updated: October 19, 2026
Quick answer We take rates, fees and terms from each provider’s own published terms and from government sources, and show the date we checked them. We check Federal Reserve benchmarks daily and update them when the Fed publishes; we recheck provider data every 30 days and whenever a provider changes its terms. Personal loans are scored on published weights. We may be paid by advertisers, which can affect which products appear and where. Pages are drafted with help from AI tools and are fact-checked by a person before publishing.
1. Sources, dates and how often we update
- Rates, APRs, APYs, fees, terms and eligibility come from the provider’s own current published terms or disclosures. We do not copy figures from affiliate blogs, directories or competitor reviews.
- Statements about law, regulation and market data cite the primary source, such as the CFPB, FTC, Federal Reserve, FDIC or NCUA.
- Every product figure is shown with an “as of” date. Each page lists its sources and the date they were checked.
- Benchmarks are labelled as benchmarks, not offers.
- If we cannot verify a figure, we remove it.
- We do not invent statistics, testimonials, expert quotes, surveys or credentials.
Update schedule
| Data | How often we check | When the page changes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve benchmarks (G.19 consumer credit, H.15 selected interest rates) | Daily, by an automated check | When the Fed publishes new data, on the Fed’s own schedule (G.19 is monthly). The figures do not change daily. |
| Lender and product data | Every 30 days, and whenever a provider changes its terms | When a checked figure differs from what we show |
The Content & SEO editor owns each page’s review. The Fact-Check editor signs off on the facts. The “last reviewed” date shows when a person re-verified the facts, not when copy was edited.
2. How we score personal loans
Personal loans are scored on five criteria. The weights add up to 100%.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| APR range | 35% | Lowest and maximum APR the lender publishes |
| Fees | 20% | Origination, late and prepayment fees |
| Eligibility and access | 20% | Minimum credit score the lender discloses, loan amounts |
| Term flexibility | 15% | Range of repayment periods offered |
| Borrower experience | 10% | Whether you can check your rate with a soft credit pull before applying, funding speed as the lender states it, hardship options |
Ties: the loan with the lower maximum APR ranks higher. If that is also tied, the loan with lower fees ranks higher.
We do not feature loans with a maximum APR of 36% or higher, or payday or title loans. A score reflects published terms. It does not predict your approval, rate or terms, which the lender decides.
3. How “best” and other labels are assigned
- A page uses “best”, “top” or a similar label only where a published scoring method applies (personal loans, section 2) and the advertiser disclosure is shown beside it.
- Where no published score applies, we use descriptive titles and unranked tables.
- We show drawbacks and material fees for every product, including products we may be paid to feature.
4. How we make money
- We may earn a commission or fee when you click a link and then apply for or open a product with an advertiser. You do not pay extra.
- Paid links are marked next to the link and use
rel="sponsored nofollow". Links to government and reference sources are not paid. - Compensation may affect which offers appear on this site and where or in what order they appear. We do not list every product on the market; some providers do not pay us and are not shown.
- Moneysilk is a publisher; we do not lend, hold funds, or give advice. We do not make credit decisions and cannot guarantee approval, rates or terms.
5. Fact-check and compliance review
Before a page is published:
- The Content & SEO editor drafts the page and self-checks it against our content review rubric (sources, as-of dates, banned claims, disclosures, fees and drawbacks).
- The Fact-Check editor confirms every figure and claim against the cited source and recomputes any worked example.
- A compliance review checks claims, disclosures and product eligibility.
- Pages whose rates, terms, disclosures or scores change are re-reviewed.
6. Use of AI tools
We use AI tools to help research and draft pages. AI tools do not have the final say on any fact, figure or score. Before a page is published, a person fact-checks it against its sources and it passes compliance review. AI-generated personas are never presented as authors, reviewers or experts.
7. Authors and reviewers
Our author is Pallavi Madabushi. We publish credentials only when they are real and verifiable, and we list none. We will name a reviewer on a page only when a real person has reviewed it.
8. Corrections
If you find an error, email [email protected]. We aim to respond within 2 business days. When we fix a confirmed error, we note the correction on the page with the date.
9. Limits
Our content is general information, not personalized financial, legal, tax or advice. Read the provider’s terms before you apply or buy.