The ledger
Editorial & standards
Plain-English writing on how money publishing works — how to read a review site, how a site earns, what a published methodology buys you, and how the ClearValue family holds to one standard. Written by the ClearValue Editorial Team. Educational only; not financial, legal, or tax advice.
- Trust6 min read
How to tell if a money site is worth trusting (a checklist)
A review site's verdict is only as good as the process behind it. Here's a plain-English checklist for reading any money site — what to look for, and what should make you close the tab.
Read the article → - Standards5 min read
Why we publish our scoring methodology — and what that means for you
A rating is a conclusion. A published methodology is the argument behind it — the part you can check, disagree with, and adjust to your own situation. Here's why we write it down.
Read the article → - Trust5 min read
How money sites actually make money (and what to watch for)
Affiliate links, lead sales, sponsored placements, ads. Most money content is monetized somehow — here's how each model works, and the specific tell that reveals when the pay is steering the picks.
Read the article → - Standards5 min read
What “one published standard” means across the ClearValue brands
ClearValue Lending, Cards, and Books cover different products but answer to the same written rules. Here's what the shared standard actually requires — and why the sameness is the point.
Read the article → - Trust5 min read
Affiliate disclosure, explained: reading the fine print on any review site
“We may earn a commission” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Here's what an affiliate disclosure is, what the FTC requires of it, and how to read one to judge whether the pay is steering the picks.
Read the article →
The standard behind all of it
Every ClearValue brand points back to one published editorial standard — how we source, score, and disclose. Read it, then see how the brands apply it.