How We Research
At Canadian Money Guide, every recommendation and comparison we publish is built on publicly available information. We don't test products ourselves, we don't hold accounts with every bank, and we never claim personal experience with a financial product. Instead, we follow a systematic research process.
Our Research Process
Step 1: Aggregate Official Data
We pull information directly from official sources:
- Rates and fees — from each financial institution's published rate sheets, fee schedules, and product disclosure documents
- Account features — from product pages (chequing features, savings account terms, credit card benefits, mortgage conditions)
- Regulatory filings — from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), provincial regulators, and the Bank of Canada
Step 2: Cross-Reference Multiple Sources
No single source is definitive. For every claim we make, we cross-reference:
- The institution's own website and terms
- Third-party comparison platforms (Ratehub, NerdWallet Canada)
- Government resources (FCAC comparison tools, OSFI data)
- Independent financial literacy resources (provincial securities commissions)
Step 3: Incorporate User Sentiment
We review publicly available user feedback to identify patterns:
- Reddit communities (r/PersonalFinanceCanada, r/CanadianInvestor)
- Trustpilot and Google Reviews
- Better Business Bureau complaints
- Consumer advocacy group reports
Step 4: Fact-Check Before Publishing
Every article goes through a multi-point verification:
- All quoted rates and fees are checked against the source within 7 days of publication
- Numerical claims (APR, annual fees, minimum balances) are verified against at least two independent sources
- Government statistics and regulatory references link directly to the official source
Step 5: Update Regularly
- Savings account rates and GIC rates: reviewed every 90 days
- Credit card offers: reviewed every 6 months or when a major issuer announces changes
- Mortgage rates: reviewed monthly during Bank of Canada rate decision periods
- Educational guides: reviewed annually
- Every page shows its "last updated" date
What We Don't Do
- We don't accept payment to rank one product above another
- We don't write "reviews" based on a single person's experience
- We don't claim a product is "the best" without explaining exactly what criteria we used and for whom it might not be the best choice
- We don't publish information we can't verify from public sources
Our Team
Canadian Money Guide is a research team, not a single author. Our content is produced by researchers who specialise in aggregating and comparing Canadian financial products using public data. We don't have a public face — our work speaks for itself through transparent sourcing and clear methodology.
Why This Process Matters
Financial products in Canada change constantly. Banks adjust rates, regulators update rules, and new products launch. Without a systematic research process, comparisons become outdated within weeks. Our five-step process — aggregate, cross-reference, verify sentiment, fact-check, and update on a schedule — ensures every recommendation reflects current reality, not last quarter's rates.
We don't promise we're never wrong — rates change, and sometimes a provider updates their terms between our review cycles. What we do promise is transparency: every page shows its last-updated date, every rate claim cites its source, and if you find an error, we correct it within 48 hours.
Our Editorial Independence
Canadian Money Guide is an independent research publication. We are not owned by any bank, credit union, or financial services company. Our revenue comes from affiliate commissions (fully disclosed on every commercial page) and we maintain a strict separation between our research process and our business relationships.
No affiliate partner sees our content before publication. No partner has input into our rankings or recommendations. And we never accept payment to rank one product above another — our methodology applies equally whether a product pays a commission or not.
Have a question about our research process? Contact us.
Found an error? Let us know — we'll verify and correct it within 48 hours.