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.

How We Compare Products: Criteria by Category

Every product category has a defined set of evaluation criteria. We publish these criteria openly so readers can verify for themselves whether a recommendation applies to their situation:

Savings Accounts (HISAs):

• Posted interest rate (verified against provider's official rate page)
• CDIC insurance status (verified at cdic.ca)
• Account fees (monthly fees, transaction fees, e-Transfer fees)
• Minimum balance requirements
• Promotional vs. ongoing rate distinction (we use ongoing rates, not temporary teaser rates)
• Mobile app ratings and user feedback patterns

Chequing Accounts:

• Monthly fee and waiver conditions (minimum balance thresholds)
• Transaction limits (debits, Interac e-Transfers per month)
• ATM network size and fee structure
• CDIC membership
• Mobile deposit and digital banking features
• Newcomer and student-specific offerings

Brokerages (Investing):

• Commission structure (stock trades, ETF trades, options)
• Account types supported (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP, non-registered, margin)
• Platform usability (mobile and desktop)
• Research tools and educational resources
• Regulatory registration (IIROC/CIRO member verification)

Money Transfer Services:

• Exchange rate margin vs. mid-market rate
• Transfer fees (flat fee, percentage, or both)
• Speed of delivery by corridor
• Regulatory registration (FINTRAC MSB registration)
• Multi-currency account features where applicable

Disclosed Limitations

We are transparent about what our research process does NOT cover:

• We don't test products personally. We don't hold accounts with every provider, and we don't claim personal experience. Our analysis is based on publicly available data — official rate sheets, fee schedules, and regulatory filings.
• We don't predict the future. Past performance data (historical returns, rate trends) is provided for context, not as a predictor. We use specific language ("has returned," "historically") rather than predictive language ("will return," "should grow").
• We don't cover every Canadian financial product. Our coverage focuses on products with broad applicability and enough public data for meaningful comparison. Niche, regional, and institution-specific products with limited public information are excluded until sufficient data exists.
• Rate comparisons reflect a snapshot in time. A rate verified today may change next week. We update on a schedule (see above), but between updates, provider websites are the authoritative source.
• We don't assess customer service quality systematically. User sentiment from public forums provides directional signal, not a statistically valid sample. Your experience with a provider's support team may differ.

How to Verify Our Work

We encourage readers to fact-check us. Every comparison and guide provides:

• Source links to the provider's official rate page or terms document
• Verification dates — the "last updated" date on each page tells you when rates were last checked
• Methodology notes — inline explanations of how a conclusion was reached, not just the conclusion itself

If you find a discrepancy between what we've published and what a provider's website shows, tell us. We'll verify and correct it within 48 hours — and log the correction publicly.

Have a question about our research process? Contact us.

Found an error? Let us know — we'll verify and correct it within 48 hours.