What is the Finder Score?
At Finder, we’re committed to helping you save money and make better financial decisions. That’s why we created the Finder Score, a simple way to compare different financial products like saving accounts, loans, credit cards and more, based on their overall value and benefits.
We’ve spent years assessing thousands of financial products annually for our Finder Awards program. This experience has shaped our understanding of what makes a financial product truly valuable for consumers and shaped our methodology for Finder Score.
How does it work?
Our expert team evaluates various products in our database, assigning each one a score out of 10. A higher score means the product is more competitive and may offer better value.
We carefully consider a range of factors and features, weighting them according to the typical user of each product. For example, with low-rate credit cards, the interest rate is a key factor, while for frequent flyer cards, the bonus points and earn rate hold more weight.
Our goal is to highlight the features that matter most to you. Each score is determined objectively, without any commercial bias or influence from partnerships.
This methodology applies only to products with a Finder Score displayed.
Why did we come up with the Finder Score?
Comparison made easy
Comparing your household bills is hard work. We thought there should be an easier and more objective way to make sense of all the options we compare.
Price isn’t everything
About a quarter million use Finder each month to compare. Finder Score can help you make sense of your options and choose the right product.
We’re here to help
Finder is editorially independent. The Finder Rating is designed to help you make an informed decision and get better value for money.
Finder Scores: What they mean
If you want peace of mind, this rating will give it to you. These products offer the best value and outcomes considering various product features, terms, conditions and price.
Well-balanced products that provide what you need, offering a healthy mix of competitive features at a good price. However, they’re not quite the best in class.
Bottom line: You can find better, but these products still offer reasonable value and have the basics sorted.
These products may not offer much value in the long run, and there are better options available.
How do we source our data for Finder Scores?
A Finder Score is a number between 0.1 and 10 that reflects a product’s value and features compared to similar products in its category. The higher the score, the better the product.
How do we calculate the score?
Our editorial team at Finder selects up to 10 key product features, such as annual fees, interest rates or bonus rewards points. We score each product’s features out of 10, comparing them to other products in the same category. Then, we weight the scores based on how important each feature is to the average consumer for that particular product. The metrics and weightings for each product group are available in our category specific methodology.
Our data drives the scores
Finder Scores are calculated using our extensive product dataset, which contains information on thousands of financial products. We strive to keep this dataset up-to-date, updating it whenever a product feature changes, like an interest rate or fee. While we aim to include as many prducts in the US marketplace for each category, our dataset is continually expanding, so some products may not yet be included.
How often do Finder Scores change?
Our scores aren’t static. They’re dynamic and adapt whenever a product changes. In fact, scores are instantly re-calculated every time a relevant product feature is updated. If there are broader changes that affect a whole group of products, such as an interest rate adjustment, we’ll update the score for every product in that group. This means you’ll always see the most accurate and up-to-date scores, helping you make informed decisions about your finances.
Who is the Finder Score editorial and data team?
Our goal is to inform, educate, serve, challenge and amuse our users. As a result, our editorial and data collection process is objective, impartial and free of any influence from banks, financial institutions or partners.
With the Finder Score, our goal is simply to give you the best and most accurate information available, so you are informed and can make financial decisions that best suit your situation.
Our editorial and insights team include:
Bethany Hickey
Editor, Banking
Bethany Hickey is a banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Matt Miczulski
Editor, Investments
Matt Miczulski is an investments editor at Finder. With over 450 bylines, Matt dissects and reviews brokers and investing platforms to expose perks and pain points, explores investment products and concepts and covers market news, making investing more accessible and helping readers to make informed financial decisions.
Megan B. Shepherd
Editor, Loans & Insurance
Megan B. Shepherd is a personal finance editor at Finder where she helps people navigate the financial world of loans and insurance.
Her personal finance expertise has been featured on Forbes, Nasdaq, MediaFeed, Fox News, Time, Reviews.com and carinsurance.com, adding invaluable information related to personal loans, financial strategies and smart borrowing tactics.
Richard Laycock
Editorial & PR Lead
Richard Laycock is Finder’s NYC-based lead editor & insights editor, spending the last decade data diving, writing and editing articles about all things personal finance. His musings can be found across the web including on Nasdaq, MoneyMag, Yahoo Finance and Travel Weekly. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University, including a semester abroad at The Missouri School of Journalism (MIZZOU).
Michael Bowley
Head of Publishing
Michael Bowley is the Head of Publishing at Finder, boasting a remarkable six-year journey at the forefront of digital content. First starting at Finder as an Assistant Publisher, he swiftly became the Publisher of Finder’s shopping niche where he created gift guides and provided savvy shopping insights, helping readers save money and find the best deals. Before taking on the role of SEO Manager, he served as the Publishing Innovations Manager where he helped develop new products and services. His experience in SEO management led him to steer Finder’s content strategy, driving remarkable organic growth. Today, as the Head of Publishing, Michael curates dynamic content, empowering users to make informed financial decisions.
Gabrielle Pastorek
Publisher, Banking & Investing
Gabrielle Pastorek is an SEO strategist and publisher at Finder, specializing in banking. She’s written more than 800 articles on the site and is a quoted expert in Best Company, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, MSN and MarketWatch. She’s secured interviews with key stakeholders in the consumer insights industry, including a senior director at the National Retail Federation. Gabrielle has edited several creative manuscripts and holds an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and BAs in English and French from Ohio University.
Mike Rheaume
Publisher, Loans
Mike Rheaume is the publisher for loans, helping readers get the best deals on borrowing for major life events, debt consolidation and other needs, as well as protecting their assets and providing for their families. He previously worked in travel, helping to provide expert tips that can be seen on sites such as Cheapism and Nomad Paradise. Before Finder, Mike owned and operated online wedding photographer directory SnapKnot. Originally from the Boston suburbs, Mike now enjoys sunny, snowless winters in San Diego. Mike is passionate about personal finance, travel and Boston sports.
Zak ALi
US General Manager
Zak Ali is Finder US General Manager, responsible for leading collaboration among key stakeholders to grow readership, revenue and brand awareness. Prior to Finder, Zak cofounded a community and news–focused tech startup. Zak’s background also includes product management, growth marketing, social media, and web and mobile app design.
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