How we rank accounts

Every recommendation comes from one published formula (version 1). The same inputs always produce the same order, and we keep a record of exactly what each person was shown and why.

The formula

Year-one value = (interest at the new account − interest where your money is now) + sign-up bonus you can actually qualify for − fees you'd pay over 12 months

• Interest uses your real balance and the account's APY, including rate tiers.
• Bonuses count only if you can meet the requirements (for example, the direct-deposit amount within the deadline). Bonuses are taxable income, and we say so on every card.
• Fees count unless your balance or direct deposit would waive them.
• We assume you keep the account for 12 months. We don't recommend opening and closing accounts to collect bonuses.

What is never part of the ranking

What a bank pays us.We may earn a referral fee when you open an account through our link. That amount is not an input to the formula — the ranking code has no access to it — and an account that pays us nothing ranks first whenever it's the best value for you.

Eligibility

• Accounts not offered in your state are moved below the ones you can open.
• If you were recently a customer, bonuses limited to new customers are excluded.
• Accounts whose opening deposit is larger than your idle cash are moved down.

Ties

When two accounts have the same year-one value, the higher APY ranks first, then alphabetical order.

Keeping the data true

• Rates and bonus terms come from each bank's own pages and terms documents, checked by a person before they go live.
• Every offer shows the date it was last verified. Anything not re-verified within 7 days is hidden until it is.
• We test-open top offers ourselves to confirm the bonus actually works as described.