Editorial standards

Where our numbers come from

Every rate on this site comes from a primary source: a licensed data feed of institutional rate filings, or the institution's own published rate pages, collected and verified by our pipeline. We do not copy rates from other comparison sites, and our editorial articles never introduce a number by hand — figures in articles are computed from the same database that powers the rate boards, so an article can never disagree with the boards beside it.

How articles are checked

Staff articles are written against the live database and re-verified at publication. Contributed articles (see below) are edited and fact-checked by Ratehunter before they appear — claims we cannot verify do not run. Every article shows its publication date; when a piece is substantively updated, it shows the update date too. We do not artificially freshen dates.

Corrections

When we get a number wrong, we correct the page and the underlying data record — our pipeline keeps a full history of what was published and when, so corrections are traceable, not silent. When an article is wrong in a way that changes its meaning, we correct it and note the correction on the article. To report an error, use thecontact page — a real person reads it.

Outside contributors — Industry Voices

Articles labelled Industry Voices are written by people who work in Canadian financial services — executives, lenders, practitioners — by invitation. The rules of the program:

• Invited and unpaid. Nobody pays to publish on Ratehunter, and Ratehunter does not pay contributors. There is no pay-to-publish path, at any price.
• Edited and fact-checked by Ratehunter. The byline names the contributor and their role; the editing credit is ours and appears on every contributed piece.
• Disclosed. Every Industry Voices article carries a standing disclosure of the author's affiliation, at the byline and at the foot of the piece.
• Never affects rankings. Contributing an article does not move a brand up a rate board — rankings are generated from rate data alone. A contributor's brand is ranked by its rates, the same as every brand we track.

The label taxonomy

• By Ratehunter — staff editorial, written and checked in-house.
• Industry Voices — invited, unpaid, edited outside contribution, disclosed as above.
• Sponsored / Partner — paid placement labels. We do not currently publish either; if we ever do, the label will be on the piece, and this page will say exactly what it means before the first one runs.

Independence

Rate rankings are computed from the data — which rates are highest, lowest, and available where you live. No advertiser, partner, or contributor can buy a position on a board, and editorial coverage is chosen by what helps a reader decide, not by who is covered. The money side of the site is described plainly on ouradvertiser disclosure page.

Questions about any of this? Ask us directly.