How We Review

Who we write for

We write for people planning their own retirement and for the adult children, spouses, and caregivers who help them. So we look beyond “highest rate” or “lowest fee.” We also ask whether a product is easy to understand, easy to leave, safe for someone who isn’t online every day, and workable when a trusted family member needs to help.

What we look at

Every category has its own methodology, listed near the bottom of each roundup. Most of our reviews weigh some version of these:

• Total cost. Interest rates, APRs, fees, commissions, penalties, and the costs that only show up later.
• Protection and oversight. Is the money covered by FDIC, NCUA, or SIPC protection where that applies? Is the company registered with, licensed by, or rated by the right regulators? We check public tools such as FDIC BankFind, FINRA BrokerCheck, the SEC’s adviser database, and state insurance regulators.
• Clear terms. Minimums, lock-ups, contract length, cancellation, and how plainly those things are explained before you sign up.
• Customer support. Can you reach a person? Do they support trusted contacts, powers of attorney, or joint access, so a family member can help when needed?
• Fit for retirement. Features that matter later in life, such as IRA support, required minimum distribution tools, flexible CD ladders, or term lengths that suit an older buyer.
• Complaints and track record. Public regulatory actions and complaint patterns, such as those in the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database.

We use companies’ published terms, regulator data, and our own research. Rates and fees change often, so every roundup shows the date it was last checked. Always confirm current terms with the provider before you apply.

How we make money

YouRetire is free to read. To keep it that way, we may earn a commission when you click some links or open an account. We don’t earn on every product we mention. If a company we think is a good fit doesn’t have a partnership with us, we still include it and link to it plainly.

Links that may pay us are marked, and each roundup opens with a disclosure. Read more in our editorial standards on advertising and affiliates.

Partners don’t buy ratings

• Our editors decide ratings, “best for” labels, and what we include. Companies can’t pay to change them.
• Advertisers and affiliate partners don’t review or approve our content before it’s published.
• Commission rates don’t factor into our scores. If partnerships ever affect where a product appears on a page, we’ll say so on that page.
• We don’t promise any product is the best for everyone. We say who a product suits and who should look elsewhere.

What we don’t do

We aren’t your financial adviser, insurance agent, tax professional, or lawyer. Our reviews are educational. For decisions that are big or hard to reverse, like a reverse mortgage, a permanent life insurance policy, or debt settlement, we encourage you to talk with a qualified, fee-transparent professional or a HUD-approved or nonprofit counselor.

Keeping reviews current

We recheck rates, fees, and key terms on a regular schedule, and sooner when a company makes a big change. The “Updated” date at the top of each roundup shows our last review.

Corrections

If you spot an error, an outdated rate, or something that doesn’t match your experience, please tell us through our contact page. We review every report. When we fix a factual error, we update the page and its date, and we note significant corrections at the bottom of the article. See Corrections in our editorial standards.