Editorial policy
Where a link is marked * or labelled Ad, it is a partner advertisement: we receive commission at no extra cost to you. Links without a * or Ad label earn us nothing. How we make money.
Every guide on this site goes through the same process. We’re publishing it so you can hold us to it. Affiliate links are labelled with * and explained in section 9 below.
1. Editorial integrity
Guides are written for readers first. We do not rank products by what pays the most and we do not accept payment to feature a provider in our editorial. Where we link to a product or service, it is because it is relevant to the topic — never because we were paid to promote it in the guide body.
2. Sourcing
Every rule, threshold and figure is traced to a primary source: HMRC, the FCA, the PRA, the Bank of England, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, the Insolvency Service, the Pensions Regulator, NS&I, or the relevant devolved authority. Where we use secondary analysis (for example from the IFS, the ONS or trade bodies), we say so.
3. Plain English
Drafts are edited to a reading age that lets someone meeting the topic for the first time understand it. Jargon is explained on first use. Every guide uses British English spelling and UK currency.
4. Fact-checking
Every guide is reviewed by a second editor before publication. We re-check every figure at least every two months, and immediately whenever HMRC, the FCA, the Bank of England or government publishes a relevant change.
5. Date stamps
Every guide carries a publication date and a last-updated date. Both reflect real edits — we do not bump dates for cosmetic refreshes.
6. Corrections
If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] with the page URL and a primary-source link. Substantive factual corrections are logged on the public corrections log with the date and a short note of what changed. Log entries are not edited after publication. See how corrections work.
7. Not advice
Nothing on this site is personal financial advice. We provide general information; an FCA-regulated adviser provides advice. Money Guide is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We do not arrange deals, hold client money or give personalised recommendations on regulated products.
8. Research tools
We sometimes use software during research to summarise primary-source documents and check readability. We do not publish machine-written text as a final guide. A named human editor writes, edits and signs off every page.
9. Affiliate links and paid partnerships
Like other consumer publishers, we sometimes use partner advertisements — outbound links, marked * and labelled Ad where a live partner relationship exists, that earn us commission when you open an account, apply for a product, book travel or complete an action with a third party, at no extra cost to you. Links without those labels earn us nothing. We do not take commission on consumer-credit, investment or pension products while we are not FCA-authorised, and we do not list credit cards, loans, investments or pensions as offers: introducing customers to lenders for commission is credit broking (a regulated activity), and investment or pension promotions by unauthorised publishers must be approved by an FCA-authorised firm. Credit-card and borrowing guides are educational information only. Affiliate income funds the site; it does not decide which products we cover or how we order them. We follow the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) rules: commercial relationships are disclosed clearly before you click, using a prominent Ad label on the commercial block plus a * on the partner link. For Google Search, most affiliate and other paid outbound links use rel="nofollow sponsored" (and open in a new tab where appropriate). Instant Deed Poll and SwiftWill editorial citations are a disclosed dofollow exception (still labelled Ad and marked *) so those links can pass equity; other partner programmes keep the sponsored attribute. For non-financial affiliate programmes, such as travel or retail links, we still label partner ads and substantiate claims. For regulated financial products, we avoid personal recommendations and use factual information only. When a link takes you to a regulated financial product, your contract is with the FCA-authorised firm — not with Money Guide. Always check the FCA register before taking personal advice. Rates, bonuses and eligibility change; confirm current terms on the provider's site before applying.
Public corrections log: /corrections/. How we research, verify rates and label offers: /method/.
Affiliate links — FAQ
- Does Money Guide use affiliate links?
- Only where a link is marked * or labelled Ad. Those labels appear only when a live partner relationship exists; if you click and complete an action, we receive commission at no extra cost to you. Links without those labels earn us nothing. We follow UK disclosure rules (ASA/CAP), including a prominent Ad label on commercial blocks. Most paid outbound links use rel="nofollow sponsored"; Instant Deed Poll and SwiftWill are dofollow editorial exceptions that still carry the * and Ad labels.
- How are partner links labelled on Money Guide?
- Any partner advertisement is labelled Ad on the commercial block, marked * on the button or link text, explained in a short note under each page title, and linked to how we make money. If a link carries no * and no Ad label, it is not a partner link and earns us nothing.
- Does affiliate commission affect Money Guide's editorial ranking?
- No. We do not rank products or offers by what pays the most and we do not accept payment to feature a provider in editorial content. Commission helps fund the site but never decides what we cover or how we order it.
- Why doesn't Money Guide take commission on credit cards, loans, investments or pensions?
- Because UK law restricts it. Taking commission for introducing customers to lenders or credit brokers is credit broking — a regulated activity requiring FCA authorisation — and financial promotions for investments or pensions by unauthorised publishers must be approved by an FCA-authorised firm (section 21 FSMA). Money Guide is not FCA-authorised, so we do not list those products as offers, we do not earn commission on them, and credit-card guides are educational information only.
- Is Money Guide FCA-authorised because it links to financial products?
- No. Money Guide publishes general information, not regulated financial advice. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. When you apply via a third-party link, your contract is with the FCA-authorised provider — not with Money Guide.