Financial research that reads the fine print.

One named editor and no paid placements. How we review banks, brokerages, insurers and apps from their fee schedules and public records, and why.

Who we are

Investing and Retirement is an independent editorial publisher owned by Investing and Retirement Media LLC. Every review is written and edited by one named editor, Michael Hewitt. Reviews are desk reviews, built from each provider's fee schedule, account agreement and public complaint record; when we open an account ourselves, the review says so, with the date. Our scoring rubrics are public and the same for every product in a category.

How we make money

We are compensated through affiliate relationships with some of the banks, brokerages, and app companies we cover. Partners cannot pay for better rankings, cannot preview or approve editorial content, and cannot remove negative findings. When a commission relationship exists, it is disclosed on the review itself and in our advertiser disclosure. Without that independence there is no reason for a reader to trust our ratings.

Editorial process

• Every review is built from the provider's own disclosures and the public record, not its marketing page.
• Scores are computed from a published, category-specific rubric.
• Each product page shows the date its APY, fees and bonus terms were last checked.
• Readers can flag inaccuracies at any time; we investigate within five business days and publish a correction when warranted.