LendEDU’s Editorial Ratings are designed to help consumers better understand how certain companies compare to others in their respective industries.
We do not publish favorable or unfavorable reviews or ratings at the direction of any company. Instead, our full-time editorial staff is tasked with rating companies and providing accurate and fact-based analyses. These ratings are then used by our editorial staff and contractors for creating content and determining which companies are the best for different financial situations.
Here is a description of our numerical ratings:
- 5 stars = Excellent selection
- 4 stars = Above average selection
- 3 stars = Average selection
- 2 stars = Below average selection
- 1 star = Poor selection
Below you will find more information about how we rate products, broken out by category. Click a dropdown to see the rating methodology for that product.
Auto Insurance
JD Power Score, A.M. Best Rating, Moody’s Rating, S&P Rating, BBB Rating, Trustpilot Score, state availability, and discounts.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Auto Insurance Companies
Auto Loan
In each category, we considered data such as APRs, loan terms, BBB Rating, minimum and maximum borrowing limits, state availability, fees, and discounts.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Auto Loans
Auto Loan Refinance
APRs, loan terms, min/max borrowing limits, max car age, max miles on car, BBB Rating, and state availability.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Auto Loan Refinance Companies
Credit Builder Loans
Accessibility of information
Eligibility requirements
Rates
Repayment terms
Loan amounts
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Credit benefits
Financial support
>> See Our Choices: Best Credit Builder Loans
Credit Cards
These data points included introductory APRs, welcome offers, rewards rates, fees, other benefits, and more. The weight assigned to each data point varied based on which credit card category we were reviewing.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Credit Cards
Credit Unions That Don’t Use Chexsystems
Monthly fees, overdraft fees, minimum deposit, minimum balance, ATM fees, non-bank ATM fees, foreign transaction fees, card replacement fees, paper statement fees, and wire transfer fees.
>> See Our Top Choices: Credit Unions That Don’t Use Chexsystems
Dental Discount Plans
Gold Dealers
>> See Our Choices: Best Gold IRAs & Best Gold Dealers
Home Equity Line of Credit
Accessibility of information
Eligibility requirements
Rates (APR)
Repayment terms
How much can you borrow?
Appraisal process
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Benefits
Funding time
Limitations
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Home Equity Lines of Credit
Home Equity Loan
Accessibility of information
Eligibility requirements
Rates (APR)
Repayment terms
Loan amounts
Appraisal process
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Benefits
Funding time
Limitations
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Home Equity Loans
Home Equity Investment
Application process
Benefits
Buyout cost
Buyout flexibility
Customer reviews
Eligibility
Fees
Investment amount
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Home Equity Sharing Agreement Companies
Home-Sale Leaseback
Eligibility requirements
Accessibility of information
Lease terms
Purchase price
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Benefits
Closing time
>> See Our Choices: Best Home-Sale Leaseback Companies
Homeowners Insurance
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Homeowners Insurance
Income-Share Agreements
BBB Rating, Trustpilot Rating, minimum income, income percentage taken, funding amount, fund time, and loan terms.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Income-Share Agreements
Life Insurance
LendEDU analyzed each company based on the following:
A.M. Best Rating, BBB Rating, Trustpilot Score, NAIC Complaint Index, coverage amounts, terms offered, and more.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Life Insurance
Mortgages
Data points included varied by category but generally included BBB Rating, Trustpilot Score, fees, state availability, licenses and registrations, number of regulatory actions, number of originators, customer support, Zillow Rating, APRs, term length availability, online accessibility, and other benefits.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Mortgage Lenders
Motorcycle Loans
BBB Rating, loan amounts, term lengths, APRs, deposit time, origination fees, and availability of customer support.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Motorcycle Loans
Personal Lines of Credit
Accessibility of information
Eligibility requirements
Rates
How much can you borrow?
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Benefits
Funding time
Number of options
>> See Our Choices: Best Personal Lines of Credit
Personal Loans
Accessibility of information
Eligibility requirements
Rates
Repayment terms
Loan amounts
Fees
Customer experience
Company history
Benefits
Funding time
Uses
>> See Our Choices: Best Personal Loans
Pet Insurance
LendEDU analyzed each pet insurance company based on transparency, eligibility requirements, waiting periods, coverage, policy terms, policy cost, money-back guarantee, customer reviews, added benefits, user experience, and financial strength.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Pet Insurance Companies
Private Student Loans
>> See Our Top Choices:
Best Private Student Loans
Student Loans Without a Cosigner
Best Graduate Student Loans
Best Parent Student Loans
Renters Insurance
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Renters Insurance
Reverse Mortgages
Overall mortgages are based on the following criteria:
BBB Rating, Trustpilot Score, state availability, fund time, loan amounts, number of branches, number of state licenses, number of regulatory actions, number of originators, and age of company.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Reverse Mortgage Lenders
Student Loan Refinancing
– Transparency
– Rates (APR)
– Repayment
– Loan amounts
– Cosigner details
– Eligibility
– Fees
– Company history
– Benefits
– User experience
>> See Our Choices: Best Student Loan Refinance Companies
Tax Relief
Vision Insurance
A.M. Best Rating, S&P Rating, BBB Rating, glasses allowance, state availability, eye exam allowance, and contacts allowance.
>> See Our Top Choices: Best Vision Insurance
Vision Savings Plan
Eye exam coverage, glasses coverage, Lasik surgery coverage, contacts coverage, sunglasses coverage, BBB Rating, and customer support.