Transparency is a core value at Smart American Living. Here’s exactly how we make money, and how it does — and doesn’t — affect what you read on our site.
Affiliate Partnerships
Our primary revenue source is affiliate partnerships. When you click on certain links on our site and take an action — like applying for a credit card, signing up for a service, or making a purchase — we may earn a commission from the company. This costs you nothing extra.
What This Means for You
Our recommendations are never for sale. We evaluate products based on their merits — rates, fees, features, and value. Whether or not a company has an affiliate partnership with us does not influence our editorial ratings or rankings.
Not all products are affiliate links. We regularly recommend products and services that don’t generate any revenue for us, because we believe they’re the best option for our readers.
Affiliate revenue keeps our content free. This business model allows us to provide free, in-depth financial research and guidance without charging readers for access or hiding content behind paywalls.
How We Maintain Independence
Our editorial team operates separately from our business relationships. The people who write and edit our content are not involved in partnership negotiations, and our partners do not get to review, approve, or influence our content before it’s published.
Questions?
If you have questions about our business model or how we make editorial decisions, email us at transparency@smartamericanliving.com.