Editorial Policy

This page describes how Fin Watch produces its coverage, what its scores mean, who is accountable for them, and how commercial support is disclosed. It is meant to be read, not skimmed.

How we assess a firm

We work from firms' published terms, regulator publications and published complaints data, all attributed and dated. Where a regulatory position is recent or still bedding in, we say so and date the statement. We never assert a firm's permissions on our own authority — we point readers to the FCA Register — and deposit-protection and ombudsman-eligibility claims are repeated only where the firm states them, with their limits.

What our scores mean

Scores run 0–10 and grade disclosure, legibility of terms and quality of redress routes — never returns, growth or app polish. A high score means a firm is easy to hold to account. No score can be bought.

Disclosure

Fin Watch is a commercially supported publication. Posts containing affiliate links, and posts that are sponsored, carry a disclosure with the post. Sponsored and affiliate links are marked rel="sponsored" in the page's code. Sponsors never see, edit or approve editorial copy before publication, and no score can be bought — see the advertising page for what is and is not for sale.

Bylines

Fin Watch publishes under house bylines maintained by the editorial team. Bridget Nowak, the editor's byline on our reviews, is a disclosed house pen name — the accountable editorial identity for everything published under it, in the tradition of publications that write under a house name rather than inventing biographies. News runs under “Staff, Fin Watch.” There is no invented journalist behind any byline on this site.

What this publication is not

Fin Watch is a publisher. We are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, we are not a lender, broker or adviser, and nothing on this site is financial advice. We do not assert any firm's regulatory permissions — check a firm's status on the FCA Register yourself. Deposit-protection and ombudsman-eligibility claims are repeated only where the firm publishes them, and with their limits.

Corrections

If we have published an error — a figure, a date, a term, a price — we want to know. Reach the editorial desk via the contact page and say “correction” in the first line; that queue moves fastest. We correct promptly and note material corrections in the post.