Our goal with The Military Wallet is to provide our readers with trustworthy and objective reviews. While we may have marketing and affiliate relationships with some of the companies we review, we take care to ensure that our reviews are unbiased by these relationships.
- We do not disclose to our writers which products or services we have marketing agreements with prior to them writing a review.
- We will not review products or services that we do not believe are in the interest of our readers.
- We will not artificially inflate our review scoring to reflect a marketing agreement.
- Disclosure on how we make money.
Our goal is to use objective criteria to rate the various products and services on our website.
Please note that our Review Methodologies are a continuous work in progress and will evolve over time. We will update this page on our website as we update our methodology for each type of review. Please use our contact page if you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our Review Methodologies.
Review Methodology
The following sections provide an overview of how we review each broad financial category on our website. We use these methodologies to ensure we maintain a continuous standard across each type of product or service we review.
Banking Reviews
Your bank is the backbone of your financial infrastructure. As such, you need to make sure you have the right bank for your needs.
The following table shows the criteria we use to review each discount brokerage. You can see a sample discount brokerage review here.
| Bank Rating Criteria | Grading Criteria (1 – 5 Stars) |
|---|---|
| Products & Services | Which products and services does the bank offer? Do they offer full-service banking, loans credit cards, investments, and other products and services? |
| Interest Rates | How do the bank’s interest rates compare to the national average? How do they compare to industry leaders? |
| Fees & Charges | Does the bank offer free checking and savings accounts and an extensive network of free ATMs? What about fees such as monthly service fees, overdraft fees, etc.? |
| Website / App | Does the bank offer access to its platform on a mobile-optimized website, iOS, Android, and tablets? Is the software easy to navigate and use? |
| Customer Service | Can you reach a live person? Which customer service platforms are available (phone, chat, email). Customer service hours? |
Online Stock Brokers / Discount Brokerage Reviews
Online stock brokerages make it easy for investors to buy and sell stocks and other securities. Online brokerages typically charge less than traditional stock brokers.
The following table shows the criteria we use to review each discount brokerage. You can see a sample discount brokerage review here.
| Brokerage Rating Criteria | Grading Criteria (1 – 5 Stars) |
|---|---|
| Commissions & Fees | How do the brokerage’s commissions compare to similar brokerages? Are costs transparent and easy to find? Is there an account minimum? |
| Account Options | Which types of investment accounts are offered? Individual, trusts, college savings, retirement accounts, and more are considered. Bonus if they also offer banking services. |
| Investment Options | Which types of investments are offered by the brokerage firm? Do they offer stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds? What about other investment types, such as Forex, Crypto, and others? |
| Tools & Resources | Does the brokerage offer educational resources, analytical tools, watch lists, calculators, stock screening tools, and more? |
| Website / App / Ease of Use | Does the brokerage offer access to their platform on a mobile-optimized website, iOS, Android, and tablets? Is the software easy to navigate and use? |
| Customer Service | Can you reach a live person? Which customer service platforms are available (phone, chat, email). Customer service hours? |
Robo Advisor Reviews
Robo Advisors provide investors with an automated investment portfolio using pre-determined asset allocation and risk criteria.
The following table shows the criteria we use to review each robo advisor. You can see a sample robo advisor review here.
| Robo Advisor Rating Criteria | Grading Criteria (1 – 5 Stars) |
|---|---|
| Commissions & Fees | How do the robo advisor’s commissions compare to similar robo advisors? Are costs transparent and easy to find? Is there an account minimum? What are the fees of the underlying investments? |
| Account Options | Which types of investment accounts are offered? Individual, trusts, college savings, retirement accounts, and more are considered. Bonus if they also offer banking services. |
| Investment Options & Asset Allocation | Which types of investments are offered by the robo advisor? Do they allow the user to change their Asset Allocation? Do they offer Tax-Loss Harvesting? |
| Tools & Resources | Does the robo advisor offer educational resources, analytical tools, calculators, and more? Can you set investment goals? |
| Website / App / Ease of Use | Does the robo advisor offer access to their platform on a mobile-optimized website, iOS, Android, and tablets? Is the software easy to navigate and use? |
| Customer Service | Can you reach a live person? Which customer service platforms are available (phone, chat, email). Customer service hours? |
