Advertiser Disclosure
Last Updated: August 24, 2026
ClearCents is free to use, and we want to be fully transparent about how that's possible. This page explains exactly how the site makes money, what that does and doesn't influence, and how to control the ads and tracking you see when you visit.
How ClearCents Makes Money
This site is supported through two main channels:
| Channel | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Display advertising | Ads served through Google AdSense (Auto ads), which appear alongside our content and are placed automatically by Google based on the page layout |
| Affiliate commissions | A small commission earned if you click a link to a financial product, service, or app and sign up or make a purchase, at no extra cost to you |
Where an article contains affiliate links, we note it directly at the top of that article, not buried in fine print. Not every article on the site has affiliate relationships — many of our educational guides (how something works, how to calculate a number, general explainers) have no product links to monetize at all, and simply carry display advertising like the rest of the site.
Advertising Does Not Influence Our Content
Our editorial decisions about what to write about, what to recommend, and how to present information are based solely on what's genuinely useful and accurate for our readers — never on which advertiser pays the most or which link earns the highest commission. Our full research and sourcing process is outlined in our Editorial Process.
We do not accept payment in exchange for a positive review or a guaranteed ranking in a "best of" list. If we compare products, our comparisons reflect our own research into publicly available terms, pricing, and features. Concretely, this means:
- A product's affiliate commission rate has no bearing on whether it's included in a comparison or how it's ranked within one.
- If a product we've recommended changes its terms for the worse, we update the article accordingly, even if that product still carries an affiliate relationship.
- We don't publish "sponsored posts" or paid placements disguised as regular editorial content — every article on this site is written by us, for the reasons stated in that article, not paid for by a brand.
What Affiliate Links Look Like in Practice
A typical example: if an article compares several high-yield savings accounts and you click through to open an account at one of them, we may earn a referral commission from that bank if you complete the signup. The account terms, rate, and features you see are the same whether or not you came from our link — affiliate relationships affect our revenue, not the price or terms you're offered as a customer. We link to a range of products across most comparison categories, including ones with which we have no financial relationship at all, when they're relevant to the comparison.
Personalized Advertising
Like most websites supported by advertising, ClearCents uses cookies and similar technologies from advertising partners (including Google) to show ads that may be relevant to your interests. You can learn more about how this works, and how to manage your preferences, in our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
You can also visit Google's Ads Settings to control how Google personalizes ads for you, or opt out of personalized advertising through the Digital Advertising Alliance. Opting out of personalized advertising doesn't mean you'll see fewer ads — it means the ads you see are based on the page's general content rather than your browsing history.
Why We Disclose This at All
Financial content carries a particular responsibility, since recommendations here can genuinely affect a reader's money. The Federal Trade Commission requires clear disclosure of affiliate relationships specifically because undisclosed financial incentives can quietly bias what gets recommended — we'd rather be upfront about the incentive structure and let you judge our recommendations on their merits, than have you wonder what's driving a particular pick.
What Kinds of Products Carry Affiliate Relationships
Affiliate relationships on ClearCents are generally limited to specific financial products and services we review or compare — bank accounts, credit cards, budgeting apps, tax software, and similar categories where readers are actively deciding between named options. Purely educational content (explaining how a 401(k) works, how credit utilization is calculated, what a debt-to-income ratio means) typically has no product to link to and carries no affiliate relationship at all — it exists because the topic is useful to understand, independent of whether any company benefits from it.
| Content Type | Typically Monetized Through |
|---|---|
| Product comparisons and reviews | Display ads, and often affiliate links to the products discussed |
| Educational explainers and how-to guides | Display ads only, generally no affiliate links |
| Free calculators and tools | Display ads only — the tools themselves are never paywalled or limited based on advertiser relationships |
How We Keep Editorial and Revenue Separate
Practically, this comes down to a few consistent habits: articles are researched and written based on what the topic actually requires, before any consideration of which products might be linked; product comparisons are built from publicly available terms and our own verification of the math (interest calculations, fee structures) rather than marketing copy supplied by a company; and if a recommended product's terms change for the worse, the article gets updated regardless of whether the affiliate relationship continues. See our full Editorial Process for more on how content gets researched, verified, and kept current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clicking an affiliate link cost me anything extra?
No — the price or terms you're offered are identical whether you arrive through our link or find the product independently. The commission comes from the company, not from you.
Do you ever recommend a product just because it pays a higher commission?
No. Our comparisons and rankings are based on our own research into terms, rates, and features, and we don't accept payment for a specific ranking or a guaranteed positive review.
How can I tell if an article has affiliate links?
Articles with affiliate relationships note it directly near the top of the piece, typically alongside a link to this page, rather than only in a general site-wide disclosure.
Do you publish sponsored content?
No — we don't run paid articles or sponsored posts disguised as regular editorial content. Every guide on ClearCents is written independently, based on our own research and editorial judgment.
How do I stop seeing personalized ads?
Use Google's Ads Settings or opt out through the Digital Advertising Alliance, or manage cookie preferences directly through this site's cookie banner.
Questions
If you have questions about how ClearCents is funded or how a specific article is monetized, email clearcentscontact@gmail.com or contact us.