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The financial product comparison checklist.

Use this before choosing a savings account, credit card, brokerage, or other financial product. Your progress is saved only in your browser.

Compare the product, not the pitch.

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General education only

1. Define the job

I can state what I need this product to do in one sentence.

I know when I may need the money or benefit.

I compared at least two alternatives, including doing nothing for now.

2. Find the real cost

I found recurring fees, transaction fees, penalties, and conditions for avoiding them.

I checked whether the advertised rate or reward is variable, temporary, capped, or conditional.

I checked minimum balances, deposits, spending, or activity requirements.

3. Verify the boring details

I verified applicable protections or insurance through an authoritative source.

I know how to access, transfer, close, or cancel the product.

I checked customer support, dispute, and error-resolution procedures.

4. Make the decision legible

I used the terms, fee schedule, or official disclosures—not only a review or advertisement.

I know how the company, reviewer, or adviser is paid.

I wrote down why this option fits and what would make me reconsider later.

Resource library

Infrastructure ready. Content growing.

The first full resources will be adapted from workshops and reviewed by club presidents before publication.

Live

Financial product comparison checklist

A reusable process for looking past marketing and evaluating fit, cost, terms, and incentives.

Use the checklist

In development

High-yield savings comparison worksheet

A side-by-side framework for APY, fees, access, deposit insurance, transfer speed, and account conditions.

Add workshop file before launch

In development

Preparing to invest

A readiness checklist covering emergency savings, time horizon, account types, risk, and basic order types.

Add workshop file before launch

Planned

Credit card research guide

A beginner-friendly way to compare fees, interest, rewards, approval factors, protections, and marketing claims.

Planned for a future workshop

Students reviewing financial information on a laptop during a workshop

Resource standard

Useful, sourced, and clear about its limits.

Written for beginners without removing important tradeoffs.
Reviewed by club presidents before publication.
Includes sources and a review date when facts can change.
Uses examples for education, not product recommendations.
Revised or archived when information becomes stale.

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Use the process, not someone else’s conclusion.