Affiliate Disclosure

At The Money Friend, we believe you deserve to know exactly how we make money and how that does — and does not — affect the content you read. This page explains our revenue model, our affiliate relationships, and the editorial standards we hold ourselves to. We wrote this in plain English because transparency should not require a law degree.

The Short Version

This site contains affiliate links. When you click on certain links and make a purchase or take a qualifying action, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help us keep our calculators free and our content independent.

How We Make Money

The Money Friend earns revenue through several channels:

• Affiliate partnerships: We partner with financial product companies (mortgage lenders, insurance providers, banks, investment platforms, and others). When you click an affiliate link on our site and sign up for a product or service, the company may pay us a referral commission. This costs you nothing extra.
• Amazon Associates: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, The Money Friend earns from qualifying purchases.
• Digital product sales: We sell financial planning templates and tools (such as budget spreadsheets and home-buying checklists) through our site. These are optional products — all of our calculators and core content remain free.
• Display advertising: Some pages on our site may display advertisements from advertising networks. We limit ads to a maximum of three per page and never place them inside our calculator interfaces.
• Newsletter sponsorships: Our email newsletter may occasionally include sponsored content, which will always be clearly labeled.

How Affiliate Links Work

When we link to a financial product or service, the link often contains a special tracking code. If you click that link and then take a qualifying action — such as opening an account, applying for a loan, or making a purchase — the company knows you came from our site and may pay us a commission.

Here is what this means for you:

• You pay the same price. Affiliate commissions are paid by the company, not by you. Clicking an affiliate link does not increase the price you pay for any product or service.
• A cookie may be placed. When you click an affiliate link, the partner company may place a small file (a "cookie") on your device to remember that you came from our site. This cookie is managed by the affiliate partner, not by us.
• You are never required to click. You can always go directly to any company's website. Our affiliate links are a convenience, not a requirement.

How to Identify Affiliate Links on Our Site

We strive to make affiliate links clear and conspicuous:

• Pages that contain affiliate links include a disclosure statement near the top or near the affiliate links, typically reading: "This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you."
• Affiliate links are presented through a consistent component on our site that includes appropriate disclosure text.
• We use the rel="nofollow sponsored" attribute on affiliate links, as recommended by search engine guidelines.

What Affiliate Commissions Do NOT Influence

This is important, so we want to be direct about it:

• Calculator results are not influenced by affiliate relationships. Our calculators use mathematical formulas based on your inputs and publicly available financial data (such as average interest rates and tax rates). No affiliate partner can pay to change a calculator's output.
• Content rankings and recommendations are not for sale. When we compare or recommend financial products, our recommendations are based on research, publicly available product information, and general financial principles. Affiliate commission rates do not determine which products we recommend or how we rank them.
• We feature products we do not earn from. If a product is the best option for our readers, we will recommend it whether or not we have an affiliate relationship with that company.

Our Editorial Standards

We hold ourselves to the following standards to maintain your trust:

• Research-based content: Our articles, guides, and product discussions are based on publicly available data, industry research, official rate sheets, and established financial principles. We cite our sources and link to original data when possible.
• No fabricated experience: We do not claim firsthand personal experience with a product unless that experience is genuine and clearly attributed to a named individual. When our content discusses products based on research rather than personal use, we present it as research-based information.
• AI transparency: We use artificial intelligence tools to assist in creating content on this site. AI-generated content is reviewed for accuracy and edited to meet our editorial standards. We do not use AI to fabricate reviews, testimonials, or firsthand product experiences.
• Both sides of the story: When we discuss financial products, we include both advantages and disadvantages. If a product has significant drawbacks, we will tell you about them even if we earn a commission from that product.
• Regular updates: Financial products, rates, and regulations change. We review and update our content to keep it current, and we display the last-updated date on our pages.

Financial Disclaimer

We are not financial advisors, tax professionals, or legal professionals. The content on The Money Friend is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be construed as personalized financial advice.

Everyone's financial situation is different. Before making significant financial decisions — such as buying a home, investing, choosing insurance, or taking on debt — you should consult a licensed financial advisor, certified public accountant, or other qualified professional who can evaluate your specific circumstances.

Calculator results on our site are estimates based on simplified models and the values you enter. They should be used as starting points for your research, not as definitive financial plans.

FTC Compliance

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, specifically 16 CFR Part 255. The FTC requires that material connections between endorsers and the products or services they recommend be clearly disclosed.

We maintain this dedicated disclosure page and also include contextual disclosures on individual pages that contain affiliate links. Our goal is to make our financial relationships clear and conspicuous to every reader, as the FTC requires.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

The Money Friend is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

As an Amazon Associate, The Money Friend earns from qualifying purchases.

Product prices and availability on Amazon are accurate as of the date and time indicated on our pages and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of the product.

Fair Housing Act Compliance

The Money Friend is committed to the letter and spirit of the Fair Housing Act. All housing-related content on our site — including calculators, blog posts, and guides — is provided without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

We do not use language that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on protected characteristics. Our home-buying calculators evaluate affordability based solely on financial inputs (income, debts, savings, interest rates) and do not request or consider any demographic information.

Equal Housing Opportunity.

Mortgage and Credit Disclosures (TILA / Regulation Z)

When our calculators or content reference interest rates, monthly payments, down payment percentages, or other credit terms, these are provided as illustrative examples only. They do not constitute an offer to lend, a commitment to make a loan at any specific rate or term, or a guarantee of credit availability.

Actual interest rates, monthly payments, and loan terms are determined by individual lenders based on your credit profile, loan amount, property type, location, and current market conditions. The rates and payments shown in our calculators may differ significantly from what you are offered by a lender.

We are not a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or loan originator. We do not take loan applications, negotiate loan terms, or process mortgage transactions. Any links to mortgage lenders on our site are affiliate referrals, not settlement service referrals under RESPA.

Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)

The Money Friend does not provide settlement services. We are not a title company, escrow agent, real estate broker, or mortgage loan originator. When we link to financial product providers (including mortgage lenders), these links are informational affiliate referrals that earn advertising commissions.

Our affiliate commissions are advertising fees paid for referral traffic, not fees or "kickbacks" for settlement service referrals. We do not have ownership interests in the mortgage lenders, insurance companies, or other financial service providers whose products may appear on our site. Our affiliate relationships are disclosed on this page and on individual pages containing affiliate links, in compliance with FTC guidelines.

Investment and Retirement Content Disclaimer

Content discussing savings accounts, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA), investment returns, or wealth-building strategies is provided for educational purposes only. We are not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or financial planner registered with FINRA or the SEC.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Hypothetical returns shown in our calculators and content (such as historical average stock market returns) are illustrative and may not reflect actual investment performance. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal.

When our content mentions specific types of financial products (such as high-yield savings accounts or index funds), these are general educational references, not recommendations of specific securities or products suitable for your individual situation. Consult a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor for personalized guidance.

Questions About This Disclosure

If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships, how we earn money, or how we make editorial decisions, we welcome your inquiry. Transparency is a core value for us, and we are happy to explain any aspect of our business model.

The Money Friend
Website: themoneyfriend.com
Email: disclosure@themoneyfriend.com