Before Payment
- Category: education, software, comparison, loan, debt, credit, insurance, investing, crypto, or advice.
- Seller identity: business name, support contact, legal entity, address, and terms page.
- Fees: one-time fees, recurring fees, APR, success fees, renewal, cancellation.
- Claims: reject guaranteed approval, guaranteed returns, erased debt, or guaranteed credit improvement.
- Data requested: SSN, ID, banking data, credit report access, income, debt, or sensitive documents.
Risk and Compliance
- Licensing: if personalized advice is implied, verify credentials and jurisdiction.
- Refund: window, process, restrictions, and who handles support.
- Impact: possible credit impact, debt consequences, tax/legal issues, or privacy risk.
- Alternatives: compare free nonprofit, government, bank, or regulated sources.
- Decision rule: do not pay if fees, outcomes, seller identity, or data use are unclear.
No affiliate link yet
This checklist supports the financial-products watchlist. We add affiliate links only after a product passes compliance and economics review.