Editorial Standards.

Our editorial mission

LendingsTree's content exists to help borrowers compare lending tree loan options intelligently. We are not a lender, we do not earn money based on which loan you choose, and we do not edit articles to favor any particular partner lender. Our editorial independence is what makes the comparison marketplace useful.

Who writes our content

Every long-form article on this site is written by a member of our funding-specialist team — people with multi-year experience in consumer or commercial lending. Bylines on each article identify the author, their job title, and their years of experience. Bylines are not anonymous or made up; they identify the specific person responsible for the article.

For each article, see the author's bio on the article page itself, or visit our About page for the full team.

How we research

Our team draws on three categories of source material:

• Primary regulatory sources. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) publications, Federal Reserve consumer-credit data, FTC guidance, state-level financial regulators, and the SBA for business-lending content.
• Industry-standard reference data. FICO and VantageScore scoring documentation, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan-limit announcements, MBA Weekly Applications Survey, and similar industry data sources.
• Practitioner expertise. Our own team's hands-on experience with consumer and commercial credit underwriting, plus interviews with partner lender underwriters where appropriate.

We do not cite anonymous blog posts, social-media speculation, or unsourced claims from forums.

Fact-checking process

Every article goes through a three-step review before publication:

1. Author research. The author drafts the article and cites sources for every numeric claim.
2. Internal fact-check. A second team member with relevant subject-matter experience verifies the numbers, the regulatory references, and the math in any worked example. The reviewer is identified by name on the published article.
3. Editorial sign-off. Final pass for clarity, tone, accuracy, and compliance with our disclosures policy. Articles are not published until all three steps clear.

Last-reviewed dates

Every article displays a "Last reviewed" date in the byline. We re-review articles at least once every 12 months — sooner if relevant rules, rates, or regulations change. The date reflects the most recent verification of the content's accuracy, not just the original publication date.

Corrections policy

If you find an error, please email [email protected]. We review every reported correction. If we determine that an article contains a factual error, we will:

• Update the article with the correct information.
• Add a visible correction note at the top of the article identifying what was changed and when.
• Update the "Last reviewed" date accordingly.

Corrections are not silently edited. If we change a published claim, we say so.

Editorial independence

LendingsTree earns revenue when partner lenders connect with borrowers through our marketplace. That revenue does not affect the editorial decisions on this site. Specifically:

• We do not allow partner lenders to review or approve our content before publication.
• We do not write articles that recommend specific lenders as "best" or "preferred" — we let the marketplace's offer comparison do that work transparently.
• Article recommendations are based on the editorial team's analysis of borrower benefit, not on partner-lender preference or referral economics.

Disclosures we always include

• We are not the official LendingTree website and are not affiliated with LendingTree, LLC.
• We are a comparison marketplace, not a lender. We do not make credit decisions or fund loans.
• Rates, terms, and approval are determined solely by individual lenders.
• Checking your rate uses a soft credit inquiry; a hard inquiry only occurs if you proceed with a specific lender.
• Information on this site is for educational purposes and is not financial, tax, or legal advice.

Contact our editorial team

Editorial: [email protected]
Press inquiries: [email protected]
Corrections: [email protected]