How we review products

YieldMaple's editorial process is built around a single principle: no product is reviewed without a real account, used with real money, by a member of our editorial team. No product reviewed on YieldMaple is "from research only." If we haven't opened the account, we don't publish the review.

Below is the full process every published review goes through.

Our 7-step review process

1. Open the account. A member of our editorial team opens the account using real ID, funds it with real money, and goes through the actual signup flow a Canadian reader would face.
2. Use it for at least 30 days. We make real deposits, withdrawals, trades, transfers, and bill payments — whatever the product is designed for.
3. Test customer service. At least one real interaction by chat, phone, or email is documented during the review period.
4. Document fees. Stated fees are verified against actual account statements, with screenshots captured for the record.
5. Compare against alternatives. We benchmark each product against its closest Canadian competitors so readers can see what they would give up by picking one over another.
6. Editorial review and fact-check. Each draft is reviewed by the YieldMaple editorial team, with primary sources verified for every numerical claim (contribution limits, MERs, interest rates, fee schedules).
7. Publish with dated metadata. Every published article carries a Last Updated date and a Last Verified date for affiliate links and pricing details.

How we score

Each product gets a 1–5 rating based on five dimensions, weighted by category:

• Fees & cost — what you pay over a typical year of use
• Product quality — does the core product work well?
• User experience — apps, web, signup flow
• Customer service — real-world support test
• Canadian fit — TFSA/RRSP/CDIC support, Canadian rates, no US-only features

How we refresh content

Canadian rates, fees, and product features change frequently. The YieldMaple editorial team re-verifies pricing and feature data on every review at least once per quarter, with the top 20 traffic pages reviewed monthly. Each article carries both a "Last Updated" date and a "Last Verified" date so readers can see when the most recent fee and rate check was performed.

Our sources

Every numerical claim on YieldMaple is traceable to a primary source. We rely on:

• CRA publications and announcements (TFSA / RRSP / FHSA contribution limits, deadlines, withdrawal rules)
• OSFI and CIRO regulatory filings (broker capital requirements, deposit insurance arrangements)
• CDIC and CIPF official coverage documentation
• Provider websites and account statements (fees, rates, account features)
• Public regulatory filings and audited financial statements (parent company analyses)

Where we cite product fees, we link to the provider's own fee schedule. Where we cite tax or contribution rules, we link to the relevant CRA publication.

Editorial independence

YieldMaple is editorially independent. Our affiliate partners do not see our coverage before publication and have no influence over rankings, recommendations, or which products we choose to review. We will publish negative coverage of affiliate partners when warranted, and we will recommend products that pay us less when they are the better fit for the reader.

Full disclosure is on our Affiliate Disclosure page.

What we will not do

• Mass-generate AI-written reviews without account testing and editorial review
• Fabricate ratings, testimonials, or quotations
• Accept payment to change a ranking or remove negative content
• Recommend a product because the commission is higher than alternatives
• Make specific personalized financial, tax, or legal recommendations — that is the role of a licensed professional

Submitting a correction

If you spot a factual error, outdated fee, or anything else that needs correcting, email hello@yieldmaple.com. Verified corrections are applied within 1–3 business days, with the change dated on the article.