Independence is the product.
Trailmarker only works if you trust the scores. Here's exactly how the money flows in, and exactly how the numbers are put together.
How we make money
Affiliate links. Some "Open an account" buttons pay Trailmarker a commission if you sign up. The commission never changes the Trail Score, the ranking, or a single word of the card. Every card shows the commission line directly under the CTA.
Sponsor listings. If a brand ever pays for placement, that listing is clearly labeled Sponsor and sits outside the ranked lists. We do not currently run any sponsor listings.
Family Premium (soon). A small paid tier for readers who want deeper tooling. It won't gate any scores or cards — the editorial guide stays free.
How we score
Every card is scored out of 10 per age bracket. A card can be excellent for teens and mediocre for kids — one number would hide that. Seven criteria are weighted differently for each bracket, because what matters at 8 isn't what matters at 22.
| Criterion | Kids | Teen | Young adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | 20% | 20% | 25% |
| Parental control | 25% | 15% | 0% |
| Savings | 10% | 15% | 20% |
| Security + FDIC | 20% | 15% | 15% |
| Investing | 0% | 10% | 20% |
| Education | 20% | 15% | 5% |
| Support | 5% | 10% | 15% |
Sources: bank pricing pages, cardholder agreements, live app testing, and support outreach. Every card is re-verified monthly — the stamp at the top of each page tells you the last check.
For the Young Adult bracket, the Investing criterion covers both investing access and credit-building tools — because building a first credit history matters as much as a first portfolio at this age.