Scoring Methodology — YourBestSavings.com
How every product is scored: APY weight, flexibility penalty scoring, minimum deposit accessibility, and data verification process.
Overview
Every deposit product on YourBestSavings.com receives a composite score from 0 to 100. Products are ranked by this score, not by APY alone. A product with a slightly lower APY but no minimum deposit and a short penalty window can outscore one with a higher APY and a $10,000 minimum.
HYSA and checking accounts
High-yield savings accounts are scored on three factors: APY (70% weight), minimum deposit accessibility (20%), and withdrawal flexibility (10%). The APY score uses a competitive market range of 3.0%–4.5% APY, calibrated quarterly. A product at the top of that range earns a score of 100; at the floor, 0.
CDs
CDs are scored on APY (60%), early withdrawal flexibility (25%), and minimum deposit accessibility (15%). The flexibility score is based on the early withdrawal penalty in days: no penalty = 100, 60 days = 80, 90 days = 75, 150 days = 70, 180 days = 65, 270 days = 60, 365 days = 35, over 365 days = 25.
Data sources and verification
APYs are sourced directly from each institution’s public website. Our scan system checks every source URL daily and flags changes for human review. No rate is updated without a human editor verifying the detected change against the institution’s site. Each product shows the date rates were last verified (apy_as_of).
What we do not score
We do not score based on brand recognition, advertising spend, customer reviews, mobile app ratings, or any factor not directly related to the financial terms of the product. We do not accept payment to influence rankings.
Score range calibration
The competitive APY range (currently 3.0%–4.5%) is reviewed quarterly. If market rates shift significantly, we recalibrate the range and recalculate all scores. Recalibration dates are logged on our corrections page.