ClearValue Banking
Banking, explained plainly.
We compare high-yield savings, checking, CDs, and money-market accounts in plain English — the real yield, the catch, and the fine print, named out loud. We're not a bank, and every rate we show carries the date and source it came from.
What you can check
Four rules. Every account. Every page.
Anyone can call an account “best.” We'd rather show the work — the method, the date on every rate, and how we get paid — so you can audit it instead of trusting it.
Compare the real yield
APY is only half the story. We weigh the minimums, the fees, the transfer times, and the catch that shows up in month three — not just the headline number.
Every rate dated and sourced
Rates move all the time. Every number we publish says what it was, as of when, and where it came from — so you can check it instead of taking our word for it.
We're not a bank
ClearValue Banking doesn't hold your money or open accounts. The partner bank does that, and it's the FDIC-insured one — named on the page. We just help you compare.
How we make money, on the page
When you pick an account through a partner, we may earn a referral fee. It's disclosed where it applies, and it never moves how an account ranks.
Where to start
Pick the account you're weighing.
Savings
Where to park cash so it actually earns — compared on yield, fees, and access.
See options Everyday spendingChecking
Accounts that don't nickel-and-dime you — overdraft terms, fees, and perks, plainly.
See options Locked-in ratesCDs
Certificates of deposit by term and yield — including the early-withdrawal catch.
See options Side by sideCompare
Put accounts head to head on the numbers that actually change what you keep.
See optionsWhere it comes from
Built on Brian Kim's approach.
ClearValue started with Brian Kim — a CPA who got tired of watching people get talked into money decisions they didn't understand, and started explaining it in plain English instead. ClearValue Banking runs on the same approach: the numbers, the tradeoffs, and the fine print, said plainly — and never dressed up to sell you something.
More about Brian KimThe trust bar
One method, written down.
How we source rates, how we score accounts, and how we get paid — one page, in the open. Nothing about an account's ranking depends on what it pays us.
Frequently asked
Is ClearValue Banking a bank?
No. ClearValue Banking is an independent education and comparison site — not a bank, credit union, or FDIC/NCUA-insured institution. We don't hold your money, open accounts, or give personalized financial advice. When you choose an account, it's opened with and held by the partner bank, which is the FDIC-insured one, disclosed on the page.
How do you decide which accounts are good?
We score accounts on a published methodology: the real yield, the fees, the minimums, how fast you can move money, and the catch that tends to show up a few months in. Accounts are ranked by fit for a saver, not by what a partner pays us. You can read the whole method and argue with it.
How current are the rates you show?
Rates, APYs, and bonuses change constantly, and each one is set by the bank, not by us. Every figure we publish carries the date it was accurate as of and the named source it came from. Always confirm the current terms with the provider before you decide — we don't guarantee any rate or that an offer is still live.
How does ClearValue Banking make money?
When you choose an account through one of our partners, we may earn a referral or affiliate fee, disclosed on the page where it applies. What we get paid never changes how an account ranks or scores. The full breakdown is on our how-we-make-money page.
Who is behind ClearValue Banking?
ClearValue Banking is part of the ClearValue family, built on Brian Kim's approach: explain money in plain English — the numbers, the tradeoffs, and the fine print, said plainly, and never dressed up to sell you something.