Advertising, Affiliate and Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Last Updated: September 7, 2025

Finauthority is committed to maintaining a clear separation between its commercial activities and its independent financial-company research, regulatory assessments, editorial conclusions, user-review moderation and ratings.

Operating a professional international research platform requires resources. Finauthority may therefore generate revenue through advertising, sponsored placements, affiliate relationships, premium company tools, commercial partnerships or other clearly identified business services.

Revenue, however, must not determine what our research concludes.

This Disclosure explains:

• how Finauthority may generate revenue;
• how advertising is identified;
• how sponsored placements work;
• how affiliate relationships are disclosed;
• how paid company features are separated from editorial assessments;
• how conflicts of interest are identified and managed;
• what companies can and cannot purchase;
• how commercial relationships affect rankings and visibility;
• how commercial staff and editorial staff should interact; and
• the safeguards designed to preserve Finauthority’s independence.

Our core principle is:

Companies may purchase visibility or legitimate business functionality. They cannot purchase credibility, regulatory status or editorial conclusions.

1. About Finauthority

Finauthority is an independent financial company directory, research and review platform operated by:

Legal entity: FinAuthority

Registered office: Národní 135/14, Prague, Hlavní mesto Praha 110 00, Czech Republic

Country of registration: Czech Republic

Website: Finauthority.org

General enquiries: kancelar@finauthority.org

Privacy enquiries: privacy@finauthority.org

Legal enquiries: legal@finauthority.org

Company Review & Verification: check@finauthority.org

Finauthority operates from the Czech Republic while providing information about financial companies and services internationally.

2. Why Finauthority Publishes This Disclosure

Financial-company research can influence important user decisions.

For this reason, users should be able to understand whether commercial relationships exist between Finauthority and companies appearing on the Platform.

Transparency is particularly important where Finauthority may:

• review a company;
• display a company profile;
• assign a Finauthority Score;
• publish regulatory information;
• display user reviews;
• link to a company’s website;
• receive affiliate compensation;
• sell advertising;
• offer premium profile features; or
• provide another paid business service.

Commercial relationships must not be concealed in a manner that could reasonably mislead users about the independence of content.

3. Editorial Independence Comes First

Finauthority’s independent research is governed by our:

Editorial Standards and Independence

and

Research and Rating Methodology

Commercial considerations should not determine:

• regulatory status;
• license verification;
• regulatory-warning coverage;
• Finauthority Score;
• Research Confidence;
• risk indicators;
• independent company reviews;
• factual corrections;
• user-review moderation;
• evidence assessment; or
• significant editorial conclusions.

4. How Finauthority May Generate Revenue

Finauthority may generate revenue through activities such as:

• display advertising;
• sponsored placements;
• promoted company profiles;
• affiliate relationships;
• referral arrangements;
• premium profile functionality;
• enhanced business tools;
• company subscription services;
• data or research products;
• clearly identified sponsored content;
• commercial partnerships; or
• other legitimate business services.

The existence of such revenue does not convert Finauthority into an agent or representative of the companies concerned.

5. Advertising

Finauthority may display advertisements on the Platform.

Advertisements should be distinguishable from independent editorial content.

Depending on presentation, appropriate labels may include:

Advertisement

Sponsored

Promoted

Paid Placement

or another sufficiently clear description.

Advertising should not be designed to make users reasonably believe that paid promotional material is independent editorial research when it is not.

6. Advertisements Must Be Clearly Identifiable

Where content is an advertisement, Finauthority aims to make its commercial nature apparent.

Relevant disclosures should be:

• clear;
• understandable;
• sufficiently prominent;
• displayed near the commercial content; and
• not intentionally hidden behind ambiguous language.

Labels such as Sponsored should not be presented in a manner designed to make them practically invisible.

7. Who Paid for an Advertisement

Where applicable and required, Finauthority may identify the company or party responsible for placing or funding an advertisement.

The identity of an advertiser should not be intentionally obscured where disclosure is necessary for users to understand the commercial nature of the content.

8. Sponsored Company Placements

Companies may be able to purchase additional visibility on Finauthority.

Examples may include:

• featured placement;
• promoted placement;
• homepage visibility;
• category-page promotion;
• highlighted profile position;
• sponsored newsletter placement; or
• other promotional positioning.

Such placements should be clearly identified where users could otherwise reasonably interpret the position as an independent editorial ranking.

9. Paid Placement Is Not Editorial Ranking

A promoted company may appear more prominently because it purchased advertising visibility.

This does not mean that Finauthority considers the company:

• safer;
• better regulated;
• more trustworthy;
• more suitable;
• higher quality; or
• superior to non-paying companies.

Paid placement and independent ranking are different concepts.

10. Paid Search Rankings

Where payment specifically affects the order in which companies appear in search or discovery results, the paid position should be clearly distinguishable from organic or independently determined results.

Labels may include:

Sponsored

or

Promoted

Finauthority should not present a paid search position as though the company achieved that position solely through independent quality criteria.

11. Organic Rankings

Organic rankings may be determined by legitimate non-commercial factors such as:

• relevance;
• search query;
• company category;
• location or jurisdiction;
• regulatory information;
• profile completeness;
• recency;
• user interest;
• methodology-based ranking; or
• other disclosed Platform criteria.

Where payment does not affect an organic ranking, advertisers should not be permitted to claim otherwise.

12. Featured Does Not Mean Recommended

A label such as:

Featured

may describe additional visibility.

It should not automatically be interpreted as:

Recommended by Finauthority

unless Finauthority has separately made and clearly disclosed such an independent editorial determination.

13. Sponsored Content

Finauthority may publish content created or funded through a commercial relationship.

Sponsored content should be clearly identified.

Examples of appropriate labels may include:

Sponsored Content

Paid Partnership

Advertisement

Commercial Content

or another clear equivalent.

Sponsored content must not be disguised as independent research.

14. Advertorial Content

Where a company pays for editorial-style promotional content, the commercial relationship must be made clear.

The use of article formatting, professional writing or editorial presentation does not remove the need for disclosure.

A user should be able to distinguish between:

• independent Finauthority research; and
• content produced for commercial promotional purposes.

15. Sponsored Content Does Not Control Independent Profiles

A company sponsoring an article or campaign does not obtain editorial control over its independent company profile.

Sponsored content does not entitle the company to modify:

• Regulatory Status;
• Finauthority Score;
• risk indicators;
• regulatory warnings;
• User Rating;
• eligible reviews; or
• independent research conclusions.

16. Sponsored Content Standards

Finauthority may refuse sponsored content that appears:

• materially misleading;
• fraudulent;
• deceptive;
• unlawful;
• inconsistent with known regulatory information;
• impersonating another entity;
• making unsupported guaranteed-return claims;
• misrepresenting regulatory approval; or
• otherwise incompatible with Platform standards.

Payment does not create an automatic right to publication.

17. Advertiser Responsibility

Advertisers are responsible for ensuring that their advertising complies with applicable law and accurately represents their services.

Finauthority may request:

• company identity information;
• website information;
• regulatory information;
• evidence supporting material claims;
• authorization to act for the advertiser; or
• other information reasonably necessary to assess advertising eligibility.

18. Financial Advertising Requires Particular Care

Financial advertising may influence users to:

• invest;
• trade;
• deposit funds;
• transfer money;
• open accounts;
• borrow;
• purchase financial products; or
• use other financial services.

For this reason, Finauthority may apply additional scrutiny to advertising concerning financial products or companies.

19. Regulatory Claims in Advertising

Advertisers must not knowingly make misleading claims concerning:

• licenses;
• regulators;
• regulatory status;
• official approval;
• government affiliation;
• investor protection;
• compensation schemes;
• deposit protection; or
• authorization.

Finauthority may request evidence supporting such claims.

20. Advertiser Verification Is Not Finauthority Endorsement

Where Finauthority verifies the identity of an advertiser, that process generally confirms information necessary to manage the commercial relationship.

It does not automatically establish:

• regulatory compliance;
• financial safety;
• quality;
• solvency;
• customer satisfaction; or
• Finauthority endorsement.

21. Companies Subject to Regulatory Warnings

Finauthority may refuse, restrict or discontinue advertising relationships with companies where material concerns exist.

These may include:

• active unauthorized-firm warnings;
• clone-firm warnings;
• materially false licensing claims;
• identity concerns;
• suspected impersonation;
• sanctions-related issues;
• significant legal risks; or
• other serious concerns.

The exact response depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

22. Advertising Does Not Remove Warnings

If an advertiser becomes subject to a legitimate regulatory warning, Finauthority may publish or maintain that warning in accordance with its methodology.

The advertising relationship does not provide immunity from negative research.

23. Advertising May Be Suspended

Finauthority may suspend or terminate advertising where:

• regulatory circumstances materially change;
• an advertiser provides misleading information;
• an advertisement violates applicable law;
• the company impersonates another entity;
• payment or security issues occur;
• serious Platform violations arise; or
• continuing the relationship would materially undermine user trust.

24. Premium Company Profiles

Finauthority may offer companies paid profile features.

Premium functionality may include features such as:

• enhanced profile layout;
• additional company information fields;
• expanded media;
• business analytics;
• profile-management tools;
• additional contact functionality;
• enhanced company responses;
• promotional visibility; or
• other legitimate business features.

25. Premium Does Not Mean Verified

A Premium Profile should not be interpreted as:

• regulatory verification;
• editorial approval;
• a recommendation;
• a higher Finauthority Score;
• increased regulatory protection;
• safer investment status; or
• confirmation of legitimacy.

Premium indicates access to commercial features.

26. Claimed Does Not Mean Sponsored

A company may claim a profile without necessarily purchasing advertising or premium services.

Likewise, a company may advertise without having editorial control over its profile.

Finauthority aims to keep these concepts distinct.

27. Company Profile Completeness

Companies may provide accurate information that improves profile completeness.

Where independently verified information resolves genuine transparency gaps, it may legitimately affect methodology-based factors.

This is not a paid rating benefit.

For example, if a company supplies a valid regulatory document that allows Finauthority to independently verify previously missing information, the assessment may change because the underlying evidence changed.

The payment status of the company is irrelevant to that determination.

28. Paying Does Not Add Rating Points

A payment to Finauthority does not directly add points to the Finauthority Score.

Companies cannot purchase:

• Regulation and Authorization points;
• Transparency points;
• Client Protection points;
• User Feedback points;
• removal of score ceilings;
• higher Research Confidence; or
• another methodology advantage.

29. Finauthority Score Remains Independent

The Finauthority Score is calculated according to our Research and Rating Methodology.

The score should follow evidence.

Commercial teams cannot contractually promise a company:

• a minimum score;
• a score increase;
• a particular rating band;
• removal of a risk classification; or
• another predetermined outcome.

30. Regulatory Status Cannot Be Purchased

No company may pay Finauthority to be described as:

• Regulated;
• Licensed;
• Verified;
• Authorized; or
• approved by a regulator

unless the underlying evidence independently supports the relevant classification.

31. Official Warnings Cannot Be Purchased Away

A company cannot pay Finauthority to suppress a relevant official warning.

Where an official warning is materially applicable to the company or website, its treatment is determined according to our methodology.

If the authority later withdraws or changes the warning, Finauthority may update its assessment because the evidence changed.

32. User Reviews Cannot Be Purchased Away

Advertisers and paying companies have no right to remove eligible negative user reviews merely because those reviews are commercially damaging.

Review moderation is governed by our User Review and Evidence Policy.

33. Positive Reviews Cannot Be Purchased

Companies may not pay Finauthority to fabricate positive user reviews or artificially improve User Ratings.

Commercial packages do not include:

• fake reviews;
• fabricated testimonials;
• guaranteed star ratings;
• removal of legitimate negative ratings; or
• artificial review volume.

34. No Preferential Moderation

A paying company should not receive a lower threshold for removing critical reviews.

Likewise, a non-paying company should not be denied legitimate protection against fabricated or abusive reviews.

The same review-integrity rules apply.

35. No Pay-to-Correct

Finauthority does not charge companies merely to correct demonstrated factual errors in independent content.

A company does not need to purchase:

• advertising;
• a subscription;
• a premium profile; or
• another commercial service

before a legitimate factual correction can be made.

36. No Pay-to-Respond

Where Finauthority provides a basic right-of-reply mechanism under its editorial policies, companies should not be required to purchase favorable editorial treatment in order to challenge material inaccuracies.

Additional premium communication features may exist, but they do not replace basic correction and complaint procedures.

37. Affiliate Relationships

Finauthority may use affiliate links.

An affiliate relationship generally means that Finauthority may receive compensation if a user:

• follows a particular link;
• opens an account;
• completes a qualifying transaction;
• purchases a service; or
• performs another agreed action.

Affiliate relationships are commercial relationships.

38. Affiliate Disclosure

Where an affiliate relationship exists and disclosure is appropriate, Finauthority aims to make the commercial relationship clear.

Disclosures may include language such as:

Finauthority may receive compensation if you use this link.

or an equivalent clear statement.

39. Affiliate Links Do Not Change Editorial Conclusions

Affiliate compensation does not determine:

• Regulatory Status;
• Finauthority Score;
• regulatory warnings;
• risk assessments;
• Research Confidence;
• company review conclusions; or
• review moderation.

40. Affiliate Compensation May Differ

Different commercial partners may offer different compensation.

The amount of compensation offered by a company should not determine how strongly Finauthority rates its regulatory status or editorial quality.

41. Affiliate Relationships May End

Finauthority may terminate an affiliate relationship.

Editorial information about the company may remain available after the commercial relationship ends.

Similarly, ending a commercial relationship does not automatically result in a negative assessment.

42. Commercial Links and Ordinary Links

Not every external company link on Finauthority is necessarily an affiliate link.

Some links may exist solely to help users reach:

• official company websites;
• regulator registers;
• official documents; or
• other relevant resources.

Where appropriate, commercial links may be distinguished from ordinary informational links.

43. Affiliate Tracking

Affiliate arrangements may involve tracking technologies that attribute referrals or qualifying actions.

Where such technologies involve cookies or similar technologies, their use is governed by our Cookie Policy and applicable consent requirements.

44. User Choice

Users are not generally required to use an affiliate link in order to access the company independently.

Users may choose to navigate directly to a company or another resource.

45. Affiliate Compensation Does Not Increase User Costs Automatically

Whether an affiliate relationship affects the price or commercial terms offered by a third party depends on that third party’s arrangements.

Finauthority does not guarantee that an affiliate-linked offer is:

• the cheapest;
• best;
• most suitable; or
• otherwise superior

unless expressly supported by relevant evidence.

46. Comparison Content

Finauthority may publish comparisons between financial companies.

Where companies included in a comparison have affiliate or commercial relationships with Finauthority, relevant relationships should be disclosed where appropriate.

47. Commercial Relationships Should Not Determine Inclusion

A company should not automatically be excluded from relevant independent comparisons solely because it does not pay Finauthority.

Likewise, payment does not guarantee inclusion in every independent comparison.

48. Paid Comparison Positions

If a comparison contains paid placement or sponsored positioning, that fact should be clearly identified.

Users should be able to distinguish between:

• independent comparison criteria; and
• commercial positioning.

49. Commercial Content Versus Independent Content

Finauthority may classify content broadly as:

Independent Editorial Content

Created under our editorial standards without a company paying for the conclusion.

Sponsored Content

Content funded by an advertiser and clearly identified as commercial.

Company-Provided Content

Information submitted by the company.

Advertising

Promotional material purchased by an advertiser.

Affiliate Content

Content containing commercial referral arrangements.

A page may contain more than one category, but distinctions should be made clear where necessary.

50. Company-Provided Information

Companies may provide factual information to Finauthority regardless of whether they pay for services.

Company-provided information should not automatically be presented as independently verified.

Appropriate labels may include:

Provided by the Company

Verification Pending

Verified by Finauthority

Not Independently Verified

51. Commercial Team and Editorial Team

As Finauthority grows, commercial and editorial functions should remain appropriately separated.

Commercial personnel may:

• sell advertising;
• discuss premium features;
• manage commercial agreements;
• handle billing; or
• communicate campaign requirements.

They should not be able to guarantee independent research outcomes.

52. Editorial Decisions

Researchers and editors remain responsible for decisions concerning:

• factual research;
• regulatory classification;
• license verification;
• company scores;
• research conclusions;
• editorial language;
• regulatory warnings;
• corrections; and
• review integrity.

53. Commercial Staff Cannot Override Research

A sales or commercial relationship should not permit commercial personnel to instruct researchers to:

• remove verified negative information;
• change a regulatory classification;
• increase a score;
• ignore a regulatory warning;
• suppress a legitimate complaint; or
• publish a predetermined conclusion.

54. Editorial Staff Should Not Sell Favorable Coverage

Researchers and editors should not offer companies favorable research outcomes in exchange for:

• advertising;
• sponsorship;
• payment;
• gifts;
• affiliate contracts;
• premium subscriptions; or
• other benefits.

55. No “Pay Us or We Publish” Practices

Finauthority must not use negative research, an investigation or the threat of publication as leverage to sell commercial services.

A company should never be told, explicitly or implicitly:

purchase advertising, a premium profile or another service and negative findings will disappear.

Such conduct would be inconsistent with Finauthority’s editorial standards.

56. No “Advertise or Be Penalized” Practices

Companies that decline to advertise with Finauthority must not receive:

• lower scores;
• harsher regulatory classifications;
• additional negative coverage;
• unfavorable review moderation; or
• other editorial penalties

merely because they declined a commercial proposal.

57. No Favorable Coverage as a Sales Incentive

Likewise, commercial staff must not promise:

• positive reviews;
• higher scores;
• regulatory verification;
• favorable headlines;
• removal of warnings; or
• editorial endorsement

as a benefit of purchasing a service.

58. Research May Continue During a Commercial Relationship

A company may be subject to new research while simultaneously having a commercial relationship with Finauthority.

If new evidence identifies material concerns, Finauthority may update the profile regardless of ongoing advertising.

59. Commercial Relationships May Be Declined

Finauthority may decline commercial relationships where we reasonably believe that accepting them would:

• materially undermine user trust;
• create an unmanageable conflict of interest;
• promote deceptive financial services;
• conflict with applicable law;
• expose users to unacceptable risk; or
• otherwise be inappropriate.

60. Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists where a financial, personal, professional or commercial interest could reasonably call the independence of a Finauthority decision into question.

Potential conflicts may involve:

• company ownership;
• investments;
• employment relationships;
• consultancy;
• family or close personal relationships;
• gifts;
• substantial commercial agreements;
• litigation;
• personal disputes; or
• other material connections.

61. Staff Financial Interests

Researchers and editors should disclose internally material financial interests that could reasonably affect their independence concerning a company they are assessing.

Depending on the circumstances, relevant interests may include:

• significant share ownership;
• direct investment;
• employment;
• advisory roles;
• paid consultancy; or
• another meaningful economic relationship.

62. Ordinary Consumer Relationships

Ordinary use of widely available financial services does not automatically create a disqualifying conflict.

For example, having a normal consumer bank account with a large institution does not necessarily prevent a researcher from covering the institution.

Materiality and context matter.

63. Managing Staff Conflicts

Where a meaningful conflict exists, Finauthority may take measures such as:

• disclosure;
• reassignment;
• additional editorial review;
• exclusion from a particular rating decision;
• independent verification; or
• another reasonable safeguard.

64. Personal Relationships

A researcher should not independently determine a significant assessment of a company where a close personal relationship with company leadership could reasonably undermine impartiality without appropriate safeguards.

65. Former Employment

Previous employment by a financial company may create a conflict depending on:

• recency;
• seniority;
• access to confidential information;
• nature of the research; and
• ongoing financial interests.

Relevant circumstances should be evaluated rather than automatically ignored.

66. Company Gifts

Finauthority personnel should not accept substantial gifts intended to influence editorial or research treatment.

This may include:

• cash;
• valuable products;
• expensive travel;
• luxury hospitality;
• substantial discounts unavailable to the public; or
• other meaningful benefits.

67. Nominal Items

Low-value ordinary promotional items may not always create a meaningful conflict.

However, even nominal benefits should not be accepted where circumstances suggest that they are intended to influence coverage.

68. Paid Travel and Events

Where a company pays travel or accommodation associated with an event, Finauthority should consider whether disclosure or another safeguard is appropriate.

Such support must not purchase favorable editorial conclusions.

69. Research Access

Companies may provide researchers with:

• product demonstrations;
• documents;
• interviews;
• temporary platform access;
• data; or
• other materials necessary for research.

Providing research access does not entitle the company to approve the resulting independent analysis.

70. Embargoes

Finauthority may agree to reasonable embargoes concerning legitimately confidential announcements where appropriate.

An embargo should not be used as a mechanism for the company to control subsequent independent analysis.

71. Advance Review by Companies

Companies do not generally have a right to approve independent Finauthority articles before publication.

Where Finauthority seeks factual confirmation before publication, any pre-publication exchange does not transfer editorial control to the company.

72. Corrections Remain Free From Commercial Influence

Correction requests are considered under our:

Corrections, Complaints and Right of Reply Policy

The commercial status of a company should not determine whether a factual error is corrected.

73. Conflict Disclosures in Content

Where a commercial relationship is material to understanding a specific article, ranking or recommendation, Finauthority may disclose it directly on the relevant page.

A general policy page does not replace contextual disclosure where users reasonably need the information at the point of decision.

74. Affiliate Disclosure Near Relevant Content

Where practical, affiliate disclosures should appear sufficiently close to relevant commercial links or content to make the relationship understandable.

Disclosures should not be hidden exclusively in a long legal document where users would reasonably expect a more immediate explanation.

75. Sponsored Labels Should Not Be Ambiguous

Finauthority aims to avoid vague labels that obscure commercial intent.

Labels should communicate the commercial nature of the content rather than rely on wording that ordinary users are unlikely to understand.

76. Advertising Personalization

Where Finauthority uses advertising technologies involving personal data or cookies, relevant processing is governed by:

• our Privacy Policy;
• our Cookie Policy; and
• applicable law.

Where consent is required, relevant advertising technologies should not be activated before appropriate consent.

77. Sensitive Data and Advertising

Finauthority does not intend to use sensitive categories of personal data to target users with advertising in circumstances prohibited by applicable law.

78. Advertising to Minors

Finauthority’s account and financial-company services are intended primarily for adults.

Where applicable law restricts targeted advertising toward minors, Finauthority will seek to comply with those requirements.

79. Advertising Data Is Separate From Review Evidence

Private evidence submitted by users to support reviews is not an advertising resource.

Finauthority does not permit advertisers to purchase access to:

• private review documents;
• confidential complaint files;
• reviewer identity information;
• private transaction records; or
• other restricted evidence

merely because they advertise with us.

80. Advertisers Do Not Receive Reviewer Identity Automatically

A company cannot purchase the identity of an anonymous or pseudonymous reviewer through an advertising agreement.

Any disclosure of personal data must have a separate lawful basis.

81. Commercial Data and Privacy

Information collected through commercial activities is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Commercial relationships do not override user privacy rights.

82. Promotional Communications

Finauthority may send commercial communications where legally permitted.

Where required, marketing communications should:

• be identifiable as commercial;
• accurately identify the sender;
• provide applicable unsubscribe functionality; and
• comply with relevant consent requirements.

83. Company Marketing Through Profiles

Where companies may publish promotional information through profile-management tools, company-created promotional material should be distinguishable from independent Finauthority research where necessary.

84. Company Responses Are Not Advertisements by Default

A legitimate company response to a review or factual finding is not automatically treated as advertising merely because it presents the company’s position favorably.

However, excessive promotional material may be moderated for relevance.

85. Commercial Claims Must Be Accurate

Companies using paid services remain responsible for material claims appearing in their advertisements or commercial content.

Finauthority may request evidence supporting claims such as:

• number of customers;
• years in operation;
• regulatory permissions;
• fees;
• awards;
• product features;
• protection mechanisms; or
• promotional terms.

86. Guaranteed Return Claims

Finauthority may reject or restrict advertising that makes misleading or unsupported claims such as:

• guaranteed profit;
• risk-free investment;
• guaranteed trading return;
• guaranteed recovery of funds; or
• similar claims inconsistent with the actual risk of the service.

87. Impersonation and Clone Advertising

Finauthority does not knowingly accept advertising from entities impersonating legitimate financial companies or regulators.

Where material impersonation concerns arise, advertising may be suspended while the matter is assessed.

88. Company Identity

Advertisers may be required to provide sufficient information for Finauthority to identify:

• legal entity;
• website;
• relevant contact person;
• business relationship;
• authority to advertise; and
• other information reasonably necessary for commercial verification.

89. Advertising Approval Is Not Regulatory Verification

Approval of an advertisement for publication is a commercial-content decision.

It does not automatically mean that Finauthority has completed a full Research and Rating Methodology review of the advertiser.

90. Removal of Advertising

Finauthority may remove or decline advertising for reasons including:

• legal concerns;
• regulatory developments;
• misleading claims;
• security concerns;
• Platform-policy violations;
• impersonation;
• reputational risk;
• technical issues; or
• breach of commercial terms.

91. Removal of Advertising Does Not Determine Editorial Status

Ending an advertising relationship does not automatically mean that Finauthority considers the company fraudulent or unsuitable.

Commercial and editorial conclusions remain separate.

92. Editorial Coverage of Commercial Partners

Finauthority may publish negative, neutral or positive independent information about commercial partners when evidence supports it.

A commercial partner does not receive immunity from investigation.

93. Editorial Coverage of Non-Partners

Companies that have no commercial relationship with Finauthority are not automatically treated negatively.

Independent research principles apply regardless of payment status.

94. No Commercial Retaliation Through Ratings

Finauthority should not use its scoring or editorial systems to retaliate against companies over:

• payment disputes;
• advertising negotiations;
• cancellation of subscriptions;
• refusal to enter partnerships; or
• other purely commercial disagreements.

95. Commercial Disputes

Commercial disputes between Finauthority and an advertiser should be handled through the appropriate contractual or legal process.

They should not be disguised as independent editorial concerns.

96. Editorial Concerns Remain Publishable

Conversely, the existence of a commercial dispute does not prevent Finauthority from publishing independently verifiable information of legitimate relevance.

Where a significant conflict could reasonably affect perception, disclosure or additional editorial review may be appropriate.

97. Sponsored Research

If Finauthority ever produces research funded by a third party, the funding relationship should be disclosed clearly.

Sponsored research must not be presented as wholly independent if the sponsor funded its production.

98. Methodology Cannot Be Purchased

Where sponsored research uses Finauthority methodology, the sponsor should not be permitted to secretly alter:

• scoring criteria;
• weighting;
• conclusions;
• risk factors; or
• factual results

to obtain a predetermined outcome.

99. Commissioned Company Materials

A company may commission legitimate commercial materials from Finauthority where such services are offered.

Such materials should be distinguished from independent editorial analysis when necessary to avoid confusion.

100. Testimonials About Finauthority

Where Finauthority uses testimonials in its own marketing, they should not be fabricated or misleading.

Material relationships with persons providing endorsements should be disclosed where required.

101. Internal Commercial Records

Finauthority may maintain internal records identifying:

• advertisers;
• affiliate relationships;
• sponsored campaigns;
• premium clients;
• commercial contacts; and
• material conflicts of interest.

Such records can help enforce separation between commercial and editorial activities.

102. Internal Disclosure of Conflicts

Finauthority team members should disclose significant conflicts internally when they become aware of them.

The appropriate response depends on the circumstances.

103. Failure to Disclose a Conflict

A serious undisclosed conflict may require:

• reassignment;
• additional review;
• correction;
• disclosure;
• reconsideration of an editorial decision; or
• another proportionate action.

104. Conflict Does Not Automatically Invalidate Research

The existence of a potential conflict does not necessarily mean that research is incorrect.

The relevant question is whether appropriate safeguards are necessary and whether the evidence continues to support the conclusion.

105. Editorial Compensation

Where practical, compensation arrangements for editorial personnel should not be structured to reward researchers for assigning particular companies higher or lower scores.

Research quality should be rewarded, not predetermined outcomes.

106. Sales Incentives

Commercial personnel may receive compensation related to legitimate sales activity.

Such incentives must not create authority to change editorial assessments.

107. Commercial Performance and Editorial Decisions

Finauthority may consider commercial sustainability when designing the Platform.

However, commercial performance should not be used as a factual research criterion unless genuinely relevant and disclosed.

108. Reader Trust

We recognize that even a technically lawful commercial arrangement can undermine trust if it is concealed.

For this reason, Finauthority seeks to disclose relationships where a reasonable user would consider them material to evaluating the independence of content.

109. How to Report a Potential Conflict of Interest

Users, companies or other parties who believe a material undisclosed commercial conflict may have affected Finauthority content may contact:

kancelar@finauthority.org

For concerns relating specifically to the accuracy or research outcome of a company profile:

check@finauthority.org

Formal legal concerns may be sent to:

legal@finauthority.org

110. Conflict Complaints

A conflict-of-interest complaint should, where reasonably possible, identify:

• relevant content;
• relevant company;
• suspected commercial or personal relationship;
• reason the relationship is material; and
• available supporting evidence.

Unsupported speculation may not be sufficient to establish a conflict.

111. Review of Conflict Complaints

Finauthority may assess:

• whether the alleged relationship exists;
• whether it was material;
• whether it was disclosed;
• whether editorial safeguards existed;
• whether the underlying research remains supported by evidence; and
• whether correction or disclosure is appropriate.

112. Commercial Transparency Updates

As Finauthority’s business model evolves, this Disclosure may be updated to reflect:

• new advertising formats;
• affiliate arrangements;
• premium services;
• sponsorship;
• commercial research products;
• changes in applicable law; or
• improvements to conflict-management procedures.

113. No Hidden Commercial Override

No commercial contract should secretly provide a company with the right to override:

• Finauthority Score;
• Regulatory Status;
• regulatory warnings;
• factual corrections;
• legitimate User Reviews;
• editorial conclusions; or
• evidence-based risk indicators.

114. No Guaranteed Positive Coverage

Finauthority does not sell guaranteed positive independent coverage.

Commercial clients purchase only the commercial services expressly described in the relevant agreement.

115. No Guaranteed Absence of Negative Coverage

A commercial agreement does not guarantee that negative information will never be published.

Where credible new information emerges, Finauthority may report it under its normal editorial standards.

116. User Ratings Remain Independent of Commercial Status

The User Rating should be calculated from eligible user reviews under our review rules.

Commercial payments by the company do not add stars or alter eligible user ratings.

117. Company Responses Remain Separate From Finauthority Analysis

A commercial client may respond to criticism through available company-response tools.

Its response represents the company’s position and should not be confused with Finauthority’s editorial conclusion.

118. Research Corrections Are Evidence-Based

Where a commercial partner submits new information, Finauthority may update research if independent verification justifies the change.

The fact that the company is paying Finauthority is neither a reason to accept nor reject the evidence.

119. Commercial Transparency on Company Profiles

Where appropriate, a company profile may indicate that the company:

• has a sponsored placement;
• uses premium features;
• participates in an affiliate relationship; or
• has another material commercial relationship with Finauthority.

The precise disclosure format may depend on the feature involved.

120. Commercial Relationship Does Not Equal Partnership

The existence of advertising or an affiliate relationship does not necessarily mean that Finauthority and the company are business partners in a broader legal or strategic sense.

Users should not infer:

• joint ownership;
• agency;
• regulatory endorsement;
• joint responsibility; or
• operational control

merely from an advertising relationship.

121. No Authority to Act for Listed Companies

Unless expressly agreed in a specific lawful arrangement, Finauthority does not act as:

• agent;
• broker;
• investment representative;
• financial adviser;
• account manager; or
• authorized sales representative

for companies appearing on the Platform.

122. Third-Party Commercial Terms

Users who follow an advertisement or affiliate link may enter into a relationship directly with the third-party company.

Finauthority is not automatically a party to that agreement.

Users should review the third party’s:

• terms;
• fees;
• privacy information;
• regulatory status; and
• relevant risks.

123. No Guarantee of Advertiser Performance

Acceptance of advertising does not guarantee that the advertiser will:

• perform contractual obligations;
• process withdrawals;
• remain solvent;
• maintain authorization;
• provide satisfactory service; or
• remain free of complaints.

Users should still conduct independent due diligence.

124. Regulatory Verification Remains Important

Users should independently verify financial-company authorization through relevant official regulators even where a company advertises on Finauthority.

Advertising is not regulatory approval.

125. Applicable Standards

Finauthority aims to conduct its advertising and commercial disclosure practices in accordance with applicable Czech and European Union requirements, including relevant principles concerning:

• identification of commercial intent;
• transparency of paid editorial content;
• paid search placement;
• advertising transparency;
• consumer protection;
• privacy;
• cookies; and
• unfair commercial practices.

Additional mandatory requirements may apply in particular jurisdictions.

126. International Commercial Relationships

Finauthority may work with companies outside the European Union.

International advertisers remain subject to Finauthority Platform requirements in addition to laws applicable to them.

The fact that an advertiser is established outside the EU does not permit commercial content on Finauthority to evade applicable EU transparency requirements.

127. Changes to This Disclosure

Finauthority may update this Disclosure as:

• the Platform develops;
• monetization models change;
• new advertising products are introduced;
• affiliate programs expand;
• new legal requirements apply; or
• conflict-of-interest procedures evolve.

The current version will display the latest revision date.

128. Contact Information

For general questions concerning advertising, commercial relationships or this Disclosure:

kancelar@finauthority.org

For financial-company research and regulatory verification:

check@finauthority.org

For legal matters:

legal@finauthority.org

For privacy matters:

privacy@finauthority.org

129. Postal Contact

FinAuthority
Národní 135/14
Prague, Hlavní mesto Praha 110 00
Czech Republic

Website: Finauthority.org

130. Related Finauthority Policies

This Advertising, Affiliate and Conflict of Interest Disclosure should be read together with:

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Legal Notice
• Financial and Regulatory Disclaimer
• Editorial Standards and Independence
• Research and Rating Methodology
• User Review and Evidence Policy
• Corrections, Complaints and Right of Reply Policy
• Company Profile and Claiming Policy
• Content Moderation and Notice-and-Action Policy
• Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy

131. Our Commercial Independence Commitment

Finauthority’s commercial principles can be summarized as follows:

Advertising Must Look Like Advertising

Paid content should not be disguised as independent research.

Paid Visibility Is Not Editorial Quality

A sponsored position does not mean a company received a stronger independent assessment.

Affiliate Revenue Does Not Determine Ratings

Commercial referral relationships do not control regulatory or editorial conclusions.

Premium Profiles Do Not Buy Trust

Premium functionality is a business service, not regulatory approval.

No Company Can Purchase a Better Regulatory Status

Licensing and authorization conclusions must follow verifiable evidence.

No Company Can Purchase a Better Finauthority Score

The score follows our published methodology.

No Company Can Purchase Removal of a Genuine Regulatory Warning

Official warnings are handled according to evidence and methodology.

No Company Can Purchase Removal of Legitimate User Criticism

Review moderation follows the same rules for paying and non-paying companies.

Corrections Are Not a Premium Service

A genuine factual error should be corrected because it is wrong, not because a company paid us.

Negative Research Is Never a Sales Weapon

Finauthority must not threaten unfavorable publication in order to sell commercial services.

Refusing to Advertise Cannot Be Punished

A company that declines a commercial relationship must not be penalized editorially.

Commercial Partners Remain Subject to Research

Advertising does not create immunity from future investigation or criticism.

Conflicts Must Be Managed

Material financial or personal interests that could reasonably affect independence should be disclosed internally and appropriately safeguarded.

Users Must Be Able to Understand Who Is Paying

Where a commercial relationship is material to evaluating content, it should be disclosed clearly.

Our business model may evolve.

Our central rule should not:

Finauthority may monetize attention, visibility and legitimate business tools. It does not sell regulatory conclusions, evidence, editorial independence or trust.