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Rating Methodology

Last updated: 30 May 2026

Overview

44Finance uses a weighted scoring model to rank lender offers within each market. The model is designed to surface the most cost-effective and transparent offers for the consumer. Scores are recalculated after each data verification cycle and may change when lender terms are updated.

This methodology is part of the 44Finance Loan Data & Borrower Decision Platform, together with lender intelligence, affordability/KALP tools, credit readiness signals and Loan Match Engine.

Scoring factors

Our ranking is based on four primary factors. Model version v1.1 uses these weights:

1. Total cost of credit (TCO) — 50%

We calculate the total amount a borrower would repay across standardised loan scenarios (defined amount and period combinations). This includes interest, origination fees, monthly service fees, and any mandatory charges. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the headline metric, but we also model absolute total cost because APR alone can be misleading for very short-term loans.

2. Pricing transparency — 20%

Lenders that clearly disclose APR examples, fee schedules, and representative cost scenarios on their public-facing pages score higher. Opaque pricing — such as "rates from X%" without supporting examples — results in a lower transparency score.

3. Operational speed — 10%

We evaluate the lender's stated decision time and funds disbursement speed. Faster services receive a modest positive adjustment, reflecting the consumer preference for timely access to funds.

4. Data freshness — 20%

Offers where the underlying data has not been verified within our freshness threshold are automatically downranked. Stale records cannot receive a "Recommended" badge regardless of their cost score. Current freshness status is visible on our offer metrics dashboard.

Badge and exclusion rules

  • Recommended: requires fresh data, visible TCO or representative APR evidence, and no unresolved material correction.
  • Low-cost: reserved for lenders with a strong TCO position within the same market and comparable amount/period scenario.
  • Fast payout: requires a public lender claim or verified partner/source signal; bank processing can still delay payout.
  • Downranked: stale records, unclear pricing, missing regulatory context or unresolved source conflicts lose score.
  • Excluded: offers can be removed when basic legality, identity, price evidence or consumer-safety information cannot be verified.

How we collect and verify data

  1. Lender terms, pricing pages, and regulatory disclosures are reviewed directly by our team.
  2. Where available, data is cross-referenced against partner API feeds for additional accuracy.
  3. Each data point (APR, fees, limits, periods) is recorded with a verification timestamp — see our fact-checking policy for details.
  4. Changes in lender terms trigger a re-scoring of that offer in the next update cycle.

Avoiding conflicts of interest

44Finance receives referral commissions from some lenders when users click outbound links. To prevent this from affecting rankings:

  • The scoring model is formula-based — no manual overrides are applied to favour paying partners.
  • Commercial team members do not have access to the scoring algorithm or its weight configuration.
  • Non-paying lenders are eligible to appear in comparisons and receive the same scoring treatment.
  • We do not sell ranking positions, Recommended badges, score improvements, competitor removal or positive reviews.

Model example

A lender with low standardised TCO, clear public APR/fee examples, a recent verification date and a documented payout-speed signal can outrank a paying affiliate partner with stale or unclear data. Partner status is recorded in Offer Metrics, but it is not part of the score formula.

Version history and appeals

  • v1.1 — 2026-05-30: published numeric weights, badge rules, exclusion rules and no-paid-ranking language.
  • v1.0 — 2026-02-19: published the original four-factor scoring model.
  • Lenders and readers can challenge a field or score via the contact page. Material corrections are reflected in the public corrections log.

Update frequency

Lender data is reviewed on a recurring schedule. Core markets (Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania) are reviewed at regular intervals. When a lender publicly announces new pricing or product changes, we prioritise an ad-hoc review outside the regular cycle.

Limitations and disclaimer

  • Our rankings are based on publicly available data and standardised scenarios. Actual loan terms depend on the lender's underwriting and your personal credit profile.
  • Cost examples shown on 44Finance are indicative and do not constitute a binding offer or financial advice.
  • We do not guarantee that all lenders operating in a given market are included in our comparisons.
  • Rankings may change without notice after data verification updates.