The Home Media Review Process

The MarketWatch Guides team provides reviews of consumer products and services to help readers make educated purchasing decisions. This content is produced independently of the MarketWatch newsroom and has no impact or bearing on the facts presented in MarketWatch news stories. Our editorial team consists of seasoned editors, researchers and writers that are experts in the topics they cover. In addition, while we may earn a commission on our articles, our research, featured brands and recommendations are independent of and distinct from any financial compensation.

At the MarketWatch Guides team, we aim to help readers make informed decisions about how to spend and save their money. We present complete information and recommend multiple reliable providers in each category, allowing consumers to choose the brand that is right for their situation.

Key Principles

Consumer-First Reviews: When writing reviews, we start by putting ourselves in the consumers’ shoes and asking, “What do I want or need to know about this? What are the most important factors to consider? What will help me decide whether this product or service will be right for me?”
Firsthand Experience: Although it can be difficult to test certain products or services (such as life insurance, for example), we strive to gather as much firsthand experience as possible to inform our content. Whether that’s going on a ride-along with a solar energy company or mystery shopping a car warranty company by phone to evaluate the quote process, we aim to give readers the most authentic view of any product or service we review.
Expert Verification: We work with a network of experts to gain industry-specific insights, from veterinarians weighing in on pet health care to insurance agents giving advice on how to shop for home and auto coverage. This ensures our readers get the most relevant insider knowledge to help with their purchasing decisions.
Accuracy, Transparency and Fairness: As stated, our reviews are independent of our commercial partnerships, and we rate brands fairly and without consideration of monetization. We always disclose when we may be earning a commission on an article.

The MarketWatch Guides team uses the following process when researching products and services and making recommendations. We adjust this process according to each product and service we review, and we publish our methodologies so that our readers can find specific details about each review we write.

Before we write, we:

Conduct extensive research into a given product or service category and perform competitive analysis on what products and services are available and relevant.
Develop category-specific, objective criteria to rate and rank companies according to what’s most relevant for consumers.
Gather firsthand experience and cost data by testing and reviewing the products and services using our testing labs, secret shopping and expert consultation.
Survey users, hold focus groups, conduct expert consultations, and read hundreds of verified third-party reviews to better understand the user experience.
Develop targeted recommendations for different types of consumers.

After we write, we:

Complete a rigorous fact-checking and editing process to ensure all information is factually correct, easy to understand, helpful and unbiased.
Lean on our Advisory Board and network of category-specific experts to review articles for accuracy and to add any relevant information based on their industry knowledge and experience.
Continuously refresh our research database and update articles with current information to stay fresh and useful to consumers.
Make corrections and improvements based on reader feedback.

MarketWatch Guides Team Review Process

About the MarketWatch Guides Team

Editorial Guidelines

Key Principles

Our Reviews Process

Our Methodologies

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