Review Methodology
Trading and investing involve risk of loss. This page explains our review process only and is not financial advice.
Last updated: October 2025
Our goal is simple. Give you reliable, tested, and current evaluations of prop firms, futures prop firms, forex brokers, centralized and decentralized exchanges, trading journals, education, tools, and news. We follow a strict, documented process aligned with Google’s Search Essentials, Spam Policies, and the 2025 Search Quality Rater Guidelines.
Not financial advice. Information only. Trading involves risk.
1) Scope of our reviews
We publish reviews and comparisons for:
- Prop firms and futures prop firms
- Forex brokers
- Centralized exchanges
- Decentralized exchanges
- Trading journals and tools
- Educational content and news coverage
Each category has its own test plan and scoring rubric. We update scores when rules, fees, platforms, or regulations change.
We benchmark our approach against industry leaders who publish their testing frameworks and multi-variable scoring systems.
2) Editorial independence and firewall
- Editors control all scores, wording, and verdicts.
- Commercial teams cannot edit or approve reviews.
- Affiliate compensation never changes scores or conclusions.
- Sponsored content is clearly labeled.<l/i>
3) Data sources and verification
Primary sources
- Provider sites and legal docs
- Regulator registers and actions: FCA, CFTC, NFA, ASIC, CySEC, SEBI, and others
- Platform change logs, release notes, and fee schedules
Secondary sources
- Verified user communications
- Trustpilot and forum data, used with caution and cross-checks
We do not publish claims we cannot verify. Conflicting data is labeled “provider-claimed” or “user-reported” until verified. We align with people-first content guidance and avoid scaled, low-value automation.
4) Test environment and evidence
- We use live, demo, or evaluation accounts where possible.
- We capture dated screenshots, videos, and notes.
- We confirm key items directly with providers when unclear.
- We tag each datapoint with “source” and “last verified” to support later audits.
5) AI use policy
We use AI for outlines, QA, and style checks only. Humans research, write, fact-check, and approve every review. We never auto-publish AI output. This aligns with Google’s helpful content and spam policies.
6) Core scoring model
We assign a category score out of 100 using weighted criteria. Each criterion contains measurable signals and pass-fail checks. We publish our weights and revisit them annually or when the market changes.
6.1 Prop firms and futures prop firms
We benchmark category design against public methodologies that use multi-factor, data-driven scoring. the above factors are taking into account when providing prop firm comparsions and forex broker evaluations.
6.2 Forex brokers
6.3 Centralized exchanges
6.4 Decentralized exchanges
6.5 Trading Journals and Tools
We use the above criteria when providing trading journal and software reviews.
6.6 Education and news
7) How we calculate scores
- We collect and verify datapoints per criterion.
- Each criterion receives a 0 to 100 sub-score.
- We apply weights to calculate the category score.
- We publish the final score out of 100 with pros, cons, and a short verdict.
- If material data is missing or unverified, we cap that sub-score until verified.
We also provide a separate Trust Signal note for regulated entities similar to industry practice that surfaces trust at a glance.
8) Update cadence and triggers
We review major pages at least twice per year. We update sooner when any of the following occurs:
- Rule or fee changes
- Regulatory actions or license changes
- Product launches or deprecations
- Security incidents or downtime
- Verified user evidence that affects a score
This mirrors best practice where leaders maintain large datasets and update guides frequently.
9) Evidence standards
- We prefer primary documents over screenshots or marketing pages.
- We cite the regulator page for license checks.
- We record the date and URL for every datapoint.
- We avoid vague claims. If only user reports exist, we mark them clearly and do not use them for scoring without corroboration.
10) Corrections and reader feedback
- Email corrections to team@secretstotrading101.com.
- We acknowledge within one business day.
- We correct verified errors within two business days.
- We document material corrections in the change log.
11) Conflicts, freebies, and access
- We do not accept gifts, paid trips, or incentives for positive coverage.
- Temporary access or demo accounts may be used for testing. We disclose them when relevant and they do not affect scores.
- Staff disclose personal relationships and are recused where needed.
12) Anti-spam and site-reputation safeguards
- No cloaking, doorway pages, or thin affiliate content.
- No scaled auto-generated articles.
- No third-party guest posts designed to exploit our domain.
- Sponsored content is labeled.
These practices follow Google’s spam and site-reputation policies.
13) Accessibility and formatting standards
- Clear headings and short sentences.
- Alt text on key images.
- Tables for criteria and scores.
- Mobile-first layout.
- Readability target around Flesch 60+.
14) Methodology change log
We maintain a public log of changes to this page and to our scoring model.
15) Category-specific annexes
Below are quick checklists we use during hands-on testing.
15.1 Prop firms and futures prop firms, checklist
- Rulebook version and date
- Max and daily drawdown maths
- News, holding, weekend, and EAs allowed
- Payout methods, cutoffs, split, processing time
- Fees, resets, add-ons, hidden costs
- Platform list, stability notes, slippage samples
- Support channels and SLA response times
- Ownership transparency and incident history
We designed this annex with reference to multi-factor prop firm grading approaches.
15.2 Forex brokers, checklist
- License numbers, regulator links
- Years active, enforcement actions
- Spread and commission snapshots
- Swap and non-trading fee checks
- Platform coverage, API, algo support
- Instruments and order types
- Education depth and UX
- Support tests and complaint handling
This aligns with established broker testing frameworks that track 100+ variables.
15.3 Centralized and decentralized exchanges, checklist
- Licensing and compliance footprint
- Custody, proof-of-reserves, audit references
- Smart-contract audits for DEX
- Liquidity and slippage tests
- Incident history and public post-mortems
- Fees and funding costs
- Platform reliability and APIs
16) Schema and technical signals
We add structured data where appropriate:
Review,Product,Organization, andWebPagedatePublishedanddateModifiedauthorandreviewRatingwhen supported
This helps machines understand the page, while content remains written for people. We follow Google’s public guidance on quality and helpful content.
17) Contact
Questions about this methodology or a specific score
Email: team@secretstotrading101.com.
For more on our editorial standards and disclosure policies, see our Editorial Policy and Disclaimer.
