The Money Manual

What The Money Manual does

The Money Manual is a digital media and personal finance publishing company founded in 2017 by Todd Stearn and based in Brooklyn, USA. The company operates a content-first platform that publishes articles, reviews, guides, and comparison resources across six core categories: Spending (credit cards and Buy Now Pay Later apps), Banking (savings accounts and bank promotions), Loans (personal, student, and debt consolidation), Investing (apps and brokerage reviews), Jobs (remote, degree-free, and automation-resistant roles), and Make Money (side hustles, surveys, and cash-back apps). The site is organized around SEO-optimized long-form editorial content and operates on a standard web content management system with no proprietary technology stack, APIs, or native applications. The company reaches audiences primarily through organic search, social media channels (Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram), and a daily email newsletter titled "Our Daily Manual."

Name

The Money Manual

Legal name

The Money Manual

Website

https://themoneymanual.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Money Manual is a digital personal finance publishing company founded in 2017 that publishes SEO-driven editorial reviews and guides across credit cards, banking, loans, investing, jobs, and side-hustle topics, monetizing through affiliate commissions from financial product providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Marketing: The Money Manual earns revenue by participating in affiliate advertising programs. When readers click on links to financial products and services (such as lending platforms, banking apps, and shopping services) and make purchases or sign up, The Money Manual receives a commission. The site explicitly states participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Money Manual is a digital content publisher that produces free editorial articles, reviews, and guides covering personal finance topics including spending, banking, loans, investing, jobs, and money-making strategies. The platform publishes reviews of third-party financial products such as BNPL apps, personal loans, banking apps, and investment platforms. Revenue is generated through affiliate marketing commissions earned when readers sign up for or purchase recommended financial products and services through tracked links.

Product overview

The Money Manual is a personal finance content platform offering editorial reviews, guides, and comparisons across multiple financial product categories. The platform features content organized into sections covering spending (BNPL apps and credit cards), banking, loans, investing, jobs, and making money. The company publishes reviews of third-party financial products including buy-now-pay-later services, personal loans, banking apps, and investment platforms, while also providing original guides for earning and saving money. The platform operates as a content publisher with affiliate relationships and email newsletter subscriptions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Money Manual Website A free personal finance content publication providing tips, reviews, guides, and resources across spending, banking, loans, investing, jobs, and money-making categories. Targets individual U.S. consumers seeking practical financial guidance.
• Our Daily Manual Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of readers served across multiple platforms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon Services LLC Associates ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Money Manual participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The company receives commissions when readers make purchases through Amazon links on their site.
• Various Financial Product ProviderscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Money Manual maintains affiliate relationships with various financial product and service providers including lending platforms (Upgrade, Happy Money, Best Egg, Discover, Marcus), banking services, BNPL providers (Sezzle, Klarna, Affirm, Zip), and investment apps (Acorns, Stash, Public). These partnerships generate referral revenue when readers sign up through tracked links.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NerdWallet: Premier personal finance content and affiliate site covering credit cards, banking, loans, investing, and insurance, with direct advertiser/affiliate revenue model analogous to The Money Manual.
• Bankrate: Long-established personal finance publisher covering credit cards, mortgages, and deposit products, monetizing via affiliate/lead-generation partnerships with banks and lenders — directly comparable affiliate model.
• GoBankingRates: Personal finance comparison and editorial site focused on banking, savings, and credit products, driven by affiliate referral revenue — highly comparable in format, monetization, and audience.
• The Penny Hoarder: Personal finance content publisher with strong emphasis on making money, side hustles, and money-saving strategies, monetizing through affiliate partnerships — closely aligned topical and monetized coverage.
• Money Crashers: Personal finance content site covering budgeting, investing, banking, and credit with an affiliate-driven revenue model — same editorial-to-affiliate monetization framework.
• Money Under 30: Independent personal finance content site targeted at younger consumers, covering banking, investing, and side hustles, with affiliate revenue from financial product partners.
• Wise Bread: Personal finance and frugal-living content community covering credit cards, banking, and money-making strategies, monetized partly through affiliate links to financial products.
• Good Financial Cents: Personal finance blog covering budgeting, investing, and debt management with affiliate marketing as a primary revenue stream — comparable scale and editorial/monetization structure.
• Dough Roller: Personal finance content site with reviews and comparisons of banking, brokerage, and lending products, monetized via affiliate commissions — same niche, scale, and revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Investopedia: Large financial education and reference publisher with deep investing content, offering affiliate and sponsorship revenue — much broader scale and owned by a major media group, but overlapping subject matter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/themoneymanual
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_money_manual
• TikToktiktok.com/@themoneymanual
• Pinterestpinterest.com/themoneymanual
• Xx.com/themoneymanual

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Money Manual