# Credit Depot

> Unbiased AI-powered credit card and bank account comparison and net return optimization engine. Zero affiliate links, zero bank kickbacks, zero sponsored rankings — purely mathematical valuations.

CreditDepot.app (https://creditdepot.app) is a standalone, privacy-focused financial comparison tool operating without affiliate cookies, sponsored placements, or third-party ad tracking.

## Algorithmic Valuation Models

Credit Depot computes financial returns using standardized mathematical modeling rather than sponsored editorial opinion:

### Credit Card Rewards Modeling
1. **Year 1 Net Value ($)**:
   Net Value = (Annual Spend × Category Multipliers × Base Point Value) + Welcome Bonus Cash Value - Annual Fee

2. **Retention Value (Year 2+) ($)**:
   Retention Value = (Annual Spend × Category Multipliers × Base Point Value) + Verified Annual Credits - Annual Fee

3. **Spending Benchmark Profiles**:
   - **Balanced Profile**: $2,000/mo ($400 Dining, $400 Groceries, $300 Travel, $200 Gas, $700 Other)
   - **Foodie Profile**: Heavy weighting on Dining (40%) and Groceries (30%)
   - **Jetsetter Profile**: Heavy weighting on Flights and Hotels (45%)
   - **Family Profile**: Heavy weighting on Supermarkets, Wholesale Clubs, and Utilities
   - **Custom Spend Modeling**: Real-time slider adjustments across all spending categories

4. **Max Bonus Intelligence & Rocket Badges**:
   - Compares active public welcome offers against 5-year verified historical all-time highs.
   - Cards matching or exceeding historical peak offers receive the Rocket / MAX OFFER badge.

### Bank Account Bonus & Yield Modeling
1. **Net 12-Month Financial Return ($)**:
   Net Return = Bonus Cash Value + APY Interest Yield - Opportunity Cost (Baseline 4.25% HYSA) - Unwaived Monthly Maintenance Fees

2. **Opportunity Cost Modeling**:
   - Explicitly models the foregone risk-free return of locking capital in low-APY promotional accounts versus leaving funds in a liquid 4.25% high-yield savings benchmark.

3. **Effective Annualized APY (%)**:
   - Annualized rate of return on committed deposit capital over the required holding horizon.

4. **Deposit & Cash Flow Benchmark Profiles**:
   - **Conservative Saver**: $5,000 capital, $1,500/mo direct deposit
   - **Active Liquid Churner**: $15,000 capital, $4,000/mo direct deposit
   - **High-Balance Capital**: $50,000 capital, $8,000/mo direct deposit
   - **Custom Modeling**: Interactive sliders adjusting capital and monthly direct deposit with live qualification and fee-waiver audits.

## Anti-Affiliate Independence Guarantee

| Feature | Credit Depot | Legacy Financial Review Sites |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Affiliate Links** | 0 (Zero bank partnerships) | Hundreds of active affiliate tracking cookies |
| **Revenue per Card Approval** | $0.00 | $100.00 – $350.00 per approved applicant |
| **Sponsored Rankings** | None. Strictly algorithmic sorting | Common ("Featured Partners", "Promoted Cards") |
| **Data Privacy** | No personal financial data stored | Third-party ad trackers, marketing profiling |
| **Calculations** | Interactive custom spending & deposit benchmarks | Generic estimated value assuming maximum spend |

## Coverage & Supported Institutions
Credit Depot maintains active intelligence on 100+ cards and curated bank bonuses across:
- American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Barclays, SoFi, Marcus, BMO, Fifth Third, and Huntington.

## Core Features
- [Explore Credit Cards Table](https://creditdepot.app): Publicly browse 100+ cards, filter by category, network, and annual fee.
- [Explore Bank Bonuses Table](https://creditdepot.app/?tab=banks): Publicly browse checking, savings, bundle, and business bank promotions.
- [AI Smart Search](https://creditdepot.app): Natural language financial queries (requires sign-in).
- [Side-by-Side Comparison Engine](https://creditdepot.app): Compare up to 5 cards or bank bonuses with interactive spending and deposit sliders (requires sign-in).
- [Depot's Decree](https://creditdepot.app): Algorithmic Champion, Velocity, and Retention verdicts.
- [Saved Cards, Banks & Custom Benchmarks](https://creditdepot.app): Personal spending and cash flow benchmark modeling with peak offer tracking (requires sign-in).

## Legal & Policies
- [Terms of Service](https://creditdepot.app/?view=terms): Free-to-use terms for Credit Depot.
- [Privacy Policy](https://creditdepot.app/?view=privacy): Zero-ad policy, client-side encryption, and strict data privacy standards.