How We Make Money
Running a free website takes real time and real costs — hosting, tools, writing, and keeping everything up to date. Here’s exactly how Up From Zero pays for itself.
We may earn affiliate commissions in the future
We are not currently enrolled in any affiliate programs. If and when we do add affiliate links, they will only point to products we’ve researched and believe are genuinely useful for people starting from scratch. Any commission earned would come at no extra cost to you.
We only link to products we’ve researched and believe are genuinely useful for people starting from scratch. An affiliate relationship does not change our recommendations. If something isn’t a good fit for beginners, we won’t push it — commission or not.
Planned future affiliate categories may include:
- Budgeting and savings apps
- Beginner-friendly brokerage accounts
- Credit monitoring tools
- First-time homebuyer resources
When we do include affiliate links, every page with those links will include a clear disclosure notice at the top. We are not currently enrolled in any affiliate programs.
We may earn from other partnerships in the future
We are a growing site. In the future, we may add additional revenue sources such as sponsored content, display advertising, digital products, or courses. If and when that happens, we will update this page and disclose it clearly before it goes live.
Any sponsored content will be labeled “Sponsored” at the top of the page. Our editorial recommendations will always remain independent of paid relationships.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your personal data.
- We do not accept payment to rank or recommend a product we haven’t researched.
- We do not hide affiliate relationships or bury disclosures in fine print.
Our editorial standard
Every piece of content on Up From Zero is written and reviewed against publicly available, authoritative sources — including the IRS, CFPB, HUD, FTC, FDIC, and FINRA. We are not licensed financial advisors. Nothing on this site is personalized financial advice. It is educational information to help you understand your options and make your own decisions.
If you ever spot a link that seems misleading, outdated, or inconsistent with these standards, email us at hello@upfromzerohq.com. We take that seriously.
Last updated: May 2026