How we rate evidence

Why evidence ratings matter

A YouTube creator can state almost anything with confidence — “guaranteed returns,” “this course changed my life,” “proven to work.” Our job is to give you context: is this claim backed by solid, verifiable evidence, mixed results, or mostly anecdote and marketing? Without that context, it is hard to know what to trust.

Every claim we extract from a video is assigned one of five evidence ratings. These ratings reflect our best reading of the available information at time of review, not a comprehensive audit. They are a starting point for your own thinking — not a substitute for professional financial, legal, or other advice.

What we look at

When rating a claim, we consider:

• Whether independent, verifiable evidence (disclosed results, audited numbers, a public track record) supports the claim
• Whether outcomes replicate across different users, rather than relying on a handful of hand-picked testimonials
• Whether relevant regulators or consumer-protection bodies (FTC, SEC, BBB, etc.) have flagged or taken action on the product, course, or company
• The recency and relevance of any data or figures cited by the creator
• Whether the claim is plausible given how the product, business model, or market actually works, or is implausible on its face (e.g., a “guaranteed” investment return)

Our limitations

Our evidence ratings are AI-assisted, not produced by financial or legal professionals. For high-risk categories — investment apps, side hustles, online courses, giveaways, remote job offers — ratings go through an additional human review step before publishing.

Markets and companies change quickly. A claim rated “mixed” today may be re-rated as “strong” (or “not supported”) in future updates. We aim to refresh ratings periodically, but we cannot guarantee every rating reflects the very latest information.

If you believe a rating is wrong, please contact us.