What CardSavvy does
CardSavvy helps people estimate which cards fit their actual spending and which card to use for each purchase. The optimizer compares expected reward value with annual fees and the realistic value of card benefits. Users can see the assumptions behind the result and change the inputs that matter to them.
No bank connection or credit card number is required. Estimated spending is enough to run the model, and a user can explore the public calculators without creating an account.
How CardSavvy Research works
Math before marketing
Recommendations are ranked by estimated net value using the spending and preferences a user supplies. Compensation never changes the calculations or ranking order.
Auditable assumptions
CardSavvy publishes the reward rates, annual fees, credit values, redemption assumptions, and break-even logic behind its tools so readers can challenge the math.
Primary sources first
Benefit and fee claims are checked against issuer terms and other primary sources when available. Material changes receive a substantive review before an updated date is published.
Privacy by design
The optimizer does not require a bank connection or card number. Research is published under the founder’s pseudonym, and every claim is expected to stand on its sources and math rather than on personal credentials.
Who writes CardSavvy
CardSavvy is built and written by its founder, an engineer who publishes under the pseudonym Engineer Investor. The byline is pseudonymous by design: recommendations are meant to be checked against the published methodology and sources, not accepted on personal authority.
Read the full editorial policy
The policy documents the calculation method, source hierarchy, review cadence, corrections process, and compensation rules used across CardSavvy.
CardSavvy editorial policy and methodology →Questions or corrections?
Contact the CardSavvy team through an approved company channel.
support@card-savvy.com