MASHINIi

NerdWallet, Inc..

NRDS.US | Other information service activities n.e.c.

NerdWallet, Inc. is a personal finance company that provides consumers with financial guidance and product recommendations. The company operates a website and mobile app that offer tools and content to help users make informed decisions about their finances. NerdWallet's services include credit card...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

NerdWallet's ethical standing is mixed. Critics highlight its commission-based revenue model, which allegedly incentivizes promoting specific financial products, potentially compromising unbiased advice. While the company's 2024 ESG report details Scope 1 emissions at 30 metric tons CO2e, Scope 2 at 109, and Scope 3 at 43,067, comprehensive environmental data is limited. NerdWallet has reportedly repurposed office furniture to reduce waste. Given its handling of sensitive financial data, robust security, ethical AI governance, and compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA are paramount. Reports also suggest a tension between personalized recommendations and user data minimization.

Value Scores

Better Health for All0
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect10
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business-30
-100100
Kind to Animals0
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business-20
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities-10
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech10
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-40
-100100

Better Health for All

0

NerdWallet's primary business is providing financial advice and product comparisons, which has an indirect and limited impact on health. While financial stability can reduce stress, a factor in mental and physical health, this is a secondary effect.

1
The company does not directly provide healthcare services, develop medical treatments, or address health disparities.
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Therefore, based on the available evidence, there is insufficient information to assess a direct positive or negative impact on the 'Better Health for All' value.
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20

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

No evidence available to assess NerdWallet, Inc. on Fair Money & Economic Opportunity.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

10

None of NerdWallet's employees are represented by a labor union or covered by collective bargaining agreements.

1
The company's OSHA total recordable incident rate (TRIR) was 0.02 for 2023, with no reports of work-related fatalities or occupational diseases.
2
NerdWallet maintains Fair Pay Workplace certification and reviews pay equity through Syndio twice yearly, with pay transparency implemented in job postings across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
3
Employee recommendation rate is 58%, and 57% of employees have a positive business outlook.
4
Manager voluntary employee turnover rate in 2023 was 12.6%.
5
The company has not experienced any work stoppages.
6
NerdWallet offers comprehensive health and wellness coverage, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans, as well as mental health benefits and company mental health days off.
7

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

NerdWallet, Inc. operates as a personal finance company, generating revenue through advertising and affiliate marketing. This business model indicates that the company does not procure or trade physical commodities, leading to a score of N/A for fair-trade certified spend and high-risk materials.

1
All vendors and third parties with access to NerdWallet user data are contractually committed to relevant data privacy and protection terms.
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Additionally, the company's Supplier Code of Conduct, which covers ethical terms, applies to all suppliers.
3

Honest & Fair Business

-30

NerdWallet has a policy that expects employees to report potential violations and explicitly prohibits retaliation against those who do.

1
A hotline is available for reporting, including auditing and accounting concerns, but there is no evidence of independent investigation processes.
2
The company responds to data subject access requests in an average of 4 days, which is significantly faster than the 45-day legal deadline.
3
NerdWallet's code of conduct requires compliance with international anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA, and addresses gifts and entertainment, but the evidence does not specify the frequency or effectiveness metrics of training.
4
The company uses a third-party service to monitor for changes on its platform and expanded its third-party risk monitoring protocol to respond to vendor incidents, indicating some level of independent verification of ethical claims.
5

Kind to Animals

0

NerdWallet, Inc. is a digital personal finance company, and its core business model does not involve activities related to animal welfare, such as product manufacturing, animal testing, animal-derived ingredients, or direct impact on wildlife habitats. The provided articles consistently state 'No information provided' or 'No data on this topic' for all relevant KPIs under the 'Kind to Animals' value.

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Therefore, no specific, concrete data points are available to score any of the KPIs against the rubric, and all KPIs are omitted.

No War, No Weapons

0

No evidence available to assess NerdWallet, Inc. on No War, No Weapons.

Planet-Friendly Business

-20

NerdWallet reported total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions of 43,206 metric tons CO2e for 2023.

1
This includes 30 metric tons CO2e for Scope 1, 109 metric tons CO2e for Scope 2, and 43,067 metric tons CO2e for Scope 3.
2
The company's total energy consumption in 2023 was 2,634 MMBtu, with 464 MMBtu sourced from renewable energy, representing 17.61% of its operational energy.
3

Respect for Cultures & Communities

-10

NerdWallet has two formal partnerships with organizations serving local communities: Inclusiv and Self-Help Federal Credit Union.

1
The company reported no cultural appropriation incidents.
2
NerdWallet responds to data subject access requests within an average of 4 days, which is faster than the 45-day legal deadline.
3
The company provided a $100,000 grant to the Juntos Avanzamos fund and its Employee Resource Groups directed $70,000 to aligned organizations.
4
NerdWallet reinvested $2 million with Self-Help Federal Credit Union.
5
The company has expanded content for underserved audiences and translated an increasing library of resources into Spanish.
6

Safe & Smart Tech

10

NerdWallet protects all data with advanced encryption during transmission and at rest, utilizing industry-standard encryption.

1
The company offers users comprehensive privacy controls, including a Privacy Preferences page to update settings or request data deletion, options to opt out of interest-based advertising, adjust cookie settings, and unsubscribe from email and SMS alerts.
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Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is utilized, and customers can sign up with Apple, Google, or username/password logins.
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NerdWallet has a vulnerability disclosure program on Hackerone, with reported vulnerabilities receiving a response within 7-15 days.
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Security testing includes regular audits, internal testing, yearly third-party penetration testing, and continuous monitoring of platform changes.
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The company complies with the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and various state privacy acts (CCPA, CPA, CDPA, MCPDA, OCPA, TDPSA, UCPA, VCDPA).
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NerdWallet enhances consumer account monitoring with Bot and AI detections, brute force protections, and breached password prevention.
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The NerdWallet team receives regular security awareness training, and engineers are required to complete quarterly security training.
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The company retains information for legal compliance, backups, archiving, prevention of fraud and abuse, and analytics, but specific retention periods are not detailed.
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NerdWallet states that service providers are contractually required to keep user information confidential and secure and implement reasonable privacy and information protection controls.
10

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-40

NerdWallet implemented waste reduction initiatives in its San Francisco office project, completed in 2021, by repurposing existing furniture, reupholstering banquettes, restoring carpet, and replacing only damaged tiles to reduce construction waste.

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The company has not reported any waste disposal violations in its 2023 ESG report or in the context of its San Francisco office project, indicating no violations in the past three years.
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AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.