Radar / Methodology

Methodology

The Radar assesses financial-service providers on six dimensions, using public sources only. Every amber or red signal is backed by at least one linked source. The overall signal follows a fixed rule, not a judgement call.

Six dimensions

Licensing & registration
Is the company licensed or registered for what it does, in the countries where it operates? Checked against public registers.
Ownership & control
Are the owners, directors and controlling persons identifiable, and is the group structure transparent?
Banking & payment chain
Which banks, EMIs, acquirers or processors does the company rely on, and are they transparent and regulated?
Regulatory actions
Warnings, sanctions, fines, licence withdrawals or criminal proceedings by authorities.
Adverse media & OSINT
Credible negative reporting, links to fraud, high-risk industries or sanctioned parties.
Customer conduct
Patterns of customer complaints, withheld funds, misleading marketing or unfair terms.

Signals

Green signal no material concerns identified · Amber signal concerns that call for enhanced due diligence · Red signal serious concerns · Insufficient data not enough information.

Overall signal

  • Red if licensing or regulatory actions are red, or two or more dimensions are red.
  • Amber if any dimension is red, or two or more are amber.
  • Green if at least four dimensions are assessed and none of the above applies.
  • Otherwise insufficient data.

Evidence

We use public registers, regulator warnings and enforcement notices, court records, company publications and credible media. Each source is linked with its date and, where possible, an archived copy. We record people only in roles shown in public registers.

Right of reply

Before an amber or red profile is published, the company is notified and has 7 days to respond. Companies can send statements or correction requests at any time, free of charge, from their profile. Published statements appear on the profile.

Automated profiles

When a company that is not yet on the Radar is searched for, a profile can be created automatically from public sources (company and licence registers, regulator warnings, enforcement notices, media). Automated profiles are published at once and clearly marked as such. They follow the same evidence rule: a signal other than “not assessed” is only shown with at least one linked source. Companies can respond or request a correction at any time; an analyst then reviews the profile.

Independence

Signals are never for sale. Payments, subscriptions, advertising or verification services do not change a signal. Commercial and editorial work are kept separate.

Corrections

Every change to a published signal is recorded with a date and a note in the profile's version history and the public corrections log.

Limits

Signals describe what public information shows at the date of review. They are not a credit rating, not investment advice and not a finding that a company acted unlawfully.

Signals reflect our assessment of public information at the date of review. They are not a credit rating, not investment advice and not a statement that a company has acted unlawfully. Companies can respond to every profile; published statements and changes are shown on the profile and in the corrections log.