Our Methodology
How we research, analyze, and rank financial products. This page explains exactly how Vextor Capital collects data, scores products, and updates its financial guides.
Transparency isn’t just a value at Vextor Capital — it’s the foundation of everything we publish. This page explains exactly how we research, analyze, score, and rank the financial products and strategies featured in our guides.
The 5-Step Research Process
1Data Collection
Every guide begins with data from official, verifiable sources:
- Financial regulators: IVASS, CONSOB, Bank of Italy, ECB
- Statistical agencies: ISTAT, Eurostat, OECD, Federal Reserve (FRED)
- Market data: Bloomberg references, S&P indices, official exchange data
- Academic research: ECB, IMF, World Bank, NBER working papers
- Industry reports: ANIA (insurance), ABI (banking), ACEA (automotive)
2Real-World Testing
For product comparisons (insurance, bank accounts, mortgages, investment platforms), we go beyond marketing claims:
- We obtain actual quotes by submitting real parameters on provider websites
- We document the exact date, profile parameters, and results of each quote
- We test from multiple geographic locations (North, Center, South Italy)
- We verify claims by reading full contractual documentation (IPID, KID, ISC)
3Analysis & Scoring
Products are evaluated using a weighted scoring system. Example for car insurance:
| Criterion | Weight | How We Measure It |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 35% | Actual quotes vs. market average (IVASS data) |
| Coverage quality | 25% | Liability limits, exclusions, deductibles |
| Flexibility | 15% | Payment options, suspension, cancellation |
| Claims handling | 15% | Trustpilot reviews, IVASS complaints data |
| Digital experience | 10% | App quality, online management, quote process |
4Personal Experience Layer
We add a clearly labeled “experience layer” based on Alberto Gulotta’s own investment experience (including ETF portfolio management):
- Portfolio performance and allocation decisions
- Real insurance quotes obtained personally
- Banking and investment platform usage since 2022
- Market events navigated first-hand (2025 bear market, ECB rate changes)
This is always presented in dedicated boxes, clearly marked as personal opinion, followed by a contrarian view.
5Review & Publication
Every guide passes a 52-point quality checklist covering factual accuracy, legal compliance (CONSOB/TUF, MiFID II), structured data validation, language purity, readability, and link verification.
How We Handle Conflicts of Interest
- Personal investments: Alberto holds positions in ETFs, gold, and cryptocurrencies. This is disclosed when discussing these asset classes.
- Advertising: Google AdSense ads are algorithmically placed. We have no control over which ads appear.
- Platform usage: Alberto uses Scalable Capital and Trade Republic. This is disclosed whenever these platforms are discussed.
Update Schedule
| Content Type | Frequency | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Product comparisons (prices, rates) | Every 3 months | Scheduled + price changes >5% |
| Market analysis | Immediately | Major events (ECB decisions, elections) |
| Educational guides | Every 6 months | Scheduled review |
| Tax/regulatory guides | Annually + event-driven | New legislation |
Sources We Trust
Our analysis relies exclusively on data from recognized institutional sources:
- European Central Bank (ECB) — monetary policy, interest rates, inflation data
- Bank of Italy — Italian financial system data, ABI surveys
- IVASS — insurance market regulation and pricing data
- ISTAT — Italian national statistics, CPI, economic indicators
- Eurostat — EU-wide economic and demographic data
- OECD — international economic analysis and forecasts
- IMF — global economic outlook and country reports
- Federal Reserve (FRED) — US economic data, interest rates, market indicators
See how our editorial process works
Learn how we write, fact-check, disclose conflicts, and keep our financial guides transparent across investing, personal finance, real estate, and macro.
Read Editorial Policy →