Imagine being offered a choice between earning $5 per day or $150 per day – it’s a no-brainer, right? Yet, many affiliate marketers get stuck pursuing low commissions while others rake in substantial profits by promoting lucrative offers in markets like finance, where spending is massive.
As a market worth a staggering $22.5 trillion, finance has incredible potential. The challenge, though, lies in identifying the right personal finance affiliate programs to promote.
Fortunately, I’ve done the legwork for you. By learning from my past experiences and steering clear of subpar programs, you can optimize your efforts.
In this article, I’ll guide you through the most profitable sub-niches within the finance sector and provide you with a curated list of the best financial affiliate programs for each category.
These are the same programs that have enabled some Affiliate Lab members to generate six-figure incomes.
So by the time you’re finished reading this roundup, you’ll know more about the finance niche than 90% of affiliate marketers.
Table Of Contents
- Bank Affiliate Programs
- Budgeting Affiliate Programs
- Investment Affiliate Programs
- Personal Finance Affiliate Programs
- Credit Score Affiliate Programs
- Debt Reduction Affiliate Programs
- Loan Affiliate Programs
- Tips for Success as a Finance Affiliate
- Best Ways To Navigate Through Tons of Financial Affiliate Platforms and Links
- Pros and Cons of the Finance Niche
- Why Do Affiliate Marketers Love Financial Affiliate Programs?
Bank Affiliate Programs
1. CIT Bank
CIT Bank is an online-only bank that offers pretty much all the features you’d find in a brick-and-mortar financial institution.
Your visitors can set up a bank account, or savings account, get a personal loan, apply for a mortgage, and even invest over the long term with CDs (Certificates of Deposit).
And they’re equally happy to cater to personal or business banking needs.
This financial affiliate program pays up to $75 CPA but this might be open to negotiation with your affiliate manager.
Why You Should Promote CIT Bank
You should promote CIT bank because they offer very good terms. A more decentralized labor force should result in increased demand for online banks like CIT. They also offer a very worthwhile commission rate via the CJ affiliate network.
- Commission: Up to $75 per completed application
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Bank accounts, home loans, mortgages
2. BBVA (USA)
BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) is a bank with branches in several states and a history that dates back to 1857.
They also offer a comprehensive online banking facility, with products ranging from savings accounts and credit cards to home loans or mortgages.
Just bear in mind that you will only receive a commission on referrals for the following products/services:
- Premium checking accounts
- Money market accounts
- Free checking accounts
- Online checking accounts
- CDs
So you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re interested in pure credit card affiliate programs.
Why You Should Promote BBVA (USA)
You should promote BBVA because it is one of the most durable banks in the USA. BBVA has survived a financial depression, two World Wars, and the recent banking crisis so they know how to run a bank. Plus, affiliates earn $85 commission on each successful referral.
- Commission: Up to $85 per approved account
- Cookie Duration: Session-based
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Online banking
3. Douugh
Douugh is a hybrid financial service app.
You get the features of a typical checking account but from an online-only bank.
They also offer lots of other neat features to help you better manage your finances, save money, and stop worrying about bills.
Douugh also plans to add additional banking features to their app shortly e.g. depositing money directly to a Douugh savings account
Why You Should Promote Douugh
You are helping people to have a better relationship with their money, and you can earn $50 for every single time you make that happen.
- Commission: $50 per completed account
- Cookie Duration: 10 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, PayPal
- Products: Personal banking and saving
Budgeting Affiliate Programs
4. Trim
Trim is not just another budgeting app that asks you to track everything you spend.
No.
This clever little app renegotiates your existing bills, to find the best deal, but also tracks down and cancels any unwanted subscriptions that leech money from your account each month.
Which you should be doing yourself…but keep forgetting to.
You even get a savings account feature included for good measure.
So, this could be a very solid offer to promote in the personal finance niche.
Note: Trim is only available on an annual, but not monthly, subscription once your free trial is over.
Why You Should Promote Trim
Almost 90% of people underestimate what they spend on subscriptions each month, often by a factor of 5x. Trim can help almost anyone to reduce their unnecessary monthly outgoings.
- Commission: $15 per qualified lead
- Cookie Duration: 10 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, PayPal
- Products: Personal finance
5. Tiller Money
Tiller automates the most tedious aspect of budgeting – entering your personal financial information into a Google or Excel spreadsheet each day.
Instead, you can now link your bank accounts to your Tiller account, making it impossible for you to forget to add a specific outgoing to your customized budget spreadsheet.
This app also sends a neat email summary of your current financial status to your inbox each day.
This is not just your average expense tracker.
Why You Should Promote Tiller
Millennials carry an average of $27,000 of non-mortgage debt and Gen Z’ers around $11,000 of credit card debt. This means you have a potential market of 67 million people to pitch Tiller Money to.
- Commission: $25 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Direct deposit, wire transfer
- Products: Budgeting
Investment Affiliate Programs
6. Acorns
Acorns put your investment and online savings strategy on autopilot.
Instead of leaving you to figure out how much to spend on your portfolio, this app quietly invests $1, $3, or $5 per month for you.
And every dollar goes into financial products selected by experts.
Acorns also provide you with a debit card that invests your spare change and doesn’t require you to pay fees at over 55,000 ATMs around the world.
Why You Should Promote Acorns
It makes investing accessible to anyone with a smartphone and $1 to spare each month. So you have a potential audience of tens of millions to pitch this offer to.
- Commission: $10 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, PayPal
- Products: Micro investing
7. Peer Street
Peer Street allows you to build a real estate investment portfolio, but minus the actual real estate.
The average person can invest in a share of a property loan or mortgage for as little as $1,000.
You can then receive your profits as the debt is repaid, with returns of up to 9% per year on average.
The neat part is that you never have to shoulder 100% of the risk here – it’s shared by the other investors in a given property.
Why You Should Promote Peer Street
There’s a fixed amount of habitable land on planet Earth so it will always have inherent value. Plus, Peer Street’s model allows almost anyone to become a real estate investor – that’s an appealing message to share with almost any audience.
- Commission: $30 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, wire transfer, direct deposit, PayPal
- Products: Real estate investment
8. Ally Invest
Ally Invest provides investors with a way to buy and sell financial products but without the usual account minimums.
But they also don’t charge commissions, unlike pretty much every one of their competitors.
You can choose from self-directed portfolios that you create and manage, or an Ally Invest managed portfolio instead.
While automated investment via their managed portfolio option will prove popular this platform is best suited to active traders.
So factor that into the type of traffic you choose to refer to this offer.
Why You Should Promote Ally Invest
Their fee-free managed portfolio provides newbie investors with a structured way to invest their money, but they also offer self-directed trading for more experienced money managers.
- Commission: Up to $50 per sale
- Cookie Duration: 45 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, or Payoneer
- Products: Stocks, ETFs, and other financial products.
9. DiversyFund
DiversyFund allows the average person on the street to invest their money in the same manner as the 1% – in real estate.
This company allows you to purchase“shares” in multiple family apartment buildings with a minimum investment of $500.
So your visitors can actively diversify their investment portfolio away from the more volatile stock market.
And you’ll get paid a $175 commission every time a new referral takes DiversyFund up on their offer.
Why You Should Promote DiversyFund
They provide a path for the middle class to not only invest in real estate but to directly profit from that if the properties increase in value.
- Commission: $175 per funded account
- Cookie Duration: 45 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, or Payoneer
- Products: Investment funds
Personal Finance Affiliate Programs
10. Personal Capital (Empower)
Personal Capital now known as Empower is a hybrid service combining investment and personal finance in one app.
The app itself is entirely free, even when used to map out your net worth or your current cash flow status.
Where they make money is by up-selling your readers to their wealth management services.
As of right now, Personal Capital has almost US$20 billion in assets under their management.
Why You Should Promote the Personal Capital Affiliate Program
Personal Capital affiliate program offers your audience a free personal finance and budgeting tool with optional services available to those who earn more than US$100,000 per year.
- Commission: Up to $100 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 60 days
- Payment Methods: Bank transfer, check, PayPal
- Products: Personal finance and investments
11. Green Light
The Green Light debit card is one of the more interesting personal finance affiliate programs featured here.
Their goal is to teach kids how to manage their personal finances from an early age.
Parents or guardians can assign chores, pay allowances and get notifications for when the card is used.
Meanwhile, the child using the card learns how to budget and save. They can even learn the basics of investing but with full parental oversight.
Why You Should Promote Greenlight
Parents want the best for their children and that includes having positive financial planning and money habits that will serve them well later in life. The Greenlight card is a great way to start them on that journey.
- Commission: $35 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, wire transfer, direct deposit, PayPal
- Products: Debit card
12. Financial Gym
Creating a budget is something almost anyone can physically do.
It’s sticking to it is where most people stumble and fall.
Financial Gym helps you get around that problem by assigning a personal financial trainer to you.
They keep you focused and accountable to your financial goals, while also giving you financial tips. The personal interaction element of this service is something a piece of software can’t offer.
Note: This is a paid subscription after your free introductory call.
Why You Should Promote Financial Gym
It offers an innovative approach to personal accountability and money management in the form of a human personal financial trainer.
- Commission: $100 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 60 days
- Payment Methods: $100 via Venmo (min. two-month membership)
- Products: Personal finance
13. Money Patrol
Money Patrol provides you with an at-a-glance view of your current financial standing.
You’ll be able to see your incoming and outgoing transactions, set budgets, and get reminders for when monthly bills are due.
This is done by allowing you to link all your personal financial accounts to your dashboard e.g. online savings, credit card, mortgage, etc.
It even allows you to upload your receipts and other financial documents to a secure online vault.
Money Patrol comes with a 15-day trial to use as leverage in your affiliate content.
Why You Should Promote Patrol
They offer their users an average saving of $5,000 per year on their budget, so this should be an easy sell to anyone carrying unnecessary debt.
- Commission: 10% per sale
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Personal finance app
Credit Score Affiliate Programs
14. Experian
Experian is one of the big three credit reporting bureaus serving the financial industry.
They provide more than 3 million customers with credit reports, as well as monitoring for activities that could indicate identity theft.
But they also provide facilities to help you remove incorrect information from your credit report as well as boosting your current FICO score.
Why You Should Promote Experian
They’re a major player serving a very large market with an in-demand product that pretty much everyone will need at least once in their lifetime.
- Commission: Up to $20 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 10 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Credit reporting
15. TransUnion
Next up on our list of best financial affiliate programs is TransUnion.
TransUnion is a Canadian credit reporting agency that also serves the North American and international markets.
As of right now, they have data on at least one billion people in dozens of countries.
And if you guide people towards their services they’ll happily pay you up to CA$60 for each of your referrals that purchase a credit report.
Why You Should Promote TransUnion
There are only 3 major credit reporting agencies in the world and TransUnion is one of them, but they’re also ideal if you have a predominantly Canadian audience.
- Commission: Up to CA$60 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 45 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit
- Products: Credit reporting
16. Identity IQ
You might be wondering what an identity theft protection company is doing in a roundup of financial affiliate programs?
It’s because anomalies on your credit reports are a red flag that your personally identifiable information (PII) has become compromised.
Identity IQ provides its customers with a monthly credit report from a single credit bureau but annual tri-bureau credit reporting.
Why You Should Promote Identity IQ
Cases of identity theft have increased significantly over the last few years, so you should find a ready audience of consumers looking for their services.
- Commission: $35 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Direct deposit, wire transfer
- Products: Credit report and ID theft protection
Debt Reduction Affiliate Programs
17. National Debt Relief
Next up on our list of best financial affiliate programs is National Debt Relief.
They offer a consolidation service that covers unsecured debts – those are debts without any underlying asset to back them.
Typical examples of this are credit cards, medical bills, and business debts.
In addition to providing debt consolidation loans, they can also negotiate with your creditors to reduce your overall debt burden.
Why You Should Promote National Debt Relief
Consumer debt is at an all-time high (US$14.9 trillion) so there will be ongoing demand for debt consolidation services to help indebted people find a path to financial freedom.
- Commission: $27.50 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 60 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Debt consolidation
18. CuraDebt
CuraDebt is a debt settlement and consolidation service that’s been in business since 1996.
So they can help your audience reduce the amount they owe for unsecured debts, and combine multiple debts into a single loan.
But they can also assist with certain types of tax debt, setting them apart from their competitors.
This affiliate program pays up to $200 per lead if your referral becomes a CuraDebt client.
Why You Should Promote CuraDebt
A certain percentage of the population will accrue new unsecured debt even during a recession. So you’ll have a never-ending audience for financial services such as this one. Therefore, this program is one of the best financial affiliate programs out there.
- Commission: Up to $200 per lead
- Cookie Duration: Permanent
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, Payoneer
- Products: Debt settlement
Loan Affiliate Programs
19. Fairstone Canada
Fairstone is a provider of both unsecured and secured non-bank personal, home, and auto loans for the Canadian market. If you live in Canada, this is one of the best financial affiliate programs to join.
What this means is they allow people with lower FICO scores to borrow money but at a slightly higher interest rate.
They also facilitate home equity loans for homeowners who need to borrow money against the value of their home but without having to use a standard bank or bank account.
Why You Should Promote Fairstone
Each recession creates a new generation of adults of all ages who have poor credit scores but who still need to borrow money. Fairstone plugs that gap in the financial services market.
- Commission: Up to CA$200 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit, or Payoneer
- Products: Non-bank loans
20. LendYou
LendYou connects you with third-party, short-term loan providers for amounts up to $2,500.
These types of loans do typically come with higher interest rates (APR) attached as well as shorter repayment terms.
But they do provide a platform for people with poor/damaged credit to get access to emergency finance.
Why You Should Promote LendYou
LendYou is considered one of the best financial affiliate programs for a number of reasons. Roughly 11% of the population of the United States have poor credit scores, your potential market is 30+ million people. Their offer also pays one of the highest commission rates of the best affiliate programs in this roundup.
- Commission: Up to 70%
- Cookie Duration: 1 day
- Payment Methods: Direct deposit, wire transfer
- Products: Personal loans
21. Lending Tree
Lending Tree is an online marketplace for loans that helps to automate the borrowing process. As well as one of the best financial affiliate programs.
You simply answer some basic questions, compare the available lenders and then choose the one that best suits your financial needs.
Lending Tree can connect you with lenders for loans, mortgages, student loans, auto financing, business loans, credit cards, and more.
Note: They do not provide loans for serving military members, and applicants must earn at least $1,000 per month.
Why You Should Promote Lending Tree
Their marketplace will appeal to the majority of people who are looking for the best possible deal on a specific type of loan or financial product.
- Commission: Up to $25 per lead
- Cookie Duration: 14 days
- Payment Methods: Check, direct deposit
- Products: Loans
22. Loan Builder
LoanBuilder is a PayPal service that allows business owners to apply for a loan tailored to their specific needs.
The difference between their service and others is that you don’t have to pay fees upfront – they’re deducted over the lifetime of the loan.
So your business gets the entire loan amount deposited to your account, if and when your application is approved. This affiliate program pays good commissions.
And an affiliate marketer benefits to the tune of $160 in commission per referred customer, making it one of the best affiliate programs here by payout.
Why You Should Promote Loan Builder
Small businesses are always looking for new sources of funding. Plus, you can piggyback off the PayPal brand name in your online marketing efforts to monetize your content with this affiliate program.
- Commission: $160 per qualified application
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Check, PayPal, direct deposit, wire transfer
- Products: Business loans
23. SoFi
And that brings us to the last of the financial affiliate programs in our roundup – SoFi.
They’re an interesting hybrid in the financial services market.
They do provide individual loans, mortgages, and student loan refinancing but they’re not a bank.
And while they offer financial advice…they’re not budgeting software.
But they just might be a glimpse of what the future of personal finance looks like. This affiliate program pays pretty well too.
Why You Should Promote SoFi
This is one of the few bank affiliate programs that put a more friendly face on finance, which will appeal to the Millennial and Gen Z segments of the population.
Also, they’re backed by Chamath Palihapitiya, so they have all the financial liquidity they need. This offer is also one of the best financial affiliate programs out there, by the payout.
- Commission: Up to $150 per approved loan
- Cookie Duration: 30 days
- Payment Methods: Direct deposit
- Products: Loans and personal finance
Tips for Success as a Finance Affiliate
As a finance affiliate, success is achievable with diligent effort and dedication. It requires a strong work ethic and an understanding of the business. Here are five tips for success as a finance affiliate:
1. Develop Your Expertise and Knowledge of the Finance Industry
Gaining expertise and knowledge of the industry is key to your success. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments. Make sure you know about changes in regulations and the introduction of new products. Also, make sure you have regular updates on the stock market’s performance.
You can also attend webinars and engage in conversations with other finance professionals.
2. Maximize Your Online Presence and Marketing Efforts
Create an optimized website that is easy to navigate and includes relevant content. Use social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to promote your business and share content.
Also, consider investing in SEO. This will increase your visibility and help you reach more potential customers.
3. Build Relationships With Clients, Colleagues, and Other Affiliates
Establish trust and respect with your clients, colleagues, and affiliates to foster positive working relationships. Developing a rapport with your clients will help you understand their needs and wants. This will provide the opportunity to offer better services.
Additionally, networking with other affiliates can help you stay informed of industry trends. You will also gain valuable insight into different strategies.
4. Monitor and Measure Your Results Regularly
It is always important to track your progress as a finance affiliate and identify areas for improvement. Review your website traffic, conversion rates, and other key performance indicators. This will help you understand how and if your efforts are paying off.
Use analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and optimize them for better results.
5. Be Realistic About Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money, but it is important to be realistic when setting expectations. It takes time and effort to build a successful affiliate marketing business.
Navigating through tons of affiliate platforms and links can be daunting, but there are a few best practices to follow.
- Figure out which platforms and links will be the most beneficial
- Read through each platform’s terms and conditions and the rules associated with each affiliate link
- Organizing the platforms and links into categories for easier location of relevant content in the future
- Create a tracking system to check your progress and performance
- Finally, use customer or technical support services for help with any questions or issues you have
Following these tips can help ensure you make the most of all the available platforms and links.
Pros and Cons of the Finance Niche
Let’s take an objective view of whether or not bank affiliate programs are worth your time and effort.
- Financial affiliate programs can be very lucrative when positioned properly
- There’s an ongoing and recurring demand for most financial products
- You’ll find tons of high paying merchants on several affiliate networks
- Every recession or economic downturn creates new opportunities to earn money
- The finance niche is constantly evolving e.g. cryptocurrencies
- New bloggers enter this niche every single day despite it being allegedly saturated
- Affiliate managers/affiliate networks will increase commissions for top performers
- The competition in this niche is fierce e.g. credit card affiliate programs
- Strays all the way into the YMYL danger zone, so A.T is a factor
- You need to niche down to compete e.g. don’t just start a “Finance” blog
Why Do Affiliate Marketers Love Financial Affiliate Programs?
Many affiliate marketers, myself included love working with this kind of affiliate program.
There’s the potential for savvy affiliates to make a lot of money with these offers.
After all, those $150 payouts for an approved loan are going to stack up a whole lot quicker than the 5% commissions you get with most financial affiliate programs.
That’s why most experienced affiliate marketers have favorite financial affiliate programs they love to promote.
The money in this niche is just too good to turn down.
And choosing the right niche can mean the difference between financial independence and endless frustration.
But you can learn exactly how I build, and profit from niche sites inside of my Affiliate Lab.
Everything I teach is based on years of testing and tweaking.
No theory.
Just results.
Want to Become a PRO Affiliate?