Why we started

Remittance Handbook began in 2021 after our founder, Maria Gonzalez, spent three weeks trying to compare fees for sending $200 to her mother in Mexico. Every provider advertised "low fees" or "great rates," but the actual cost—including exchange-rate markups and hidden charges—was buried in footnotes or disclosed only at checkout. Maria, then a compliance analyst at a credit union, started a spreadsheet to track the real costs. That spreadsheet became a public blog, and the blog became Remittance Handbook.

We exist because sending money to family shouldn't require a finance degree to avoid getting ripped off. Our mission is to bring transparency to remittance costs and terms so people can make informed choices.

What we do

We research and publish independent, data-driven guides on remittance fees, exchange rates, and regulations. We don't process transfers or sell financial products. Instead, we:

• Test provider fees and exchange rates by simulating transfers across 20+ corridors (e.g., US to Mexico, Philippines, India) each quarter.
• Analyze terms and conditions to flag hidden costs, like inactivity fees or rate markups.
• Explain regulatory requirements, such as the US Bank Secrecy Act and FinCEN registration, in plain language.
• Maintain a free comparison tool that shows the total cost of sending $200, $500, and $1,000 across major providers.

Our data comes from public disclosures, direct provider inquiries, and user-submitted receipts (anonymized). We update our guides quarterly and whenever a major provider changes its fee structure.

Our team

We're a small, remote team of four with backgrounds in compliance, data journalism, and immigrant advocacy.

• Maria Gonzalez, Founder & Editor — Former compliance analyst at a credit union; 10 years in financial crime prevention. Maria leads research and writes most of our corridor guides.
• David Chen, Data Analyst — Builds our fee comparison models and maintains the database of provider terms. Previously a data journalist at a nonprofit newsroom.
• Aisha Bello, Community Manager — Manages user submissions and responds to reader questions. Aisha is a first-generation immigrant who has personally navigated remittance challenges.
• Laura Kim, Legal Advisor — Reviews our content for accuracy on regulatory matters. Laura is a practicing attorney with expertise in money transmission laws.

We also work with a network of freelance contributors in key corridors (e.g., Mexico, Philippines, Nigeria) who provide on-the-ground insights into local pickup options and fees.

How we stay independent

Remittance Handbook is funded through affiliate partnerships with some providers, but these partnerships do not influence our rankings or reviews. We disclose affiliate relationships clearly on every page. Our comparison tool ranks providers by total cost, not by commission. We accept no payment for favorable coverage. In 2023, we turned down a sponsorship offer from a major remittance company because it required us to remove critical findings about their fees.

Our values

• Transparency: We show our work. Every fee estimate links to its source, and we publish our methodology.
• Accuracy: We fact-check with providers and regulators before publishing. When we make mistakes, we correct them prominently.
• Accessibility: Our guides are free, written in plain English, and available in Spanish for key corridors.
• Reader-first: We prioritize questions from readers over industry PR. Many of our guides start with a reader email.

Why trust us

We've been cited by personal finance publications and immigrant advocacy groups. Our founder has testified before a state legislature on remittance fee transparency. But the trust we value most comes from readers who tell us they saved money or avoided a scam after reading our guides. We're not perfect—remittance fees change constantly—but we're committed to keeping our data current and our analysis honest.

If you have a question or a correction, email us at [email address]. We read every message.