What I Do
I run Neobanks Guide, an independent comparison site for EU digital banks. My work is editorial: I research regulatory filings, test neobank products, interview industry sources, and publish comparison content that helps Europeans pick the right bank for their situation.
Every review and comparison on this site is written or edited by me. I maintain the editorial line, the methodology, and the affiliate-disclosure policy. I am responsible for the factual accuracy of everything published here.
Background
I've worked in editorial and product roles across the European fintech and crypto sectors for over a decade. My focus has been researching and writing about digital banks, payment infrastructure, and the regulatory frameworks that govern them.
Before Neobanks Guide, I built and edited comparison and research projects in adjacent verticals — crypto exchanges, CFD brokers, prediction markets. The through-line is the same: regulated consumer-finance products that are hard to compare because the information asymmetry is severe. Good comparison journalism fixes that.
Areas I Cover Personally
- EU neobank regulation — full banking licences vs. EMI licences, BaFin/DNB/Bank of Lithuania/ACPR supervision, passporting under PSD2
- Deposit Guarantee Schemes — EU DGS Directive 2014/49/EU, national variants (EdB Germany, DGS Netherlands, Lithuanian VĮ, FSCS UK)
- Electronic money safeguarding — how Wise, Revolut (UK), and other EMIs protect customer funds outside traditional deposit insurance
- MiCA Regulation — how the EU crypto regime interacts with neobank crypto offerings
- Pricing and fee structures — reading the fine print on FX markups, ATM limits, premium tier economics
- Comparison site methodology — how to rank products without the ranking being an ad
How I Work
1. I open and use accounts where possible
Wherever an EU neobank accepts me as a customer, I open an account and use it for at least one month before writing about the product. I document onboarding friction, UX edge cases, actual fees, and support response times. Screenshots and specific details in reviews come from my own usage.
2. I read the primary sources
Every regulatory claim on this site traces back to a primary source — BaFin publications, EBA opinions, Lithuanian central-bank disclosures, ECB supervisory decisions, national gazette notices. I link to these where practical and cite them where linking would clutter the prose.
3. I disclose affiliates explicitly
Neobanks Guide earns commissions when readers open accounts through some links. This is disclosed on every page with affiliate links. The disclosure is real: affiliate relationships do not influence which products rank highest or receive editorial praise. Rankings are determined by regulatory safety, user experience, and pricing — documented here.
4. I correct errors promptly
If something is wrong, I want to hear about it. Email corrections@neobanks.guide — I read every message and update content with an edit note explaining what changed.
Editorial Independence
I have no equity in any neobank covered on this site, no paid consulting relationships with any of them, and no regulatory conflicts. I hold personal accounts at some of the providers I review (Revolut, N26, Wise), which I disclose when it's relevant to a review.
Reach Out
- For factual corrections: corrections@neobanks.guide
- For press or collaboration: stephan@neobanks.guide
- For partnership enquiries: hello@neobanks.guide
- On LinkedIn: Stephan Kulik
Operating Entity
Neobanks Guide is operated by Kulik Media UG (haftungsbeschränkt), a German Unternehmergesellschaft. Full company details are in the imprint as required under the German Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz §5).
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