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Disclosures

Affiliate programs are a way for people to earn money by placing links or ads online.

If you'd like to learn more about what affiliate programs are or why bloggers need to use them, you can learn more here.

As pointed out on the page linked to above, so much amazing free content can be provided on the Internet by bloggers and others using affiliate links. Affiliate links don't cost you any extra while providing financial support to the blogger This allows the blogger to create free content instead of having to spend all their time at a paid job or creating paid products or content. If you love free content, use the affiliate links on your favorite bloggers' posts (and also affiliate links for genealogy societies or groups you want to support financially).

I will not link to an item or service just for the commission.

I may link to products or services I have not personally used but believe would benefit readers. Why? There are so many genealogy resources out there, I just can't buy all of them! This policy differs from many non-genealogy bloggers so I'm including some examples below so you understand why.

Examples:

I may link to a webinar or course from an instructor I know well, even if I have not taken the exact course. I am very careful about the "education" I recommend but it is not financially possible to have taken every opportunity (we're not talking $8 products from Amazon, here!).
I will recommend DNA tests or tools I have heard recommended by genetic genealogists I trust. This is a big area where there's no way I could (financially) afford to try everything, plus, if you have a different situation from me (including living in a different country where different laws apply to DNA testing), what works for me may not work for you.
I will recommend books that I hear recommended by others I respect or by authors I know. It seems unfair to avoid recommending a book I earn a commission for recommending, just for that reason, if I would recommend it to you otherwise.

Also, I just like making suggestions that might be helpful, that's just me. If I come across something on Amazon that sounds helpful and has good reviews, I want to share it, even if I haven't used it. I do this "in real life" all the time and I don't get a commission. I try to be very clear when this is the situation and I'll ask you to let me know if you've used the product and liked it (or not).

The following are the affiliate programs this blog participates in.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I am an affiliate for FamilyTreeDNA. I receive a commission for sales made after clicking links or ads. I have personally used them for Y-DNA and mtDNA testing and their FamilyFinder test and continue to use them.

I am an affiliate for