Our Editorial Standards

Money decisions deserve accurate information. These are the rules every page on FinancialAdviser.com follows.

Primary Sources Only

Every number and rule we state comes from a primary source, such as the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the SEC and Investor.gov, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, Medicare.gov or a state agency. We cite those sources at the bottom of each guide and note the year a figure applies to.

Updates

Many figures change every year, including retirement contribution limits, tax brackets, the standard deduction and Social Security amounts. We review affected pages when agencies publish new numbers, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.

Authors and Reviewers

Guides are written by the FinancialAdviser.com Editorial Team. When a credentialed professional reviews a page, we show their name, credential and the review date. We never imply a credential that a writer or reviewer doesn't hold.

No Personalized Advice

Our guides explain how things work. They don't tell you what to buy, don't recommend specific securities and don't promise results. Examples use clearly labeled assumptions.

Rankings and Reviews

Any "best" list uses a methodology published on that page and applied the same way to every company. Advertisers can't pay for a higher ranking, and sponsored placements are labeled.

Corrections

If you spot an error, please contact us. We fix confirmed errors promptly and update the page date.