Fact-Checking Process

Last updated: May 2026.

Personal finance is YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content under Google's Search Quality framework. We treat factual accuracy as the most important quality of an article. Here is how every article is checked before publication and how we keep it current after.

What gets checked

1. Every cited number — APYs, APRs, tax brackets, contribution limits, fees, thresholds — is traced back to the publication it came from.
2. Every regulatory reference — IRS publication numbers, IRC sections, CFPB rules, SEC guidance — is checked against the current version of the rule.
3. Every named institution — banks, lenders, brokerages, insurers — is checked for current operating status and product availability.
4. Every dollar figure with an implied date — "in 2026," "as of," "the most recent" — is cross-checked against the most recent publication release we can find at review time.

Primary sources we use

For each topic, we work from a defined set of primary sources. Examples:

• Tax: IRS Publications (17, 54, 334, 535, 560, 590-A, 590-B, 514, 523, 527), IRS Topical Index, U.S. Treasury, Tax Foundation, Tax Policy Center.
• Banking and savings: FDIC Weekly National Rates and Rate Caps, Federal Reserve G.19 Consumer Credit, CFPB Consumer Banking Market Reports.
• Mortgages: Freddie Mac PMMS (weekly), Fannie Mae ESR, CFPB HMDA, HUD, FHFA House Price Index, MBA Weekly Application Survey.
• Investing: SEC Investor.gov, FINRA BrokerCheck, ICI Investment Company Fact Book, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Morningstar Direct.
• Retirement: SSA Trustees Report, SSA benefit tables, IRS Pub 560 and 590, Vanguard's How America Saves report, EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
• Insurance: NAIC, CMS, KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey, Insurance Information Institute, LIMRA, ACLI.
• Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Census ACS.

What we will not do

• Cite a percentage, dollar figure, or rule without a verifiable source.
• Invent a survey result ("X% of Americans report…") that is not backed by a named, published study.
• Quote an "expert" who does not exist.
• Misrepresent secondary sources (such as a finance blog) as primary research.
• Claim "we tested" a product when no testing has occurred.

When figures change

When a primary source updates — for example, the IRS releases new contribution limits each fall, the Federal Reserve publishes G.19 monthly, BLS publishes OEWS in May — affected articles are added to a review queue and re-checked within 30 days of the new release.

Reporting an error

If you find a factual error, email corrections@moneylume.com. Corrections are made with a visible note on the affected page including the date and the change.