✍️ How Our Content Gets Made
This document explains the standards, processes, and controls that govern every article, calculator, and page on CompoundFig. It exists so you can evaluate whether our work is trustworthy — and hold us accountable when it isn't.
1. Core Editorial Principles
- Accuracy over clicks. If the mathematically honest answer is "we don't know" or "it depends," that's what we publish — even if it gets fewer clicks than a bold headline with a simple answer.
- No paid editorial. Advertisers, sponsors, or partners cannot require, approve, veto, or alter published articles or calculator logic. Period.
- Clarity for ordinary people. Financial topics are intimidating. We write for the person who has never opened a brokerage statement, not the CFA.
- Source everything debatable. If a number or claim isn't obvious, we link to its source — academic study, government agency dataset, or primary document.
2. Article Creation Workflow
Step 1: Topic Selection
Topics are chosen based on reader demand (search data, contact messages, survey feedback) and editorial need. No external party dictates the topic list.
Step 2: Research & Drafting
Writers research using peer-reviewed papers, U.S. government sources (BLS, Census, SSA, IRS, Federal Reserve), reputable data aggregators, and established textbooks. Claims that are controversial, novel, or not obviously true must be cited inline.
Step 3: Editorial Review
A second editor reviews for clarity, accuracy, structure, bias, and flow. Articles are edited, not just spell-checked.
Step 4: Fact-Checking & Verification
All key claims, numbers, and formulas are cross-verified against primary sources. Example calculations within articles are re-computed by an independent reviewer.
Step 5: Reviewer Sign-Off
Where content involves tax, retirement, or investing advice, the final version is read by a qualified reviewer before publication.
Step 6: Publication
Published with a byline, date, and (when applicable) a "Reviewed by" line. Updates are tracked.
3. Calculator Methodology
Calculators are held to a higher standard than articles, because people plug their life savings into them. Our calculator review process includes:
- Every calculator page displays the exact formula it uses.
- Calculators are validated against at least one trusted external reference (e.g. IRS worksheet, SSA estimator, published financial formula).
- Edge cases (zero inputs, negative numbers, very long time horizons) are tested.
- All limitations are called out in writing on each calculator page — what the calculator does not include (fees, taxes, etc.).
4. Correction Policy
We correct errors promptly and transparently. When a correction is made after publication:
- For factual errors (wrong numbers, wrong formulas, misstated facts): a correction notice is added to the top of the page or near the error, noting the original wording, the corrected wording, and the date of correction.
- For significant material changes (e.g. an entire section rewritten for accuracy): the publication date is updated and a summary of the change is appended to the page.
- For minor edits (typos, formatting, stale links that still go to the right place): silently updated; no notice required.
5. Corrections in Practice
To report an error: Email [email protected] with a link to the page, the specific sentence/calculation you believe is wrong, and (if possible) a source or counter-example. We review every correction report and respond within 7 business days.
6. Conflicts of Interest
All writers and editors must disclose any personal, financial, or professional conflicts relevant to a topic, including:
- Direct ownership of any financial product they write about.
- Employment, paid consulting, or board positions with financial services firms.
- Family relationships with persons or entities discussed in articles.
Writers with relevant conflicts may still write on a topic only if the conflict is prominently disclosed in the article itself and an alternative independent reviewer is used.
7. Content Refresh & Update Policy
Financial information — IRS limits, Social Security thresholds, legal rules — changes every year. Our update policy:
- Time-sensitive pages (retirement contribution limits, tax rates) are reviewed and updated within 30 days of a change in law or official announcement.
- Conceptual articles (e.g. "What is compound interest?") are reviewed at least annually for currency of examples and illustrations.
- All pages show a "last reviewed" or "last updated" date where practical.
8. AI-Generated Content
When automated or LLM-assisted tools are used during content creation — for research summaries, drafting, formatting, or translation — the following rules apply:
- AI output is never published without a human writer/editor fact-checking every sentence and verifying every number.
- A single, named human author retains final accountability for every piece.
- AI is treated as a tool, not a co-author — it does not receive a byline.
9. Diversity & Representation
Financial topics impact people across every gender, race, age, disability, immigration status, and income level. Where our articles use examples, we attempt to use diverse names, scenarios, and household types — not a single narrow demographic. We also cover topics specific to underrepresented groups (e.g. married vs single filing status, same-sex spousal benefits, stay-at-home spouse Social Security strategies).