Every guide on Creating Financial Security follows the same steps.
1. Start from trusted sources
We start from what credentialed finance professionals and official sources publish: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the IRS, the SEC's Investor.gov, the FDIC, FINRA, the Federal Reserve, university extension programs, and articles by credentialed authors. We look for at least two sources that agree.
2. Explain it in plain English
Our writers turn those sources into short, clear steps you can use. We explain terms the first time we use them, and we say when a rule depends on your state, income or situation.
3. Check every number
Every number in a guide (a limit, a rate, a date, a dollar amount) must match a source we list. If the sources disagree, we say so or leave the number out. Rules and limits change every year, so each guide shows the year a number applies to.
4. Name the sources at the end
Each guide ends with a numbered list of its sources, with links, so you can read the originals.
5. No personal advice
Our guides are general information. We do not tell you what to buy, which account to open or what to do with your own money. When a decision depends on your situation, we say so and point you to the official source. See our Disclaimer.
Corrections
If you spot a mistake, tell us through the Contact page. We fix errors as soon as we confirm them and note the change at the end of the guide.