Our Commitment to Independence
FinanceSimply operates with complete editorial independence from our advertising and affiliate partners. The companies that pay to advertise on our site have no say in what we write, which products we recommend, or how we rank financial options. This independence is the foundation of everything we do.
Our editorial team makes all content decisions based solely on what is most useful and accurate for readers. Advertisers are prohibited from reviewing articles before publication, requesting edits to content, or paying for favorable editorial coverage of any kind. Sponsored content (if any) is always clearly labeled as such and produced entirely separately from our editorial operation.
Expert Review Process
Every article published on FinanceSimply goes through a two-step credentialed review:
- Writing. The initial draft is written either by a credentialed expert (CFP, CFA, or CPA) or by a trained financial journalist working closely with one. Anonymous authorship is not permitted.
- Expert review. Before publication, every article is reviewed by a credentialed financial professional who was not involved in writing it. The reviewer checks for factual accuracy, current regulatory compliance, and whether conclusions are appropriately supported by the cited evidence.
Both the writer and the reviewer are named on every article, along with their credentials and years of experience. Readers can verify our experts' credentials through the CFP Board's public registry, CFA Institute, or NASBA's CPA verification tools.
Fact-Checking Standards
We hold ourselves to a strict standard: every specific factual claim must be traceable to a named primary source. Primary sources we accept include:
- U.S. government agencies (IRS, SEC, CFPB, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Major central banks and international financial bodies (Bank of England, ECB, IMF, World Bank)
- Peer-reviewed academic journals
- Publicly available reports from major financial institutions (Vanguard Research, Morningstar, S&P Global, FINRA)
We do not accept vague attributions such as "studies show" or "experts say." Every study is named, every statistic is dated, and all sources link directly to the original document where possible.
Update Policy
Finance changes frequently. Tax brackets shift, interest rate environments evolve, and regulations are updated by Congress and regulatory agencies. We commit to the following:
- All articles are reviewed and updated at least once every 12 months.
- Articles covering rate-sensitive topics (mortgages, savings accounts, credit cards) are reviewed more frequently — often quarterly.
- After major regulatory changes (new IRS guidance, Federal Reserve rate decisions, legislative changes), affected articles are updated within 30 days.
- The "last reviewed" date on every article reflects when the content was actively assessed — not just when the publication date was changed.
Corrections Policy
When we make an error, we correct it promptly and transparently. Our corrections process:
- Minor factual corrections (a number, a date, a name) are updated directly in the article. A correction note is added at the top: "Correction [date]: This article has been updated to reflect [specific change]."
- Significant errors that materially affect the article's conclusions require a more prominent correction notice, and the article is re-reviewed by an expert before republication.
- We do not silently edit or delete articles to hide errors.
To report a factual error, email corrections@financesimply.org with the article URL and the specific claim you believe is incorrect, along with a source for the correct information.
Affiliate Disclosure
FinanceSimply earns affiliate commissions when readers click certain links and subsequently apply for or purchase a financial product. These commissions are our primary revenue source alongside display advertising.
We want to be completely clear about what this does and does not mean:
- It does not mean we rank products based on commission rates. We rank products based on their actual quality, fees, terms, and suitability for different types of readers.
- It does not mean we exclude products that don't pay us. If a product is the best option for many readers and offers no affiliate arrangement, we include it and say so.
- It does mean that when you use our comparison tools and click through to a product, we may receive compensation. We disclose this at the top of every commercial article and in the footer of every comparison table.
Contact the Editorial Team
For corrections: corrections@financesimply.org
For editorial questions or expert pitches: editorial@financesimply.org
For all other inquiries: contact form