Effective Date: August 28, 2026
HonestCredit.org publishes educational personal-finance content for U.S. consumers. Our goal is to explain financial topics clearly, accurately, and practically so readers can make better-informed decisions.
Our Editorial Principles
- Accuracy: We aim to publish correct, current, and verifiable information.
- Clarity: We explain financial concepts in plain language and avoid unnecessary jargon.
- Usefulness: We focus on real consumer questions, decisions, and tradeoffs.
- Independence: Advertising, affiliate relationships, sponsorships, or other commercial relationships do not determine our factual conclusions.
- Transparency: We explain how our content is researched, reviewed, updated, and corrected.
Who Creates Our Content
Articles may be published under an individual author name or under the byline HonestCredit Editorial Team. The Editorial Team byline may be used when content is created or substantially revised through a collaborative editorial process.
Every article is reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. The human editor retains final responsibility for the information, wording, sources, examples, and conclusions published on HonestCredit.org.
We do not claim professional credentials, licenses, or certifications that an author or editor does not hold.
How We Research and Fact-Check
For financial, legal, regulatory, tax, credit, insurance, and government-program information, we prioritize primary and authoritative sources whenever reliable sources are available.
Depending on the topic, these may include U.S. government agencies, regulators, statutes, official program administrators, state authorities, and recognized industry organizations.
Secondary financial publishers may be used for context, consumer questions, or market perspective, but we do not rely on them as the sole authority for important rules, thresholds, or legal requirements when a reliable primary source is available.
When a rule varies by state, lender, insurer, plan, contract, or individual circumstances, we aim to make that limitation clear rather than presenting one example as a universal rule.
Sources
Where practical, we link to the original or authoritative sources behind important factual claims so readers can verify the information themselves.
A source appearing in an article does not mean that the source endorses HonestCredit.org or our interpretation of the subject.
Examples and Calculators
Examples are used to explain financial concepts. When a number is illustrative rather than based on documented market data, we do not present it as a typical rate, premium, cost, approval standard, or consumer outcome.
Calculators and interactive tools provide educational estimates based on the inputs and assumptions used. Their results are not quotes, guarantees, tax calculations, underwriting decisions, legal determinations, or personalized financial advice.
AI-Assisted Editorial Work
We may use artificial-intelligence tools to assist with research organization, outlining, drafting, editing, comparison, or quality checks.
AI output is not treated as a factual source. Important financial, legal, regulatory, tax, insurance, and other time-sensitive claims are checked against primary or authoritative sources where reliable sources are available.
Every published article is reviewed and approved by a human editor.
Images and Visuals
We use licensed photographs, original graphics, and other visuals intended to accurately represent the subject.
Alternative text is written to describe visible content. We do not invent a person’s profession, identity, or role merely to make an image appear more relevant to an article.
Advertising, Affiliate Links, and Sponsored Content
HonestCredit.org may be supported by advertising, affiliate relationships, sponsorships, or other commercial partnerships.
If content or a recommendation involves a material commercial relationship, we will disclose that relationship clearly. Sponsored or paid content will be identified as such.
Commercial partners do not have the right to change independent factual conclusions or our editorial standards.
Updates and Corrections
Personal-finance information changes over time. We review important pages and update them when laws, limits, program rules, industry practices, or other material information changes.
If we identify a factual error, we aim to correct it promptly. Readers can report a possible error by emailing info(at)honestcredit(dot)org.
Educational Content, Not Personalized Advice
HonestCredit.org provides general educational information. Our content does not create a financial-adviser, attorney-client, tax-professional, insurance-agent, medical, fiduciary, or other professional relationship.
Readers should consider their own circumstances and consult an appropriately qualified professional when individualized advice is needed.
Contact
HonestCredit.org is operated by BoostMedia.
Email: info(at)honestcredit(dot)org