Editorial Policy & How We Research
This page explains how content on OFFERINGS INDEX gets made: how we choose what to cover, how we check facts, how commercial relationships are kept separate from editorial judgment, how pages get reviewed and updated, and how you can flag a mistake.
How we select topics
We cover offer categories where people are actively trying to make a decision and could benefit from a clear, honest explanation before they commit to anything — home services, insurance, Medicare, legal situations, and health and nutrition topics among them. Within a category, we prioritize the questions people most commonly have, based on the terminology and concerns that come up repeatedly for that type of decision. We do not select or prioritize topics based on which provider pays the most, and a topic is never added or removed from the index solely because of a commercial relationship. See our Disclosure page for the full explanation of how commercial relationships work on this site.
How we evaluate sources
Where a page makes a factual claim that depends on an outside authority — a tax rule, an insurance requirement, a Medicare enrollment detail, a health guideline, a legal process — we prioritize primary and authoritative sources: government agencies and regulators, official statutes and agency guidance, recognized medical and professional institutions, standards organizations, and peer-reviewed or academic research. Provider websites are used only as a source for that provider's own terms, pricing, or service claims, never as the sole authority for a broader factual claim. We do not rely on anonymous blogs, competitor marketing pages, or affiliate sites as a source of fact. Sources are listed in a dedicated "Sources" section on the pages that cite them, with the publishing organization and the date we last checked the source.
How commercial relationships are separated from editorial decisions
Content is written to explain an offer clearly and honestly, not to make a sale. The people who write and review our content do not receive different compensation based on whether a page includes a provider we have a commercial relationship with, and providers cannot review, approve, edit, or veto content about themselves before it publishes. Where a commercial relationship exists, it is disclosed on our Disclosure page and reflected in sponsored-link attributes on outbound links — never hidden.
How we check facts
Claims about pricing, program rules, insurance requirements, Medicare details, and health or legal guidance are checked against the current guidance published by the relevant authority at the time of writing or last review, and are dated so readers know how current the information is. Because rules, prices, and programs change — sometimes without much notice — we qualify claims that are time-sensitive or vary by location, and we tell readers when to confirm a detail directly with a provider or a licensed professional rather than treat our page as the final word.
How pages are reviewed
Every published offer page and guide credits the contributor(s) responsible for it, visible at the top of the page — see our Contributors page, which lists every offer and guide each person has worked on. Pages with two or more contributors distinguish who wrote the content, who researched it, and who reviewed it editorially, so the credit accurately reflects what happened; a single contributor is never listed as their own independent reviewer. Insurance, mortgage, Medicare, legal, health, and nutrition pages — where a factual error could matter more — are prioritized for multi-contributor review.
How updates are handled
Pages show both when they were first published and when they were last substantively reviewed. We aim to revisit time-sensitive content — pricing, program rules, and regulatory details in particular — periodically, and sooner when we become aware of a change or a reported error. Updating a date is something we do only when the content has genuinely been reviewed or changed, never to make a page appear more current than it is.
Corrections
If you spot something that's wrong, outdated, or unclear, please tell us. Use our Contact page and select "Feedback" (or describe the issue in your message) — include the page URL and what you believe is inaccurate. We review correction reports and update the page, and its "last reviewed" date, when a change is warranted.
How we handle claims and superlatives
We avoid vague or unverifiable superlative claims — language like "best," "#1," or "top-rated" — unless there's a specific, checkable basis for it. Where a badge or description on this site highlights something about an offer, it's meant to point to a concrete, defensible reason (a particular feature, a specific use case, a category fit) rather than an unsubstantiated ranking. If we can't point to a specific reason behind a claim, we don't publish it as though we can.
What our contributors are — and are not
Contributors credited on this site research, write, and review content professionally, but unless a specific page states otherwise, they are not presenting themselves as licensed financial advisors, attorneys, insurance agents, or medical professionals, and nothing on this site is individualized financial, legal, or medical advice. Where a decision genuinely depends on your specific circumstances, our pages say so and point you toward a licensed professional rather than offer a substitute for one.