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Editorial Policy

This page describes what actually happens before something is published here, including where AI is used and where it is not.

Our editorial process

  1. Research. We open the primary document ourselves: the relevant IRS Revenue Procedure, Federal Reserve data, CFPB guidance, a credit bureau's own documentation, or the institution's published rates. Secondary coverage is not a source.
  2. Compute. Where a figure needs math (an effective rate, a projection, an amortization), we do the calculation and show it, so a reader can check the work rather than trust us.
  3. Draft. We write it in plain English with the sources linked inline, and build the charts and tables from the researched data.
  4. Review. A person reads the finished page end to end, re-checks every number against its source, and decides whether it publishes. Nothing publishes automatically.
  5. Date and maintain. Pages carry the date their figures were verified, and are updated when the underlying numbers change.

How we use AI

We use AI tools to help draft, structure, and edit articles. We do this openly because we think readers should know how what they are reading was made.

What AI does not do here: it is not the source of any fact, figure, rate, or threshold on this site. Those come from primary documents a person opened. AI does not decide what gets published, and no article is written and posted without a person researching the numbers and reviewing the result. We do not give AI a byline, because a person is accountable for every page.

Projections versus published figures

Some numbers people search for do not exist yet. Tax brackets for a coming year, for instance, are set by the IRS in the autumn of the prior year. When we publish a figure like that ahead of the official release, we label it a projection, explain the statutory formula and inputs we used, and update the page when the official numbers land. We never present a projection as an announced figure.

Sourcing and attribution

If a fact came from somewhere, that somewhere is named and linked on the page. We do not rewrite other outlets' reporting and present it as our own work. Where we build on published data, we link the data.

Independence

Our editorial decisions are our own. We do not accept payment to give a product a better review or a higher ranking. Advertising and affiliate links never change what we write. See our affiliate disclosure and disclaimer.

Accuracy and corrections

If you spot an error, email hello@43dots.com with the page and the problem. Confirmed errors are corrected quickly and logged publicly on our corrections page.

Not financial advice

43dots is written by a software developer, not a CPA or a licensed financial advisor. Everything here is general education about how rules and numbers work, not advice for your personal situation. For decisions specific to you, talk to a qualified professional.