Our Research Process
How we develop educational content — the sources we use and the steps we take before anything gets published.
Review Government Resources
We start with primary government sources — the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. Courts, IRS, and state Attorney General offices — for anything involving consumer rights, regulations, or legal processes.
Review Applicable Laws
For topics involving debt collection, bankruptcy, or consumer protection, we reference the actual statutes and regulations that govern them — including the FDCPA, the Bankruptcy Code, and relevant state laws — rather than relying on secondhand summaries.
Review Lender & Provider Disclosures
For company- and lender-specific content, we review the provider's own published disclosures — rate tables, fee schedules, program terms, and state availability pages — as the primary source of factual claims about that company.
Review Consumer Protection Agencies
We check nonprofit and consumer-advocacy sources such as the National Consumer Law Center and the Better Business Bureau for context on industry practices and known consumer issues.
Compare Multiple Sources
Where sources disagree or a claim can't be fully verified from a single source, we compare multiple sources and note where information should be independently confirmed rather than presenting it as settled fact.
Verify Statistics
Numeric claims (loan amounts, APR ranges, program lengths, fees) are checked against the original source rather than repeated from secondary summaries, and are dated so readers know how current the figure is.
Review for Accuracy Before Publication
Before publishing, content is checked against the sources above for factual accuracy and reviewed to make sure claims are appropriately hedged where outcomes vary by individual circumstances.