Editorial policy

1. Research and sourcing

• Primary sources govern: IRS publications for taxes, FICO's published factor weights for credit, lender and regulator documentation for rates and rules.
• Statistics are attributed and dated. When figures shift with the environment (APYs, contribution limits), the article says so explicitly and is flagged for revision.
• Recommendations come from analysis, not press releases. We do not accept free products, trips, or junkets.

2. The math check

Before publication, every worked example is rebuilt independently in our calculators and verified to the dollar. Where results depend on assumptions — a return rate, a payment date — the assumption is printed next to the result. If a number can't survive its own arithmetic, it doesn't run.

3. Independence

The business side and the editorial side are separated by a simple, absolute rule: revenue relationships are invisible to writers until after publication decisions are made. Advertisers and partners never preview, approve, edit, or place content. Our full monetization disclosure lives at how we make money.

4. Reviews and updates

• Evergreen guides are re-reviewed at least annually; time-sensitive pages (rates, limits) on a faster cycle.
• The published date and last-updated date both appear on every article, because an honest article has a shelf life.
• Material corrections are made visibly; typo-level fixes are made silently. We don't memory-hole mistakes.

5. Corrections

Found an error? You'll be doing our next ten thousand readers a favor. Write to the desk with the article link and the correction — substantiated errors are fixed within two business days.

6. Scope

Mintmark publishes education, not individualized financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Your situation has variables we can't see; for decisions that would hurt to get wrong, consult a fiduciary professional — ideally a fee-only one.