Editorial standards

How we research, source, fact-check, and correct.

Sourcing

We cite original sources whenever possible. For financial topics, that means government agencies (CFPB, FDIC, FRB, IRS, FTC), peer-reviewed research, named industry bodies (NAR, Federal Reserve surveys), and primary documents. Aggregators and content farms are not sources.

Every article that makes a factual claim carries a numbered References section at the foot. Sources are linked when they are accessible online, with publication year. If a source is paywalled, we say so.

Review & fact-checking

Articles on subjects with professional implications (real estate, taxes, lending, inspection, healthcare) are reviewed before publication by a named subject-matter expert. The reviewer's name appears in the article byline alongside their credential. Reviewers are paid for their time and do not have editorial veto.

Standards editors verify the claims, dates, and figures in every article on publication and on each substantive update.

Dates & freshness

Every article carries a Published date and an Updated date. Updates are substantive — we don't bump the date for a typo. Articles are reviewed for accuracy at least once a year; some categories (tax limits, interest-rate-dependent guidance) are reviewed more often.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we correct it and say so. Significant corrections are appended to the article with the correction date. Non-substantive edits (typos, grammar) are silently fixed.

Spotted an error? Email hello@howtogrowadults.com. We respond.

What we don't do

• We don't accept payment for editorial placement. Sponsored content, if we ever run it, will be labeled.
• We don't publish AI-generated articles. AI tools are used for spell-check, transcription, and similar mechanical work — never to write or research articles.
• We don't write financial, legal, or tax advice. Articles are educational. Decisions about your money are between you and a licensed professional.
• We don't fabricate credentials or authors. The Editorial Team byline reflects exactly what we are: a small editorial team, supported by named subject-matter reviewers.