Fact-Checking Policy

Checking claims that affect retirement decisions

RetirementPlanCalc aims to verify consequential factual claims before publication. Verification should match the claim: a contribution limit requires the correct tax year and account type, while a Social Security rule may depend on a reader’s birth year or benefit type.

We do not describe this process as an independent audit or a guarantee that every page is error-free. Readers should still verify details before making decisions that affect taxes, benefits, or investments.

Source selection

Official or primary sources are preferred for government rules and program requirements. IRS guidance supports account-limit and tax explanations; Social Security and Medicare provide their program rules; workplace plan documents describe employer-specific features.

We assess whether a source actually addresses the statement, whether it is current enough for the topic, and whether exceptions matter. A search-result snippet is not sufficient when the underlying detail or qualification is important.

Dates, definitions, and context

A fact should use the right year, unit, eligibility condition, and definition. For example, employee contribution limits and combined employer-and-employee limits are different. Full retirement age and Medicare eligibility age are also different concepts.

We avoid applying a broad rule to every plan or household. If the answer depends on income, age, filing status, coverage, or plan terms, the explanation should state that dependence and point to a way to verify it.

Mathematical examples

Worked examples should identify their inputs and use a formula consistent with the accompanying explanation. Rounding should not change the main conclusion. Calculator checks should include simple cases with a known answer, such as zero return or zero inflation.

We also distinguish nominal dollar amounts from inflation-adjusted amounts. A result in future dollars should not be compared directly with a target in today’s dollars without making the conversion explicit.

Uncertainty and unsupported material

We should qualify assumptions and omit unverifiable claims. We do not fabricate prices, studies, quotes, credentials, statistics, or experience to make an article appear authoritative.

A projection is a model output, not a fact about what the future will produce. An example may illustrate a possible outcome without establishing how likely that outcome is.

Reports and corrections

Email contact@retirementplancalc.com with the page URL, the statement in question, and supporting evidence. We may ask for clarification if the report depends on a particular account or plan provision.

When a material error is confirmed, the affected content should be corrected and the nature of the correction made clear where useful. See the corrections policy for the reporting process.