Editorial Guidelines

RetireGuide seeks to provide readers with trustworthy, accurate information about Medicare and retirement planning tools, including life insurance and annuities.

We aim to empower consumers by teaching them and their families about the often-confusing Medicare landscape — from enrollment and eligibility to benefits and supplement policies.

We use clear, concise language to describe insurance and financial products such as annuities, retirement accounts and life insurance so readers can make independent, educated decisions.

At RetireGuide, we adhere to ethical journalism practices by following Associated Press style guidelines, conducting original reporting and attributing facts to reliable sources.

RetireGuide’s editorial team follows strict guidelines for written and visual content — including vetting all sources and verifying quotes and statistics — to ensure our content is clear and factual.

All news stories, reference pages and consumer guides are labeled according to content type and verified for accuracy during each step of the production process.

RetireGuide is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating for our dedication to consumers and high standards for ethical business practices.

Our writers conduct research with integrity by following journalistic principles and ethics.

Ideas for original news, guides and evergreen webpages are generated by a writer, the entire editorial team, an editor or a marketer with an understanding of what our readers expect to find when they visit our website.

The team discusses and refines potential topics to ensure that they are both relevant and meaningful to our readers.

The RetireGuide writer then researches and writes the content using reputable sources of information before submitting it to an editor.

RetireGuide writers are career journalists and educators who take pride in their work. It is common for staff writers to conduct original reporting for our content by interviewing industry experts on relevant topics.

Our writers are encouraged to continue their education through certification programs as well as by attending conferences and webinars.

In-house writers and researchers are also available for interviews with members of the media.

At RetireGuide, we do not publish content until it has been checked by our editors for accuracy and clarity.

Our fact-checking process begins with a thorough review of all sources to ensure they meet our high standards. We cross reference the facts with original reports, surveys and research briefs, or we validate information with reputable news organizations and experts.

The editor also reviews each story for correct terminology, grammar, AP style, flow, clarity, relevance and readability.

Each webpage contains a list of sources for full transparency. The author and editor of each webpage are also identified on the webpage, along with a fact-checked icon to denote editorial and/or expert review prior to publication.

The team’s research practices and reliance on reputable sources contributes significantly to RetireGuide’s trustworthiness and authority.

Government entities, research groups, universities, trade associations and mainstream news outlets — such as NPR and The Washington Post — offer the highest level of credibility. Therefore, these types of sources supply the bulk of our internet research.

We use multiple sources to inform our writing, ensure accuracy, present diverse perspectives and avoid any potential bias.

It is our practice to cite sources clearly within the text and provide an external link to the original content when appropriate.

We also provide full names, affiliations, experience and credentials for each expert quoted within our articles.

RetireGuide occasionally publishes content written by independent contractors and accredited finance and insurance experts.

These collaborations help us maintain the reliability, merit and quality of our content while adding value for our readers.

Experts can contribute to RetireGuide by reviewing content, providing expertise and quotes for articles or writing guest posts.

Our experts must hold relevant degrees and certifications from accredited universities and programs. Experts must provide correct information that can be verified by other sources.

Expert articles are reviewed and edited prior to publication by RetireGuide’s editorial team to ensure it meets our standards.

Experts interested in being contributors can reach RetireGuide’s managing editor, Emily Powell, by email at epowell@retireguide.com. They can also contact RetireGuide through email, phone or social media.

We adhere to ethical journalism practices, including presenting unbiased information, quoting only identifiable sources and obtaining information from reliable resources.

RetireGuide follows Associated Press style guidelines. AP style is the established guide for most U.S. newspapers, and it is intended to improve readability through standardization of mass communication.

AP style provides guidance on everything from proper punctuation and capitalization to spelling and abbreviations.

For the source lists located at the end of articles, RetireGuide uses a modified version of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) format, including a hyperlink to the original source of information.

RetireGuide does not make up or fabricate quotes.

Direct quotes are not altered except to correct grammar, dialect or slang. Such changes will be made only if they do not alter the speaker’s meaning or intent.

Any direct quotes or information gathered from another organization is attributed to the original source, so readers can locate the original information.

Sources may communicate quotes through spoken interviews or in emails and written statements.

We at RetireGuide do not take the work of others and claim it as our own. We hold our team members accountable for high-quality, original work and do not tolerate plagiarism.

We respect copyright. We may use selections of work from other sources — but only in limited situations and only when the writer provides clear attribution.

Attribution includes the name of the publication in the body of the text and often contains an external link to the original publication.

RetireGuide seeks to correct incorrect or outdated information in a timely manner.

If you identify an inaccuracy on our site, please contact Emily Powell, managing editor, to report the error at epowell@retireguide.com.

RetireGuide is independently owned and operated. We publish original, valuable content with the primary intent to educate and inform.

The information we publish related to purchasing Medicare Advantage plans, Medigap policies, annuities and life insurance policies generally aligns with, but is in no way dictated by, our business partners.

RetireGuide has no knowledge of or information regarding the substance of the discussions between our partners and our readers.

We do not accept money from advertising, and advertisers do not influence publication decisions made by the RetireGuide editorial team.

Visitors to the site are not required to use our partner’s services in order to access the free information and resources RetireGuide provides.

While our partners do not control or mandate what we publish, at times we may ask for input from their insurance experts to confirm the accuracy of our independently researched and written content.