Editorial Policy

Editorial standards

CostWise Calculator publishes practical, evidence-based tools for everyday personal-finance decisions. We follow three commitments on every page:

• Cite primary sources — federal agencies (BLS, EIA, IRS, EPA, DOE, Federal Reserve, CFPB, SSA) and widely-recognized industry references (Kelley Blue Book, Freddie Mac, AAA, NAR, ENERGY STAR).
• Show the formula behind every calculator so readers can verify the math themselves.
• Never write content that steers a reader toward a specific product, brand, or purchase.

Research process

Before a calculator or article is published, we identify the primary public dataset that anchors the topic, capture the year of the figure we're using, and link to the exact source page. Default values in calculators are derived from these datasets — not marketing copy, vendor blogs, or unattributed statistics.

How content is reviewed

Every calculator page carries a "How this calculator works" block that lists the formula, assumptions, default values, limitations, and situations where the calculator should not be used. Every calculator and article carries a "Last reviewed" date. If a source releases new data or a formula assumption changes, we update the page and refresh the review date.

Update frequency

• Every 12 months minimum: full review of every calculator's default values and cited sources.
• Rate-sensitive tools (credit card APR, mortgage, gasoline, electricity): re-checked at least twice a year against the underlying federal dataset.
• Ad-hoc: reader-reported errors trigger an immediate review — see our corrections policy.

Fact-checking process

Before publishing or updating any calculator, we verify:

• Every numeric default resolves to a linked primary source with a publication year.
• Every formula matches the source method (e.g. IRS mileage rate applied only in appropriate contexts, credit-card payoff uses the standard amortization equation).
• Every rounding or simplification is disclosed in the "Assumptions" block.

Commitment to accuracy

Our calculators produce estimates for education and self-reflection — not personalized financial advice. Where a decision has meaningful financial consequences (buying a home, paying down serious debt, retirement planning), we tell readers to consult a licensed professional and we never present our results as a substitute for that.

We publish a corrections policy and an advertising disclosure so readers can see how we handle mistakes and how the site is funded.