Editorial Policy

HarborPlain covers “your money, your life” topics — insurance, legal, and health decisions — where being wrong has real consequences. This policy documents the standards we hold every piece to.

Our process

Each guide and tool moves through four stages before it is published:

1. Research.We start from primary, authoritative sources — government agencies (such as the IRS, CDC, and state bodies), regulators, and insurers — rather than other blogs.
2. Draft. We write in plain language, define jargon, and make the practical next step explicit. Calculator logic is separated from the data behind it (see below).
3. Fact-check. Every number, rule, limit, and claim is checked against its primary source, which is cited in the piece.
4. Review. A second team member reviews the draft for accuracy, clarity, and completeness before it goes live. No article or tool is published without human review.

Sourcing standards

We cite primary sources for factual claims and avoid presenting estimates as guarantees. When a figure depends on the year (tax brackets, contribution limits, average premium rates), we label the year it applies to and review it on the schedule below.

How our calculators work

Each calculator has two layers: a stable logic layer (the formula) and a data layer(rates, limits, and rules that change over time). The data layer is reviewed on a regular cadence so a tool labeled “Updated for 2026” genuinely reflects current figures. Every tool shows its methodology, its data sources, and the date that data was last reviewed, and every tool carries a disclaimer that its output is an educational estimate — not advice and not a quote.

Authorship and expertise

Our work is genuinely collaborative, so we publish under the HarborPlain Editorial Teamrather than inventing individual bylines. Each piece shows when it was last reviewed and updated. For the most sensitive topics we plan to add credentialed reviewers (for example, a Certified Financial Planner or registered nurse) and will name them on the pages they review. This is a deliberate, transparent choice — we would rather show our process than dress up authorship.

Update schedule

• Time-sensitive data (rates, tax and contribution limits, benefit rules): reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a source publishes a change.
• Evergreen guides: reviewed at least annually.
• Each page displays a “Reviewed & updated” date so you always know how current it is.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it promptly and note the correction on the page. Spotted an error? Email hello@harborplain.com or use our contact page.

Independence: advertising & affiliates

We fund the site with advertising and, over time, selected affiliate partnerships. These never influence our editorial judgment: advertisers and partners do not review content before publication, do not get favorable coverage in exchange for payment, and do not shape how our calculators work. Where content contains affiliate links, we disclose it.

Use of AI

We may use AI tools to assist with research and drafting, but every piece is fact-checked and reviewed by a human before publication, and a human is accountable for what we publish. We do not publish unreviewed AI-generated content.

Questions

Questions about how we work? Email hello@harborplain.com.