Editorial Guidelines

Editorial Guidelines

At TheFiscalBrief, we cover topics that directly affect people’s money and legal rights. Because of that, we hold our content to a specific standard before anything gets published. This page explains exactly how we research, write, review, and maintain our articles.

1. How We Choose Topics

We prioritize topics where:

  • Real people are actively searching for clear answers (based on keyword and audience research)
  • Existing information online is outdated, overly technical, or state-specific in ways that generic guides miss
  • We can provide genuine value beyond a surface-level summary — practical steps, not just definitions

2. Our Research Standards

Every article is built from primary and authoritative sources first, which may include:

  • Government sources (IRS.gov, state government websites, state statutes and property codes, regulatory agencies)
  • Official court rules and published case law where relevant
  • State bar association consumer resources
  • Peer-reviewed or officially published financial data (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, etc.)

We do not rely on other blogs, AI outputs, or secondary summaries as a primary source for factual claims, especially for dollar amounts, deadlines, and legal citations. Secondary sources may be used for context but are always verified against the original source.

3. Use of AI Tools in Content Production

We’re transparent about our process: AI tools may be used to assist with drafting, outlining, or organizing research. However:

  • No article is published based solely on AI output
  • All factual claims — statutes, deadlines, dollar figures, percentages — are independently verified against primary sources by a human researcher
  • All content is edited for accuracy, clarity, and originality by a human editor before publication
  • AI is treated as a drafting aid, not a source of facts

4. Professional Review

Articles covering legal or tax topics are reviewed by a qualified professional before publication: [describe your actual process — e.g., “reviewed by a licensed attorney” or “reviewed by a CPA” — only state what is actually true]. The reviewer’s name and credentials, where applicable, are noted at the end of the relevant article.

Where a professional reviewer is not yet in place for a given topic area, the article will clearly disclose this and will include a stronger recommendation to consult a licensed professional before acting on the content. [This is important — don’t claim review that hasn’t actually happened.]

5. State-Specific Content

Because laws vary significantly by state and change frequently, every state-specific article:

  • Cites the specific state statute, code section, or regulation it’s referring to
  • Notes the “last updated” date so readers can judge how current the information is
  • Is flagged for periodic re-review, since state legislatures amend laws regularly (particularly around housing, tax, and small business regulation)

6. Corrections Policy

If a factual error is identified in a published article:

  • We investigate and verify the correction against a primary source
  • Confirmed errors are corrected promptly, with a visible “updated” note and date
  • Material corrections (ones that change the substance of the guidance) are logged in a changelog at the bottom of the article

Readers can report suspected errors to [contact email].

7. Advertising and Affiliate Disclosure

TheFiscalBrief earns revenue through advertising (including Google AdSense) and affiliate partnerships. This means we may earn a commission if you click a link or sign up for a product through our site. This never influences which facts we report or how we present legal and financial information — our editorial content and our monetization are kept separate. Full details are available on our [Advertiser Disclosure] page.

8. What We Don’t Do

  • We don’t publish content presenting a specific legal or financial action as guaranteed to work for every reader’s situation
  • We don’t use scare tactics or exaggerated claims to drive clicks
  • We don’t accept payment in exchange for favorable coverage of a specific company or product
  • We don’t publish unverified statistics or figures, even when they’d make a more compelling headline

Have questions about how a specific article was researched or reviewed? Contact us at [contact email].