Editorial standards.

Every numerical claim, regulatory rule, and academic finding must trace to a primary source. Acceptable primary sources include:

• —Peer-reviewed academic papers (e.g., Trinity Study; Bengen, 1994; Pfau on safe withdrawal rates).
• —Government publications (IRS, Social Security Administration, Treasury, BLS, Federal Reserve).
• —Established financial-industry research desks (Vanguard, Morningstar, Bogleheads wiki primary content).
• —Direct provider documentation when describing a product (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard fund prospectuses).

Personal-finance blogs, social-media posts, and AI-generated summaries are not acceptable as primary sources. They may be cited for opinion or framing, never as evidence for a claim.

Articles include a “Sources & references” section listing primary sources where applicable. Hyperlinks go directly to the source — not to an intermediate site that summarises it.

Before publication, every article goes through:

1. 01Source verification — every cited statistic is checked against the primary source linked.
2. 02Math verification — every formula is run against worked examples in the article.
3. 03Currency check — tax thresholds, contribution limits, and regulatory references are dated and verified against the most recent IRS / SSA publication.
4. 04Disclaimer review — every YMYL claim is paired with appropriate hedging and a link to the full disclaimer.

For pages with time-sensitive information (tax rules, contribution limits), the “updated” date in the byline reflects the most recent fact-check — not just a copy edit.

We are transparent about how AI tools are used in our editorial process — because pretending they aren't is one of the bigger trust failures in modern publishing.

• —AI tools are used as research and drafting assistants — for outlining, surfacing source candidates, and language polish.
• —AI is never used to generate citations or numerical claims. Every cited source is human-verified against the primary document.
• —AI-generated copy is edited and fact-checked by humans before publication. Articles are not "press a button and ship" output.
• —Where a claim cannot be verified against a primary source, it is removed — even if the AI draft asserted it confidently.

If you spot an error, please use the contact form with the article URL and the specific line or number you believe is wrong. We aim to:

• —Acknowledge the report within 24 hours.
• —Verify the correction against primary sources.
• —Publish the fix and update the article's "updated" date.
• —For substantive corrections that change a recommendation, add a note describing what changed and why.

We do not silently amend substantive claims. If a claim was wrong on publication, the correction is disclosed.

The FIRE Pathway is funded by clearly-disclosed affiliate relationships and standard display advertising. To keep editorial separation real:

• —Affiliate links are labelled where they appear; full disclosure lives on the /disclaimer page.
• —Methodology — what numbers go into a calculator, which assumptions are used — is decided independently of advertiser relationships.
• —We do not accept sponsored articles, paid placements in editorial copy, or "guest posts" with embedded links.
• —When an affiliate partner offers a product we wouldn't personally use, it is not included in any "best of" list.

Display advertising is provided by third-party networks (e.g., Google AdSense). We do not control which specific ads are served and we do not accept advertiser influence on editorial content.

We are an educational publication, not a registered investment advisor. Nothing on this site is personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. The full legal disclaimer is at /disclaimer.