Editorial policy

Insurance decisions affect people's money and families, so we hold our content to a clear standard: accurate, sourced, dated, plain and independent.

Last updated:

Contents
  1. Our standard
  2. How we research a guide
  3. How we write
  4. Use of AI tools
  5. Review and updates
  6. Independence and advertising
  7. Corrections
  8. Not advice

Our standard

Every Coverlee guide and tool aims to be:

  1. Accurate: facts, figures and rules are checked against the source we cite.
  2. Sourced: claims that matter link to an official or primary source, listed at the end with the date we checked it.
  3. Dated: each guide shows when it was published, last updated and last reviewed.
  4. Plain: written for a general reader, at roughly an eighth-grade level, with terms defined.
  5. Independent: no company can pay to influence what we write or what our tools calculate.
  6. Honest about limits: we say when an answer depends on your policy or state, and when you need a licensed professional.

How we research a guide

We start from the questions people actually ask, such as “is state minimum car insurance enough?”, and work from primary sources: state insurance department guides and statutes, NAIC consumer guides, FEMA and FloodSmart, IRS publications, Social Security Administration pages, Department of Labor data and other official material. We do not use other insurance comparison sites, insurer marketing or anonymous forums as sources.

When we give numbers, they are either:

  • official figures from the cited source, with the date checked, or
  • clearly labeled hypothetical examples that show how a calculation works.

We do not invent statistics, survey results, quotes, reviews, testimonials, experts or credentials.

How we write

  • Each guide answers its question directly in the first two sentences, then explains.
  • We define insurance terms the first time they appear.
  • We show worked examples with the arithmetic visible.
  • We describe trade-offs rather than telling you which product to buy.
  • Spanish and Chinese guides are written for those readers, not translated word for word.

Use of AI tools

We may use AI tools to help gather research, summarize long official documents or draft text. AI output is never published unchecked. A member of the editorial team verifies every fact against the cited source, edits for accuracy and clarity, and takes responsibility for the result.

Review and updates

Every guide and tool is reviewed at least once every 12 months. We also review sooner when a rule we cite changes, for example when a state changes its minimum auto liability limits, when the IRS updates a table we use, or when FEMA changes flood program details. Tool defaults and thresholds live in one data file so changes are made once and appear everywhere.

Independence and advertising

Coverlee currently has no ads, sponsored content or affiliate links. If that changes, our advertising disclosure will say so first, and commercial relationships will never affect our calculations or recommendations. We do not accept payment for coverage, rankings or links.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. Material corrections are noted at the bottom of the guide with the date. See our corrections policy to report an error.

Not advice

Our content is educational. It is not insurance, legal, tax or financial advice, and Coverlee is not licensed to provide such advice. See our disclaimer.

Questions people ask

Who writes Coverlee guides?

The Coverlee Editorial Team researches, writes and checks every guide. We do not claim individual credentials we do not have; named writers will be listed only when real people join.

What sources does Coverlee use?

Primary and official sources: state insurance departments and statutes, the NAIC, FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Labor, the CFPB, the FTC and Census or BLS data.

Does Coverlee use AI?

AI tools may help with research and drafting. Every fact is checked by the editorial team against the cited source before publishing, and the editorial team is responsible for everything we publish.

How often are guides updated?

Every guide is reviewed at least once every 12 months and whenever a rule it cites changes, such as a state raising its minimum auto limits.

Can companies pay to be featured?

No. We do not accept payment to feature, rank or recommend any company or product.

What do the updated and reviewed dates mean?

Updated is the last time the content changed. Reviewed is the last time the team checked the guide against its sources, even if nothing needed changing.