Editorial standards

These are the rules every Cordwell page follows. They exist so you can trust the number and the advice around it.

Sources come first

Tax brackets, contribution limits, fees and rates come from the agency or statute that sets them. Where no single agency publishes a national table, such as state income tax brackets or average property tax rates, we use the Tax Foundation's compiled data, which cites each state's law. Every page lists its sources with links.

No unsourced statistics

We don't publish averages, benchmarks or survey results we can't trace to a named source. When a "good" number depends on your industry or situation, we say so instead of inventing one.

How guides are written

Guides are drafted with the help of AI from each calculator's formula, its sample results and the sourced figures listed on the page. Every draft is then checked automatically: any number that doesn't appear in those sources is removed. Formulas are tested against hand calculations before a calculator is published.

Suggestions for your numbers

The suggestions shown next to your result are generated in your browser by fixed rules applied to the numbers you enter. They are general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice.

Updates and corrections

Figures are reviewed when agencies publish new amounts, usually each fall for the following tax year. Each page shows the date its figures were last checked. When we find an error, we fix it and update the date.

Advertising and independence

Ads are labeled "Advertisements" or "Sponsored Links" and are kept apart from calculator controls. Advertisers don't influence what we write, which calculators we build or how results are calculated.

Last updated October 26, 2026.