Editorial Standards

These standards govern every article published on The Retiree Report. Readers can hold us to them; if we fall short, write to trisstann@gmail.com.

Sources

Every factual claim is sourced. We work in tiers:

• Tier 1 (preferred): Government primary sources — CMS, SSA, IRS, CDC, FDA, NIH, KFF, AARP, FTC, CFPB, BLS, Treasury, MedlinePlus, USPSTF.
• Tier 2 (acceptable): Major newswires and reputable institutions — Reuters, Associated Press, NPR, Mayo Clinic, Consumer Reports, Kiplinger, Tax Foundation.
• Not used: Anonymous blogs, content farms, partisan outlets without bylines, social media as a sole source, AI-generated content from other sites.

Three independent sources is the minimum bar to publish. Stories that cannot meet that bar are not published, even if they would draw traffic.

Numbers and dates

Dollar amounts, percentages, eligibility thresholds, and deadlines are verified against the official source on the day the article is finalized. When the current-year figure has not been released, we use the most recent published figure and label it ("as of 2025, the most recent published figure") rather than estimating.

Articles are dated by publication and updated when the underlying rules change. The "updated" date in every byline reflects the most recent material revision, not a cosmetic edit.

YMYL topics

Many of our beats — Medicare, Social Security, prescription drugs, retirement withdrawals, taxes — sit in what Google calls "Your Money or Your Life" categories. For these, we are stricter: we use a primary-source-first rule, we never present individualized advice, and every article includes an explicit "talk to a licensed professional" note where applicable.

For medical topics, we cite the relevant clinical guideline by name (USPSTF, AHA, ADA, CDC ACIP) and year. We do not extrapolate beyond what the guideline says. We never recommend a specific medication, dose, or procedure for an individual reader.

Use of AI tools

We use AI tools to assist with research and drafting. Every article is grounded in independently verified primary sources; AI is used as a research and drafting aid, not as a source of truth. Articles that depend on a fact AI surfaced are not published unless the fact is also confirmed against an authoritative primary source.

This is disclosed in every article's footer area and on our disclaimer page.

Corrections and updates

If we publish something wrong, we correct it within 48 hours of confirming the correction is warranted. Corrections appear at the top of the affected article. Material changes also update the "last updated" date and trigger a new entry in our sitemap.

Independence and disclosures

The Retiree Report is reader-supported through display advertising and qualifying Amazon affiliate purchases. Affiliate links — when present — are limited to one per article, are clearly disclosed, and never determine which products we cover.

We do not accept sponsored content, paid placement, paid links, or "guest posts" from PR agencies. Press releases inform our awareness of stories, never the writing.

Reader privacy

We collect the minimum analytics needed to operate and improve the site, and we describe what is collected on our privacy page. We do not sell reader data.