This page is the long version of the promises on our About page — how a Main Street Dollars story actually gets made, so you can judge our work by it.

Sourcing

We start at the source, not at another outlet’s write-up. Figures come from the agency that publishes them — the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve, the FTC, the CFPB, HUD, court records, and official settlement administrators — and we link that source next to the claim. If we can’t verify a number against a primary record, we describe the rule instead of guessing at a figure.

Editing

Every piece is read for accuracy and plain language before it publishes. We check the math ourselves, confirm dates and dollar amounts against the release they came from, and cut anything that reads like a regulator wrote it.

AI, disclosed

Some of our explainers are drafted with the help of AI tools and then fact-checked against primary sources and edited by a person. Every one carries a note at the end saying so. A human always decides what we cover, how we frame it, and whether it’s right.

Independence & money

We make money from advertising and, at times, affiliate links — and none of it touches editorial. Advertisers don’t see stories early, can’t request coverage, and can’t kill it. Sponsored material is labeled.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix the article, add a dated note explaining the change, and — for anything significant — log it. Tell us at [email protected]. Full policy on our Corrections page.