Editorial Policy
How we research, write, and review every calculator and guide on CrunchWise.
Our commitment
CrunchWise publishes practical financial calculators and guides for everyday money decisions. Our work is used by real people making real choices about houses, savings, and paychecks. We take that seriously.
Who writes and reviews the content
Every calculator and guide is reviewed by Josh Robins, the founder and editorial lead of CrunchWise, before it ships. Reviews cover: the underlying formula, the data sources, the clarity of explanation, and the date the numbers were last verified.
Where our formulas come from
Every calculator is built from a published, authoritative formula:
- Mortgage payment: standard amortization formula, M = P[r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n − 1].
- Compound interest with contributions: P(1+r/n)^(nt) + PMT × [((1+r/n)^(nt) − 1) / (r/n)].
- BMR / TDEE: Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990 publication).
- US federal income tax: IRS bracket schedules for the applicable tax year, verified against the IRS Revenue Procedure.
- FICA withholding: Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base) and Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% additional over $200,000) at published statutory rates.
- BMI: body mass index = weight (kg) / height (m)².
Where a formula is an approximation, we label it clearly (for example, the Rule of 72 is an approximation for doubling time and is labeled as such).
How we handle time-sensitive data
Guides that reference time-sensitive numbers are labeled with the last-reviewed date and revisited on a fixed cadence:
- HYSA and CD rates: monthly review against each bank's official rate page.
- Federal tax brackets: annual review when the IRS publishes the new year's Revenue Procedure.
- Mortgage rate examples: refreshed when the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey moves by more than 50 basis points.
Editorial independence from advertising and affiliates
CrunchWise is supported by display advertising (Google AdSense) and, on a small number of clearly disclosed money pages, affiliate referral commissions. These arrangements do not influence our editorial recommendations or rankings.
- Commission rates never determine which products appear on a money page or in what order.
- Affiliate links are marked with
rel="sponsored nofollow"per Google's webmaster guidelines and FTC disclosure requirements. - Ad placements are restricted — never interstitials, never above the fold on calculator tools, never designed to be mistaken for editorial content.
What we will not publish
- AI-generated content that has not been reviewed and verified by a named human editor.
- Personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. We provide general educational content.
- Clickbait titles, fabricated expertise, or manufactured urgency.
- Hidden or cloaked affiliate links, or any “Made for Advertising” content patterns.
Corrections
If you spot an error — in a formula, a tax rate, a historical figure, anything — please email us via the contact page. We correct errors quickly and add a dated correction note at the bottom of the affected page when the correction is material.
Disclaimers
Content on CrunchWise is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not personalized financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. For decisions that materially affect your financial situation, consult a qualified professional.