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Editorial policy

How guides on this site are researched, written, checked and kept up to date, and how the site stays independent.

Who writes the guides

Every guide is written or reviewed, and signed off, by The Off-Duty Economist: an economist with a PhD in economics and finance who teaches at a UK university. More about the author.

A variety of AI tools are used to help with research and drafting. All content is researched, checked against its sources and confirmed by The Off-Duty Economist before it’s published.

Where the facts come from

  • Primary sources first: legislation, GOV.UK, HMRC, the FCA, the FSCS, fund providers’ own documents and peer-reviewed research.
  • Secondary sources, such as specialist news sites, are used for context or to find primary sources, and are named as such.
  • Every factual claim links to its source. Each guide lists its sources at the end, with the date they were checked.

Keeping guides up to date

  • Every guide shows a “last reviewed” date.
  • Pages with tax allowances or limits are rechecked every April, when the tax year changes.
  • When rules change during the year, the affected pages are updated once the details are published.

Corrections

If something is wrong, it’s corrected as soon as possible and the change is recorded on the corrections page, with the date and what changed. You can report an error through the contact page.

Independence

  • No ads, affiliate links or sponsored content.
  • No fund provider, platform or bank pays the site or its author.
  • Products are named only as examples or in factual comparisons, never as recommendations.
  • If the site ever starts to make money, this page will say how before it happens.

Search engines and AI assistants. The site lets search engines and AI assistants read and quote the guides, with a link back to the source page, and publishes a summary file to help them find the right one. Quoting is welcome; the guides themselves stay here, where they are kept up to date.

Education, not advice

The site explains how investing works and what the evidence shows. It doesn’t make personal recommendations. For free, impartial guidance, try MoneyHelper. For advice on your own situation, use a regulated financial adviser, and check them on the FCA register.

Please read the full disclaimer before acting on anything on this site.