Editorial and corrections policy

Sources

We use primary sources wherever they exist: the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Medicare trustees and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When we use a forecast from anyone else, we name the source and label the figure as an estimate.

Labels

Every figure carries a status: official, calculated from official data, projection, estimate, or not announced yet. We don’t present an estimate as a fact.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it as soon as we confirm it. Changes to figures are logged automatically on the Sources page with the date and the old and new values. Changes to explanations that alter their meaning are noted at the bottom of the page concerned.

To report an error, use the “Tell us” link at the bottom of any page or the contact form.

Independence

No one pays to appear on this site or to influence what it says. We don’t accept advertising or affiliate commissions.

Automation

Some updates are automated. On the day the COLA is announced, the site can calculate it from official BLS inflation data using the legal formula, and labels it “calculated from official data” until SSA confirms it. No figure is marked official automatically.