Last updated: August 13, 2026
Retirement in USA publishes practical reporting on the money and the life of retirement in America — Social Security, Medicare, taxes, pensions, part-time income, where to live, and how to make a fixed income go further. This policy sets out how that content is made, how it is checked, and what we disclose.
How our content is made
We use artificial intelligence — specifically Google Gemini — to assist in drafting articles, working from a detailed editorial brief. AI is a research and drafting tool here, not an autonomous publisher.
- Topic selection. Editors choose subjects based on reader questions, benefit calendars, and rule changes that affect people already retired or close to it.
- Grounding in authoritative sources. Every article is built on the source hierarchy below, starting with the agencies that actually administer the programmes involved.
- AI-assisted drafting. Gemini produces a full draft against our editorial guidelines.
- Editorial review. A human editor checks factual claims, figures, and eligibility rules before anything is published.
- Plain-language pass. We remove jargon and make sure each step is something a reader can actually act on.
- Review and update. Articles are revisited when the underlying rules change — which, for Social Security and Medicare, is at least annually.
Articles carry a byline identifying the editor responsible for the piece. Our team is small, and we would rather tell you that plainly than imply a newsroom we do not have.
How we check facts
We rank sources, and we say so, because retirement rules are the kind of thing where a secondhand summary is often a year out of date.
Tier 1 — the agencies that administer the programmes
Social Security Administration (SSA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Medicare.gov, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (pensions and ERISA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FDIC, and the Federal Reserve.
Tier 2 — strong secondary sources
FINRA, the National Council on Aging (NCOA), KFF for Medicare and health-cost data, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), the Eldercare Locator, and peer-reviewed research on retirement income and ageing.
Tier 3 — supporting references
AARP, Kiplinger, Investopedia, NerdWallet, Bankrate, Consumer Reports, and established retirement-planning publications.
When sources disagree
Government and peer-reviewed sources take precedence over professional associations, which take precedence over industry publications. Where a conflict affects what we tell you to do, we say so in the article rather than quietly picking a side.
Figures, dates and eligibility
Benefit amounts, income limits, premiums, deductibles and tax thresholds change most years. We date the figures we publish and name the year they apply to. Before you act on any number you read here, check it against the administering agency — we link to them for exactly that reason.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix it and say what changed. Material corrections carry a dated note on the article. If you have spotted an error, tell us at contact@retirementinusa.com — corrections from readers are welcome and we act on them.
Independence
We earn money from display advertising and from affiliate links. Neither determines what we cover or what we conclude. Advertisers and affiliate partners get no say in our articles and no advance sight of them. See our Advertiser Disclosure for the full picture.
What we do not do
We do not give personalised financial, tax, legal or medical advice, and nothing here is a substitute for a professional who knows your circumstances. See our Disclaimer.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or about anything we have published: contact@retirementinusa.com.