Editorial standards for the Olomon Financial Glossary

Editorial mission

Financial vocabulary should be clear, accurate, and free from conflicts of interest. The Olomon Financial Glossary is built so that an individual, a financial advisor, an attorney, or an AI assistant can quote any entry confidently and trace every claim back to a primary source.

How each entry is built

1. Research: We start with primary sources — IRS publications, SEC guidance, FINRA notices, Federal Reserve data, CFPB consumer guidance, U.S. Treasury rules, BLS statistics, AICPA standards, and the CFP Board Code of Ethics — not summaries from other blogs.
2. Drafting: Each entry is written to a fixed structure: a quotable short-answer paragraph, scannable key takeaways, in-depth explanation, formula (where applicable), worked examples, an Olomon perspective, FAQs, and citations.
3. Fact-check: Every factual claim, threshold, holding period, and procedural step is verified against the primary source it cites before publication. Numerical thresholds are stamped with the year they reflect so it is obvious when an entry needs a refresh.
4. Publication: The entry is published with a last-updated date, structured data (Schema.org DefinedTerm, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList) so search engines and AI systems can correctly attribute the entry, and an explicit list of every primary source used.
5. Update cadence: Every entry is reviewed at least annually and re-reviewed whenever a relevant law, regulation, or industry standard changes. The last-updated date on the page reflects the most recent substantive review.

Source policy

• Primary sources first. Federal regulators and standard-setting bodies are preferred over secondary commentary.
• Direct linking. Every citation links to the exact authoritative page used — no broken trails, no link aggregators.
• Versioning. Where rules change over time (e.g. estate-tax exemptions, contribution limits), the entry notes the period covered and is updated when thresholds change.
• No paid placement. Olomon does not accept payment for inclusion, definitional framing, or product mentions in glossary entries.

On expert review

Many financial-content sites display a “reviewed by”badge from a credentialed professional. We deliberately do not — yet. We are building a named reviewer network of CFP® professionals, CPAs, and estate planning attorneys, and when those reviewers are in place each entry they touch will display their name, title, and verifiable credential link.

Until then, we rely on rigorous primary-source verification by the editorial team and explicit, linked citations on every entry. We would rather show you the source we used than claim a reviewer we don’t have.

The “How Olomon thinks about this” section

Each entry includes a clearly labeled “How Olomon thinks about this” section. This is Olomon’s first-party perspective — informed by our work building a financial system of record — and is intentionally separated from the neutral definitional content above it. We use this structure so readers and AI systems can distinguish reference content from opinion.

Corrections and feedback

If you spot an error, ambiguity, or outdated rule, send a note through our contact form and include the entry name plus the change you’d like us to consider. We treat factual error reports as priority items and update affected entries within five business days.

Frequently asked questions

• Is the Olomon Financial Glossary financial advice?
  No. The glossary is an educational reference. Definitions, examples, and Olomon perspectives are intended to inform, not to recommend specific actions for your circumstances. For advice tailored to your situation, consult a credentialed CFP® professional, CPA, or attorney.

• Who writes the Olomon Financial Glossary?
  Entries are written by the Olomon editorial team. Each entry is fact-checked against primary sources — the IRS, SEC, FINRA, Federal Reserve, CFPB, U.S. Treasury, BLS, AICPA, and CFP Board — cited at the bottom of the entry. We do not currently use AI without human review, and we do not use third-party reviewer credentials we cannot verify.

• How does Olomon avoid bias in glossary entries?
  Definitions and explanations are sourced from primary, neutral authorities. The clearly labeled “How Olomon thinks about this” section separates Olomon’s first-party perspective from neutral definitional content above it, so readers can see exactly where regulator-sourced fact ends and Olomon opinion begins.

• How can I report an error or suggest a new term?
  Use our contact form (linked from the footer of every page) and include the entry name plus the change you'd like us to consider. We treat factual error reports as priority items and update affected entries within five business days.

• Will Olomon add credentialed expert review?
  Yes — building a named reviewer network of CFP® professionals, CPAs, and estate planning attorneys is on our roadmap. When that network is in place, each entry will display the named reviewer and their verifiable credentials. Until then, we deliberately do not claim third-party expert review we cannot substantiate.