Editorial policy
Every guide on Later Life Finance Guide is written and reviewed by the Later Life editorial team. We explain later-life finance options in plain English, give information rather than advice, and base every figure on a named, dated source. This page sets out how we write, check and correct our content.
Information, not advice
We are an information website. We are not a financial adviser, lender or broker, and we do not give regulated advice or arrange products. We don't know your circumstances, so we never say an option is right for you. Where a decision needs personal advice, such as equity release or a mortgage, our guides point you to an adviser authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or to free guidance from MoneyHelper or Pension Wise.
How we write
- Plain English. Short sentences, jargon explained the first time it appears, and UK spelling.
- Benefits and risks together. Each guide explains how an option works, what it may cost and what could go wrong, such as interest building up, less to leave to family, or effects on means-tested benefits.
- No sales language. We don't use words like "best" or "cheapest", rank products, or create urgency.
- One question per page. Each page answers a distinct question, starting with a short, direct answer.
How we source figures
- Primary sources first. We use official and primary sources, including GOV.UK, HMRC, the FCA, MoneyHelper, the Equity Release Council and the Office for National Statistics.
- Every figure is recorded. Each number on the site is logged with its source and the date it was checked, in a register we keep for the whole site.
- Dated where it matters. Tax thresholds, benefit rates and other statutory figures give the tax year they apply to.
- Unconfirmed figures are removed. If a figure can't be confirmed from a dated source, we leave it out rather than publish an estimate.
- Examples are labelled. Worked examples, such as "if you borrow £100,000 at 6%", are marked as examples and are not current rates or quotes.
How we review
Before a page is published:
- It goes through a separate review against a written checklist, covering accuracy against the sources, balance, overlap with other pages and style.
- Automated checks confirm that every figure has a source, every internal link works, and no promotional or advice-like wording has slipped in.
- Figures with the most impact, such as care costs, tax thresholds and lender criteria, are spot-checked against the original source.
We use software tools, including AI writing and checking tools, to help draft and check content. Every page is held to the same standards above, whichever tools were used.
Lenders and providers
Firms can't pay to appear in our guides, to be ranked, or to be described more favourably. Our provider pages list firms alphabetically and state only facts from the firm's own published information, the FCA Register, the Equity Release Council or MoneyHelper. We don't say which provider is better. Our affiliate disclosure explains how the site is funded.
Updates and corrections
Every guide shows when it was last updated. We aim to review figures when official rates change, such as at the start of each tax year, and when regulators or industry bodies publish new rules.
If you think something is wrong or out of date, please contact us with the page and the sentence or figure concerned. We check every report against the original source and correct anything that is wrong.
Last updated
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the guides on Later Life Finance Guide?
Guides are written and reviewed by the Later Life editorial team, and credited to the team rather than to an individual. Every page goes through the same process: drafting to our style guide, sourcing each figure, a separate review against a written checklist, and automated checks for sources, links and wording before it is published.
Where do your figures come from?
We use official and primary sources, such as GOV.UK, HMRC, the Financial Conduct Authority, MoneyHelper, the Equity Release Council and the Office for National Statistics. Each figure is recorded with its source and the date it was checked. If we cannot confirm a figure from a dated source, we leave it out rather than publish it.
Do lenders or advisers pay to appear in your guides?
No. Firms cannot pay to be included, ranked or described more favourably. Our provider pages list firms alphabetically and state only facts from the firm's own published information, the FCA Register, the Equity Release Council or MoneyHelper. Any future commercial arrangement will be explained on our affiliate disclosure page.
How often are guides updated?
Each guide shows the date it was last updated. We aim to review figures when official rates change, such as tax thresholds and State Pension amounts at the start of each tax year, and when regulators or industry bodies publish new rules or data. Worked examples are labelled as examples, not current market rates.
What happens when you correct a guide?
When someone reports a possible error through our contact page, we check it against the original source. If something is wrong, we correct it, update the page's date, and where the change is significant we say what changed.