Editorial standards

Know Plain publishes plain-language explainers about retirement and money. Because these are consequential topics, here is exactly how we produce, source, and maintain them — and what our content is not.

Educational only

Everything here is general education, not personalized financial, tax, legal, or medical advice. We don’t know your situation, and no article can. For decisions that affect your life, talk to a qualified professional.

How we write

Articles are drafted with the help of AI tools and then reviewed and edited by the Know Plain editorial team for accuracy, clarity, and plain language before publishing. We aim to explain established ideas simply — not to chase predictions or hot takes.

How we source

Factual claims are grounded in primary and authoritative sources — for example the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and the foundational research behind ideas like the 4% rule. Where a claim rests on a study, we name it.

Updates & corrections

Every explainer shows a last-updated date, and we revise pieces as rules and data change. If you spot an error, tell us via our YouTube channel and we’ll fix it.

Affiliates

Some tool and book links are affiliates, which may earn Know Plain a commission at no extra cost to you. This never changes what we recommend. See our full disclosure.