AI assists the draft. It is not the source.
Rest of the Road uses AI-assisted tools during drafting and editing. They may help organize a page, compare wording, identify questions to check, or revise an explanation for clarity.
AI output is not treated as evidence. Factual claims are checked against source material, and the published copy is edited for scope, context, and consistency with the project's educational purpose. AI can still introduce errors, which is why readers should use the cited source when a precise rule or current threshold matters.
Primary sources come first
Where they are available, research starts with primary material such as government publications, statutes and regulations, official program documentation, original research, and first-party technical documentation.
- Find the governing source. Start with the agency, law, original paper, or product documentation responsible for the claim.
- Check dates and scope. Confirm who a rule applies to, when it takes effect, and which exceptions could change the explanation.
- Translate without erasing uncertainty. Explain the practical meaning while preserving assumptions, ranges, and limits.
- Link readers back. Cite sources where a reader can verify the detail and look for later changes.
Secondary sources may be useful for context, but they do not replace an available primary source for a material factual claim.
Models show scenarios, not outcomes
Planner explanations distinguish entered assumptions from calculated results. Returns, inflation, healthcare costs, taxes, longevity, and household decisions are uncertain. A model can show the consequences of a chosen set of assumptions; it cannot establish what will happen.
Content may explain a decision and the factors commonly involved. It does not assess suitability, recommend a transaction, or replace financial, investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice.
Updates and corrections
An update date marks the most recent substantive review or revision; it is not a guarantee that every figure or rule remains current after that date. Time-sensitive material should be checked against its primary source before it is used for a decision.
We review content when a governing rule, source, modeling method, or product behavior materially changes. Confirmed errors are corrected, and a material correction is described when readers would otherwise miss an important change in meaning.
To flag a possible error, use the contact page and include the page URL and the primary source that appears to conflict.