Editorial Policy

 First published: 14 August 2026

Shield and Strategy exists to help readers understand insurance clearly and accurately. That purpose only holds if the information behind every article is researched properly, sourced honestly, and corrected openly when it falls short. This page explains how that happens.

How Articles Are Researched

Every article begins with a defined research question rather than a predetermined conclusion. Before writing, the editorial process identifies what a reader is genuinely trying to find out — for example, how a deductible affects a premium, or what a homeowners policy excludes — and researches that question directly, rather than working backward from an opinion.

Research draws on primary and official sources wherever possible: insurer disclosures, regulatory filings, government and industry statistics, and publicly available policy documentation. Where a claim relies on a statistic or a factual figure, the reporting year and the source are noted so readers know exactly where the information came from and how current it is.

Articles are written with an awareness that insurance rules differ by jurisdiction. Content is primarily researched for the United States market, and where an article extends to the United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia, the relevant regulator, mandatory coverage rule, or terminology for that market is researched and presented separately, rather than assumed to carry over from the US context.

How Sources Are Selected

Shield and Strategy prioritizes sources in the following order of preference:

1. Regulators and official bodies — such as state insurance departments, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), and equivalent provincial and national authorities.
2. Insurer and industry disclosures — publicly filed rate information, policy wordings, and industry association data.
3. Established consumer-protection and research organizations — bodies with a track record of independent, non-promotional insurance research.
4. Reputable financial and insurance journalism — used to provide context or corroborate figures, never as the sole basis for a factual claim.

Sources that cannot be verified, that have a direct financial interest in the outcome of the article, or that rely on unverifiable anecdote are not used to support factual claims. Where evidence on a topic is limited or expert opinion is divided, the article says so directly rather than presenting one view as settled fact.

How Financial Information Is Verified

Financial and statistical claims — premium figures, coverage limits, claim payout data, and similar figures — are checked against the original source before publication, not taken secondhand from another article or summary. Where a figure is an estimate, an average, or a projection rather than a confirmed fact, the article states this explicitly.

Shield and Strategy draws a clear line between three categories of content in every article: verified fact, expert or informed interpretation, and forward-looking expectation. Readers should never have to guess which one they are reading. Where insurance terminology differs between markets — for example, "deductible" in the United States versus "excess" in the United Kingdom — the correct regional term is used and, where helpful, explained.

How Corrections Are Handled

Shield and Strategy corrects errors openly rather than editing them away quietly. When a factual error, an outdated figure, or a misattributed source is identified — whether by a reader, through further research, or by the editorial team itself — the article is updated as soon as reasonably possible.

Corrections follow a simple standard:

• Minor corrections — such as a typographical error or a broken link — are fixed without a separate notice.
• Substantive corrections — such as an inaccurate figure, an incorrect regulatory reference, or a mischaracterized coverage detail — are corrected in the article text, and the page's "Last updated" date is revised to reflect the change.
• Reader-reported errors — readers who identify a possible error are encouraged to reach out through the Contact page. Every correction request is reviewed before any change is made.

Further detail on how updates and corrections are dated and tracked across the site appears on the Corrections/Update Policy page.

Our Broader Commitment

This editorial process exists because insurance decisions carry real financial consequences, and readers deserve information they can rely on. Shield and Strategy does not accept payment to favor a specific insurer, does not present promotional material as editorial content, and does not publish guaranteed-outcome claims about coverage approval, claims payment, or premium savings. Readers can learn more about the people and standards behind this publication on the About Us and Author Bio pages.