Appendix C — How to Check a Money “Fact”
Maybe the most valuable money skill isn’t a formula or a budget — it’s being able to tell a reliable financial fact from a confident-sounding wrong one. The internet is full of money advice that is outdated, oversimplified, quietly trying to sell you something, or just made up, and acting on the wrong “fact” is how people miss a credit, fall for a fee, or get talked into a bad product. This is a short, repeatable workflow for checking almost any money claim before you rely on it — the same discipline this whole course tries to model by routing every figure to an official source. It’s a habit, not a research degree, and it usually takes a couple of minutes. (For the official sources themselves, see Appendix B.)
The workflow
Go to the source — and prefer the primary one. Trace the claim to where it actually comes from. An official agency (a .gov site, or the specifically named authority) beats a blog, a forum, a social-media clip, or an ad. “I read it somewhere” and “an influencer said” are not sources.
Check the date. This is the single most common way money advice goes wrong. Tax brackets, contribution limits, benefit amounts, and program rules change almost every year, so an article that was correct three years ago can be confidently wrong today. Look for “last updated,” and when in doubt, confirm the current number at the official source.
Ask who profits. Follow the money behind the advice. “Best credit card / best brokerage” lists often earn a commission on what they recommend; “free” tools may sell your data; “debt relief” and “tax relief” ads are selling a service. Paid-for advice isn’t automatically wrong, but knowing someone is selling something tells you to verify it independently.
Mind the .gov vs. .com line — and the look-alikes. Anyone can build an official-looking site. Scammers register addresses that imitate real agencies. When it matters, type the official address yourself (or search the agency’s name) rather than clicking a link in an email, text, or ad — and remember the only authorized free-credit-report site is annualcreditreport.com, not its many imitators.
Cross-check anything surprising. If a claim is dramatic (“this one trick,” “you’re owed thousands,” “this account is tax-free forever”), confirm it against a second, independent, reputable source before acting. Two unrelated authorities agreeing is a good sign; one viral post is not.
For your own situation, ask the agency or a credentialed professional. General education (like this course) can tell you how things work; it can’t tell you what you should do. For a decision that turns on your specifics, go to the agency (the IRS, SSA, CFPB) or a credentialed professional (a CPA or enrolled agent for taxes, a fiduciary adviser for investing, a lawyer for legal questions) — and verify credentials (see Appendix B).
Treat urgency, guarantees, and “secrets” as red flags. Real information doesn’t need to rush you, doesn’t promise guaranteed outcomes, and isn’t a hidden trick “they don’t want you to know.” Those are the signatures of a sales pitch or a scam, not a fact.
The honest limit
This is a general method for evaluating information, not advice about any particular claim, and following it doesn’t guarantee you’ll always land on the right answer — sources can conflict, and some questions genuinely require a professional. The goal is simpler: to make you harder to mislead, and to point you to the official source (Appendix B) and the right professional when a decision actually depends on getting the fact right.
Key takeaways
Checking a money fact is a two-minute habit, not a research project — and it’s one of the highest-return financial skills there is.
The core moves: trace it to a primary/official source, check the date (money figures change yearly), ask who profits, distinguish .gov from .com (and watch for look-alikes), cross-check anything surprising, and route your specific situation to the agency or a credentialed professional.
Urgency, guarantees, and “secrets” are red flags — real information doesn’t need them.
When in doubt, go to the source — Appendix B is the consolidated list of the official ones.
Educational disclaimer: This page provides general financial education for a general audience in the United States. It describes a general method for evaluating information and is not individualized advice or a guarantee that any particular source or claim is accurate. For decisions that depend on getting a fact right, confirm it at the official source and consult a qualified professional for your situation.