Editorial Standards

Mortgages are a YMYL ("Your Money, Your Life") topic. A misleading article can cost a reader thousands of pounds — or scare them away from a transaction that would have improved their finances. We take this seriously. The standards below apply to every article we publish.

1. Every article has a named author

No anonymous bylines. Every article credits the person who wrote it, with a link to their author page showing professional background, qualifications, and previously published work. The author is the human being responsible for the content's accuracy.

2. No AI-generated copy

We do not publish content written by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other large language model. AI tools may be used for outlining, fact-checking, or copy-editing — but the published article is written by a human and signed by a human.

3. Every fact has a source

Within an article we cite sources for:

  • Statutory thresholds (HMRC, gov.uk)
  • Regulatory rules (FCA Handbook, FCA consumer guides)
  • Market rates (Moneyfacts, Defaqto, Bank of England)
  • Statistics (ONS, Land Registry, UK Finance, Halifax House Price Index)

Sources appear inline as plain links or as a short references list at the bottom of the article. We never cite Wikipedia, AI-generated summaries, or unverified blog posts.

4. Every number has a date

UK mortgage rules change frequently. Every numerical claim — stamp duty thresholds, LISA limits, base rate, average rates — is dated. When the rule changes, we update the article and the "last updated" stamp. Readers can therefore trust that a claim was correct as of a known date.

5. Pillar pages are reviewed by an FCA-regulated adviser

Our 5 pillar pages (and any article making product recommendations) are reviewed before publication by a UK mortgage adviser holding the [CeMAP / equivalent] qualification, registered on the FCA register.

The reviewer's name and FCA reference appear at the bottom of the article.

The reviewer doesn't write the content; they verify it doesn't:

  • Make claims that misrepresent how a product works
  • Suggest something that would be unsuitable for the article's typical reader
  • Omit a material risk
  • Use language that crosses from "education" into "advice"

6. Updates are scheduled, not ad hoc

We refresh:

  • All articles touching tax thresholds: in April (UK tax year change) and after every Budget
  • All articles touching mortgage rates: quarterly, and immediately after a Bank of England base rate change
  • All articles touching specific schemes (LISA, Help to Buy, First Homes): when government policy changes
  • Pillar pages: at minimum quarterly

Each refresh updates the "last reviewed" date and adds a brief note in the article footer if material changes occurred.

7. Commercial relationships are disclosed in plain English

Every affiliate link is:

  • Marked with rel="sponsored nofollow"
  • Cloaked through a /go/[name] URL so readers can see the destination
  • Disclosed contextually ("we may earn a commission when you click...")
  • Listed comprehensively in our Affiliate Disclosure page

We do not run sponsored content. We do not accept paid guest posts. We do not run display advertising.

8. Editorial decisions are made before commercial decisions

The provider we recommend in any article is chosen on its merits, not on commission rate. Where the highest-commission option isn't the best for the reader, we recommend the better one and forgo the higher commission.

A specific example: we recommend fee-free brokers (Habito, Mojo, L&C) for most readers, even though some fee-charging brokers offer higher commissions. The reader's interest comes first.

9. We correct mistakes prominently

If we get something wrong, we:

  • Update the article with the correction
  • Add a "Correction" note at the top of the article explaining what changed and when
  • Email anyone who clicked an affiliate link based on the original incorrect information (where we have their email and the change materially affected their decision)

If you spot a mistake, please email hello@mortgagemadeclear.co.uk with the article URL and the specific claim. We'll respond within 2 working days.

10. Our editorial board

  • Editor in Chief: [Name]
  • Senior Mortgage Researcher: [Name]
  • Compliance reviewer (FCA-regulated): [Name, FCA ref]
  • Copy editor: [Name]

The editorial board meets quarterly to review:

  • The articles published since the last meeting
  • Reader feedback and corrections received
  • Changes to UK mortgage law and FCA rules
  • Affiliate relationships (including any to terminate)

Decisions made at editorial board meetings are summarised at the bottom of this page after each meeting.

What we DO NOT publish

  • Articles ghostwritten by affiliates or product providers
  • Sponsored articles disguised as editorial
  • "Best of" lists without transparent ranking criteria
  • Predictive claims about mortgage rates without source attribution
  • Personal financial advice (we are a publisher, not an adviser)

How to get in touch about editorial issues

  • Corrections: hello@mortgagemadeclear.co.uk
  • Source requests: hello@mortgagemadeclear.co.uk (we provide source documentation on request)
  • Editorial complaints: editor@mortgagemadeclear.co.uk

We are not currently a member of IPSO. We follow the IPSO Editors' Code of Practice voluntarily.

Last reviewed: September 2024.

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