Editorial Policy

FinanceBlog is committed to publishing useful, accurate and transparent financial information for South African readers.

This Editorial Policy explains how we select topics, research articles, evaluate sources, handle authorship, make corrections and maintain the quality of content published on FinanceBlog.

1. Our Editorial Purpose

FinanceBlog exists to help South Africans better understand everyday financial topics.

Our primary editorial areas include:

• Personal finance.
• Banking.
• Saving and budgeting.
• Credit and debt.
• Tax.
• Investing and long-term saving.
• Home loans and property finance.
• Other financial topics directly relevant to South African households.

Our goal is not simply to answer popular search queries. An article should have a clear purpose and provide information that is genuinely useful to the reader.

2. South African Focus

FinanceBlog is primarily written for readers in South Africa.

Where appropriate, articles should therefore reflect South African circumstances, terminology and institutions.

This can include:

• Amounts expressed in South African rand.
• South African tax years and tax terminology.
• Local banking practices.
• South African credit and lending terminology.
• Relevant legislation and regulation.
• South African financial institutions.
• Local examples and calculations.
• Relevant government departments and regulators.

We aim to make it clear when information applies only to a particular tax year, institution, financial product or set of circumstances.

3. How We Choose Topics

Topics should be selected because they address a legitimate financial question or information need.

Before publishing an article, we consider whether FinanceBlog can provide meaningful value beyond information already available elsewhere.

We do not aim to create separate pages simply to target every possible variation of a search term.

Where several closely related questions can be answered properly in one comprehensive resource, we may combine them rather than publishing multiple repetitive articles.

4. Research Standards

Important factual claims should be researched before publication.

For financial, regulatory, tax and government information, we aim to use primary and authoritative sources wherever practical.

Depending on the subject, sources may include organisations such as:

• South African Revenue Service (SARS).
• South African Reserve Bank.
• National Treasury.
• Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
• National Credit Regulator (NCR).
• Relevant South African government departments.
• Banks and other financial institutions when discussing their own products or procedures.
• Legislation, regulations and official publications.

Other reputable sources may be used where they provide useful independent research, data or context.

The appropriate source depends on the claim being made.

5. How We Use Sources

Sources should help readers verify important information.

We aim to link to relevant sources contextually where doing so helps readers understand or confirm a factual claim.

Adding a source does not automatically make an article accurate. Writers should understand the information being cited and represent it accurately.

We also aim to distinguish between information provided by an official source and FinanceBlog’s own explanation, example or interpretation.

6. Originality and Added Value

FinanceBlog does not aim to reproduce, lightly rewrite or simply summarise information available from another website.

Articles should add meaningful value.

Depending on the topic, this may include:

• Plain-language explanations.
• Worked calculations.
• Rand-based examples.
• Comparisons.
• Tables.
• Practical scenarios.
• Explanations of financial terminology.
• Common mistakes.
• Step-by-step guidance.
• Relevant limitations and exceptions.
• Explanations of how rules may affect different situations.
• Links to appropriate official services.

Article length is determined by what is necessary to explain the subject properly rather than by an arbitrary word-count target.

7. Content Created for Readers

FinanceBlog’s editorial approach prioritises readers over search engines.

Search optimisation may help readers discover our work, but it should not determine the substance of an article.

We therefore avoid practices such as unnecessarily repeating keywords, creating substantially similar pages for small keyword variations, adding irrelevant sections merely to increase article length, or publishing large amounts of content without sufficient editorial review.

Headings, titles and descriptions should primarily help readers understand what a page contains.

8. Use of Technology and AI

FinanceBlog may use software and technology to assist with research, organisation, editing or other parts of the publishing process.

Regardless of which tools are used, published content should meet the same editorial standards.

Technology should not be used as a substitute for verifying important facts, understanding sources or providing genuine value to readers.

We do not consider attempts to make content appear human-written to be an editorial quality standard. Accuracy, usefulness, originality, transparency and appropriate review are more important.

9. Authors and Bylines

Articles should identify the real person responsible for the work.

Author profiles may include information such as the author’s role, biography, areas of interest and relevant experience.

Any professional qualifications or credentials attributed to an author should be genuine and capable of being accurately represented.

FinanceBlog does not intentionally create fictional financial experts, fabricated professional qualifications or misleading author biographies.

10. Expertise and Professional Qualifications

Not every financial article requires its author to be a financial adviser, accountant, attorney or tax practitioner.

However, we should not imply that an author holds a regulated or professional qualification when that is not true.

Where a subject requires specialist professional interpretation, FinanceBlog may consult appropriate expertise, rely on authoritative sources or clearly explain the limitations of the information provided.

11. Financial Advice

FinanceBlog provides general educational information.

Our articles are not automatically personalised financial, investment, tax, legal, insurance or credit advice.

A general article cannot account for every reader’s financial position, objectives, income, debts, tax circumstances, credit profile or risk tolerance.

Readers should verify important information and seek appropriately qualified professional advice when their individual circumstances require it.

12. Calculations and Examples

Worked examples can make financial information easier to understand.

When FinanceBlog publishes calculations, we aim to make important assumptions clear enough for readers to understand how the example works.

Examples should not be presented as guaranteed outcomes.

Actual results may differ because of interest rates, fees, taxes, product terms, individual circumstances or changes in underlying rules.

Where a calculation depends on an official rate or threshold, we aim to identify the applicable period.

13. Time-Sensitive Information

Financial information can become outdated.

Examples include:

• Tax thresholds.
• Interest rates.
• Bank fees.
• Government payment amounts.
• Contribution limits.
• Regulatory requirements.
• Product terms.
• Eligibility requirements.

Articles containing time-sensitive information should identify relevant dates or periods where appropriate.

Readers may also be directed to the relevant official source for the latest information.

14. Publication and Updated Dates

Dates published on FinanceBlog should reflect the genuine history of our content.

New articles receive their actual publication date.

We do not intentionally backdate newly created articles to make them appear older or to create an artificial publishing history.

Similarly, we do not change an article’s updated date merely to make old content appear fresh.

A “Last updated” or modified date should correspond to a meaningful review or substantive revision.

Minor formatting or spelling changes do not necessarily justify presenting an article as newly updated.

15. Corrections

Accuracy is an ongoing editorial responsibility.

When we become aware of a potentially material factual error, we aim to investigate it using appropriate sources.

If an error is confirmed, we may correct the affected statement, calculation, table or surrounding explanation.

Minor spelling, formatting and readability changes may be made without a formal correction notice.

Our Corrections Policy explains this process in greater detail.

16. Reviewing Older Content

Existing articles may be periodically reviewed.

Following a review, FinanceBlog may:

• Keep an article unchanged.
• Update outdated information.
• Substantially improve an article.
• Consolidate overlapping articles.
• Redirect an outdated page to a more useful resource.
• Remove content that can no longer be adequately supported.

A page is not automatically retained simply because it previously received search traffic.

Reader usefulness and editorial quality are more important considerations.

17. Government and Official Services

FinanceBlog may explain government programmes, tax processes or other official services when they have a meaningful connection to personal finance.

We aim to make clear that FinanceBlog is an independent informational publication and is not the relevant government department or agency.

Where readers need to perform an official transaction, submit sensitive information or access an account, they should generally be directed to the appropriate official or authorised service.

FinanceBlog should not imitate an official service in a manner that could confuse readers about who operates it.

18. Banking and Financial Institutions

FinanceBlog may write about banks, lenders, insurers, investment providers and other financial businesses.

Information about a particular company’s products, fees, processes or requirements should be checked against appropriate sources where practical.

Mentioning a financial institution does not automatically constitute an endorsement.

Readers should compare relevant terms and conduct their own assessment before choosing a financial product.

19. Commercial Relationships

FinanceBlog may generate revenue through advertising or other commercial relationships.

Where a sponsorship, affiliate arrangement or other material commercial relationship applies to editorial content, we aim to disclose it appropriately.

Commercial relationships should not be presented as independent editorial conclusions.

Advertisers and commercial partners should not prevent the correction of a factual error.

20. Conflicts of Interest

Authors and editors should avoid presenting a material personal or commercial interest as independent analysis.

Where a relationship could reasonably affect how a reader interprets an article, appropriate disclosure should be considered.

21. Privacy and Reader Protection

FinanceBlog aims to respect reader privacy.

Our editorial content should not unnecessarily encourage readers to provide sensitive personal or financial information.

Readers should never need to provide FinanceBlog with banking passwords, PINs, OTPs or similar account credentials merely to read an article.

Our Privacy Policy provides further information about how personal information may be handled.

22. Feedback From Readers

Reader feedback can help identify unclear explanations, outdated information and factual errors.

Readers may contact FinanceBlog if they believe an article requires attention.

Useful feedback should identify the relevant article, explain the issue and, where possible, provide a reliable supporting source.

23. Independence From Search Rankings

FinanceBlog wants its articles to be discoverable through search engines, but search visibility should not override editorial quality.

We do not consider rankings alone to be evidence that a page deserves to exist.

If an article is inaccurate, substantially duplicative, irrelevant to our editorial purpose or unable to provide meaningful value, we may improve, consolidate or remove it even if it previously attracted search traffic.

24. Our Ongoing Commitment

Editorial standards are not a one-time exercise.

FinanceBlog aims to continue reviewing its content, correcting material errors, improving useful resources and removing material that no longer meets our standards.

Our objective is to build a focused collection of trustworthy and practical financial information that helps South African readers better understand their money.

Questions about this Editorial Policy can be submitted through our Contact Us page.

For factual errors in published articles, please refer to our Corrections Policy.

Last updated: 19 September 2026