Editorial policy
People read these pages when money is tight and a mistake is expensive. This policy sets out how the pages are made, so you can decide how far to rely on them.
Sources we use
We work from primary sources: state statutes and regulations, guidance published by state regulators, and material from federal agencies including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Credit Union Administration. For the status of each state’s law we also use the statute list kept by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Lender advertising is never a source for a fact about price or law.
Every page that states a rule or a price lists its sources at the bottom, with links.
How prices are calculated
We do not copy price examples from lenders. Each state has a data sheet with its legal limits, and the costs on state pages, amount pages and the calculator are computed from those sheets with one set of arithmetic. Where a state’s rule cannot be reduced to a formula, or where the state sets no cap, we say so and do not publish an invented figure.
Wording rules
- We do not describe approval as certain, because no lender can promise it before reviewing an application.
- We do not call a loan “the best”, “the cheapest” or “safe”.
- A dollar cost is shown together with its APR.
- Risks and cheaper alternatives appear on the same page as the product, not on a separate one.
Software and AI tools
Drafts are prepared with the help of software, including AI writing tools. Figures are generated from the state data sheets by code, and automated checks compare every page against rules on wording, sourcing and duplication before it is published. Tools speed up the work; they are not a source. A claim stays on a page only if it can be traced to one of the sources listed there.
Dates and updates
The date at the top of a page is the date its facts were last checked. State law changes several times a year across the country, so a page can fall behind between reviews. If the law in your state has changed and our page does not show it, please tell us.
Corrections
Send corrections through the contact page and choose “A correction or outdated fact”. We check the point against the statute or the regulator’s guidance, fix the page if it is wrong and change its date.
Independence
How a page is paid for does not decide what it says. Commercial relationships, described on how we make money, do not change the prices, the legal facts or the order in which alternatives are listed.
Not professional advice
Northlight gives general information. It is not legal, tax or financial advice for your situation. For a dispute with a lender, contact your state regulator, a legal aid office or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.