U.S. News & World Report Editorial Guidelines

U.S. News Money strives to help people make informed decisions about their finances in the areas of personal finance, retirement, real estate, careers and investing. Our advice-oriented coverage is neutral, nonpartisan and aims to help readers understand complex financial issues that affect their lives. We are committed to accurate and unbiased reporting backed by research and utilizing the most current data available.

In our coverage of personal finance, investing, retirement, careers and real estate, a team of professional journalists and outside financial experts use objective reporting and, when appropriate, interviews with financial advisors, accountants, real estate agents and other experts to provide unbiased actionable advice.

When covering investing, we rely on independent sources, data and experts in our mission to help investors make more informed decisions about their portfolios. We may cover stories for a specific audience, such as retirees or first-time investors, but we do not offer individualized investment advice. Readers and users should always consult financial advisors before making a personal finance decision.

Our Money blogs, which include On Careers, Pocket Listing and Smarter Investor, feature expert insight and unbiased advice from authors, tax accountants, real estate agents, financial planners, financial advisors and other professionals that is held to the same standards as our staff-written articles. Articles by Smarter Investor contributors, when appropriate, also include a disclosure detailing stocks or equities that they or their companies hold.

Our consumer rankings and ratings of Best Jobs, Best Places to Retire, Best Places to Live, Best Credit Cards, Best Loans, Best Mutual Funds, Best Brokers, Best Stocks and Best ETFs are backed by in-depth research and analysis from trusted sources, and published detailed methodologies explain how each ranking and/or rating is calculated.

The News team at U.S. News is honest and transparent in reporting and presenting the news, including providing context, balance, fairness and a diversity of sources. We take into account the communities in which we report, whether at a national, local or global level. We insist on the same level of accuracy in news articles and commentaries, whether produced by our own staff, freelancers or guest contributors.

The News section uses data in an appropriate and balanced way, making sure the data we use is as current as possible and consistent when used for the purpose of comparison. We identify our data sources and provide transparent methodology when data is used to produce rankings or other types of lists.

We treat information from unofficial sources as unverified and seek to corroborate it.

We provide journalism that serves the public interest and shines a light on governmental institutions, reporting on public and private institutions that serve the public, including but not limited to governments, nonprofits, corporations, health care providers, educational institutions and private entities working on behalf of such institutions. We are committed to providing an understanding of complex issues that affect the lives of everyday citizens.

We are neutral and nonpartisan in our reporting; we do not endorse or financially support political candidates.

We do not alter photos or other visual formats in any way that could mislead or misrepresent the news.

U.S. News Education produces editorial content that helps prospective students and families research, apply to, pay for and thrive at school – from K-12 and community colleges to four-year colleges and universities, graduate schools and online degree programs. We know that education is a crucial but often costly investment, and our mission is to help both U.S. and international readers navigate this important life decision.

While our Education section does not cover breaking news or education policy, our content explores education trends, dispels myths and contains actionable advice for readers looking to make informed choices. Topics covered include college, graduate school and online program admissions; test prep; paying for higher education; and international students; and advice for parents of K-12 students. We take steps to ensure that every piece – whether an article, blog, slideshow, infographic or data-driven content – is neutral, nonpartisan and accurate.

Our team of in-house and external professional journalists conduct unbiased, objective reporting, during which they interview multiple experts such as college and university admissions officials around the country and abroad; high school counselors at public and private schools; and independent education consultants who are members of national organizations.

Our reporters and editors avoid using academic jargon so that our content is clear and understandable for students and parents. For any content that uses data, whether based on data collected via U.S. News statistical surveys or from external reports, the Education team fact-checks numbers to ensure accuracy.

The U.S. News Education team also recruits bloggers who are experts in their respective fields to write our College Admissions Playbook, Law Admissions Lowdown, Medical School Admissions Doctor and Student Loan Ranger blogs. These blogs are held to the same high standards as our staff-written content, including ensuring that our contributors maintain credibility with our audience by providing advice rather than self-promotion.

In addition, for each of the annual Education rankings and directories – Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, Best Online Programs, Best Global Universities, Best High Schools, Best K-8 Public Schools and the U.S. News Community College Directory – we publish detailed methodologies and frequently asked questions that explain how each edition is calculated and compiled. Announcements and updates related to each ranking and directory launch are also published in the Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings blog, written by our in-house team of experienced data analysts.

U.S. News believes that its education information provides readers with a good start to understand the issues surrounding choosing a public or private K-12 school, college, graduate school or other educational option; however, decisions regarding these options should be made in conjunction with college and financial advisors.

The Travel team at U.S. News helps people find and book the best vacation for them. Travelers can determine where they'd like to go with our vacation rankings and in-depth travel guide content, which includes background on the destination, how to save money, the best times to visit, the best hotels and the top things to do. When you visit U.S. News Travel, you can trust that our editors have gathered tips and valuable information from previous travelers, locals, tourism boards, industry publications, hotels and cruise lines, and summarized everything in an easy-to-digest format.

U.S. News Travel rankings incorporate a combination of editor insight, expert data and, in many cases, traveler reviews.

Our features articles and slideshows rely on expert sources and are researched, fact-checked and edited thoroughly. We work with a seasoned group of freelancers who have a proven history and expertise in covering the travel industry.

U.S. News Travel takes an unbiased approach to product recommendations and reviews.

Our editorial team does not accept free press trips, flights, cruises, hotel stays or products in exchange for coverage. On occasion, our editors will accept a media rate for a stay at a hotel that is part of our rankings to tour the property and to better learn about the hotel, its amenities and its service. These stays are paid for by U.S. News and the information is used to update hotel reviews with relevant and accurate content. Readers can trust that our editorial team is providing thoroughly researched, unbiased reviews across our site.

We regularly review and update our content to reflect the latest travel trends and to include the most accurate information on various destinations, attractions, tours, hotels, hotel brands, cruise lines, cruise ships, and hotel and airline rewards programs.

The mission of the Cars team at U.S. News is to help our users find the right car, get the best deal, navigate the car-buying process with confidence and have a positive experience owning their car.

We recognize that buying a car is a major investment and can be an intimidating process, so we inform our users with unbiased, data-driven reviews and advice content. Knowing that the wrong car can have a significant impact on someone’s quality of life and that overpaying for a car, auto loan or car insurance can cost a consumer thousands of dollars, our goal is to protect our users from potential car-buying pitfalls and help them have a smooth, worry-free ownership experience.

Our new and used car rankings are not driven by our own opinions and tests. Rather, our independent research team collects and analyzes published and credible reviews of a given model. That analysis is combined with safety and reliability data from the top sources in the industry to create our car rankings. The reviews on our site are based solely on the rankings.

Our features content is based largely on our car rankings, but also includes new model news, new- and used-car deals, as well as car buying and ownership advice. Features content uses multiple sources or official sources where appropriate, and we give buying and ownership advice with the goal of educating our users and saving them money in the long term. Content on the Cars site goes through three layers of editing: fact check, line edit and final edit.

For our Best Car Insurance rankings, we complete an annual survey on our sites of roughly 2,500 users who have filed a car insurance claim within the last five years. Our Cheapest Car Insurance Rankings are based on data from Quadrant Information Services, a leading supplier of insurance data.

Automotive journalism and car reviews are unique in that car companies often pay for journalists to attend vehicle launches in luxurious or exotic locations, and present the journalists with gifts or memorabilia. These relationships can lead to impropriety, both in practice and appearance. At U.S. News, our editorial team does not accept travel or gifts more than $25 in value from automakers or any other potential source. If a member of our team attends a vehicle launch, we foot the bill.

Our editorial team will accept vehicle loans from car manufacturers to better learn about their products and to inform our users. These loans are tightly controlled, never last for more than a week and do not occur when the editor is on leave or traveling. Our editors may not request vehicles for personal use.