How We Research

Our research principles

• Primary sources come first. We go to the filing, the dataset or the official statement, not a summary of it.
• Numbers are checked, not copied. Every key figure is traced back to where it came from.
• Uncertainty is stated plainly. Forecasts, estimates and preliminary data are labeled as such.
• Risk is part of the story. When we write about investing, borrowing or crypto, we explain the downsides as clearly as the upside.
• We show our work. Articles link to their key sources so you can check them yourself.

These principles sit alongside our Editorial Policy, which covers independence, conflicts of interest and corrections.

How we choose topics

We cover subjects that help readers understand business and the economy, across our Business, Markets, Finance, Crypto, Tech Innovation and Lifestyle sections. When deciding what to cover, we ask:

• Does this matter to people running, working in or investing in businesses?
• Is there reliable information we can build on, or is it still mostly speculation?
• Can we add context or explanation that is not already easy to find?
• Is a topic getting attention because it is important, or only because it is being promoted?

No company can pay us to cover a topic, and readers’ questions often shape what we write next.

Primary sources we rely on

Depending on the subject, our research draws on:

• Company filings and disclosures, such as annual and quarterly reports, earnings releases, investor presentations and shareholder letters
• Regulators, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and investor education resources such as Investor.gov
• Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, for interest rates, policy statements and economic projections
• Government statistics, such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for employment, wages and inflation
• International bodies, such as the IMF and the OECD, for global growth, trade and cross-country comparisons
• Peer-reviewed research and working papers from established institutions
• Reputable business journals and news organizations, credited and linked when we rely on them

We treat company press releases, marketing material, social media posts and promotional content as claims to check, not as facts.

How we verify numbers

Figures are where business coverage most often goes wrong, so we check them carefully.

• Trace it to the source. We find the original report or dataset and confirm the figure there.
• Check the definition. Revenue is not profit, adjusted figures are not the same as reported ones, and a year-over-year change is not the same as a month-over-month one. We say which measure we are using.
• Check the date and period. We note the period a figure covers and when it was published, because data is often revised.
• Check the units and currency. We confirm whether a figure is in millions or billions, nominal or adjusted for inflation, and which currency it uses.
• Recalculate where we can. If we work out a percentage or comparison ourselves, we check the math and explain how we got there.

When sources disagree, we say so and explain which figure we use and why.

Forecasts and uncertainty

Nobody knows exactly where markets, rates or the economy are heading, and we do not pretend to.

• When we report a forecast, we say who made it, when and what it is based on.
• We present forecasts as one view, not as what will happen, and we mention other credible views where they differ.
• We do not make price predictions for stocks, cryptocurrencies or other assets.
• Hypothetical examples, such as a worked example of how an investment might grow, are clearly labeled and use illustrative numbers only.
• Past performance is not a guide to future results, and we say so when we discuss returns.

How we cover crypto

Crypto and digital assets move fast, are lightly regulated in many places and attract a lot of promotion. We approach them with extra care.

• Risk first. We explain that crypto assets are highly volatile, can lose most or all of their value and may have limited legal protections.
• No promotion. We do not promote tokens, coin offerings, exchanges or trading schemes, and we do not accept free tokens or airdrops from projects we cover.
• Scams and red flags. Where relevant, we point out common warning signs, such as guaranteed returns, pressure to act quickly or requests for wallet recovery phrases.
• Regulation varies. We note that rules differ by country and change often, and we link to official regulator guidance where it exists.
• Claims are checked. Project white papers, token statistics and on-chain data published by a project are treated as claims, and we look for independent confirmation.

Keeping articles updated

Business information goes out of date quickly. We review and update articles when:

• new company results, data releases or official figures replace the ones we used
• interest rates, tax rules, regulations or limits change
• a forecast we reported is revised, or events overtake it
• a reader or our own review finds a mistake

When we update an article, we change the date shown on it. If the change affects the meaning of the article, we explain what changed. Our Editorial Policy explains how we handle corrections.

What we don’t do

• No stock tips. We do not tell readers to buy, sell or hold any particular stock, cryptocurrency or other asset.
• No personalized advice. Our articles are general information. They do not take your finances, goals or tax situation into account. Our Disclaimer explains this in more detail.
• No paid placements. Companies cannot pay to be covered, to be mentioned favorably or to appear in our articles.
• No invented data. We do not make up figures, sources, quotes or case studies.

Suggest a topic

If there is a business, markets or finance topic you would like us to research, or you think we got something wrong, let us know through our contact page.