Editorial Policy

Who writes and checks these pages?

CompareRatesHQ is run by an independent publisher. Pages are credited to the site, not to named individuals, and we do not present anyone as a licensed expert, because we cannot back that claim up. What we can show you is the work: the sources behind each page, the date we checked them, and the rules every page must pass before you see it.

We do not claim hands-on testing or personal experience we do not have. The honest description of our work is that we read published sources and explain them in plain language.

How do we research a page?

We start with the people who set the rules: state statutes, insurance departments, motor vehicle agencies and federal data. For a state page, that means the legislature’s own site and the regulator’s pages, not a blog that summarizes them. Those sources can be wrong or stale too, so you will see the date on each one.

Then we read what other sites say. We use their articles to learn which questions people ask and which facts we should double-check. We never copy or lightly reword them.

Each page that explains insurance rules or costs needs at least three independent sources, and at least one has to be a primary source. We save the text of what we read, then run an automated check that compares our draft against it. A page that borrows long runs of wording from any one source fails the check and is rewritten.

How do we handle numbers?

• Every figure has a named source and a date. If we cannot source it, we leave it out.
• When sources disagree, we show the range and say they disagree.
• If something is unknown or disputed, the page tells you.
• We publish prices only as estimates that someone else published, with the date and the driver profile attached. We never invent a rate, and we never stretch a state average down to a city.
• We use a price source only if it explains its method and is under a year old. Estimates modeled from a state average are left out.

Do we use AI?

Yes, and you deserve to know how. We use software, including AI tools, to help find sources, organize facts, draft text and run checks. These tools can state wrong things with confidence, so they are never a source. A number can appear on a page only if it traces to a source we saved.

Automation has limits. Errors can still slip through. That is why every page lists its sources and shows a review date. You can check the facts yourself.

How often do we update pages?

Each guidance page shows the date its facts were last verified. We aim to re-check every page at least once a year, and sooner when we learn that a law or fee has changed. We change the date only after we have rechecked the facts. We do not change dates to make a page look fresh.

Rule, cost and city pages that fail our automated checks, and any page marked as a draft, are kept out of search results until they pass.

Can partners influence what we publish?

No. We earn money when you click a partner link or send a form, and that is a conflict of interest you should weigh. These rules limit it:

• Partners do not review, approve or edit our pages.
• Partner tables are advertising. They are not rankings, so the order does not tell you which company is better or cheaper.
• We do not take payment for placement in a comparison, and we do not name a company the best or cheapest on our own authority.
• Partner links are marked as paid, so you can tell them apart. The FTC says a site that earns referral payments should state that clearly. It also treats paid rankings as deceptive, and a disclosure cannot fix them.

Read the advertising disclosure for how the money works.

What do we not do?

• We do not make up experts, reviews, ratings or statistics.
• We do not promise that you will save money or get a certain price.
• We do not give legal or financial advice. For decisions about your own policy, use your state insurance department or a licensed agent.

How do you report a mistake?

Email [email protected] with the page and what looks wrong. A link to the official source helps us check it faster. We aim to look at reports within about a week. We check them against the source, fix confirmed errors and list significant ones on the corrections page.

If you want the steps behind our estimates, see our methodology. To learn more about the site itself, see about us.

Bottom line

Treat our pages as a well-sourced starting point. If a fact will change your decision, open the linked official source and confirm it. If you find we got something wrong, tell us.