Methodology and Editorial Standards
This page explains how each article on TheDividendDesk is produced, so you can judge how much weight to give it.
1. Start With a Testable Question
An article begins only when there's a question that data can answer and that isn't already answered well elsewhere. If the calculation produces nothing beyond what is commonly known, the article isn't published.
2. Use Published Data
We use data that anyone can check:
- Fund data: annual total returns, distributions, and yields from fund sponsors (Vanguard, Schwab, iShares, Global X, JPMorgan) and public data sites such as StockAnalysis.
- Tax data: IRS publications and current federal tax brackets, standard deductions, and qualified dividend thresholds.
- Fund tax documents: sponsors' annual foreign tax credit and qualified dividend information.
Each article states which data it used and for what period. Where data was only available rounded (for example, to one decimal place), the article says so.
3. Calculate, Don't Estimate
Results are computed in code (Python), not estimated by hand or taken from other articles. Each article lists the model's assumptions: starting balance, time period, rebalancing rules, tax rates, and what was left out.
When a result depends on one unusual year or one lucky trade, we test it with that year removed or the rule changed, and report what happens. A finding that only holds in one scenario is presented that way.
4. Check Every Number Before Publishing
Before an article is published:
- Key results are recalculated a second way (for example, an algebraic shortcut checked against the full simulation).
- Results are rerun with different data or inputs (another year's tax figures, different weights, a changed yield) to see whether the conclusion holds.
- Every figure in the final text is reconciled against the computed output.
This process has caught real errors, such as a stock split that looked like a 61.5% dividend cut. Those are listed on our Corrections page.
5. How AI Tools Are Used
We use AI tools to help write code, draft text, and review articles for errors and contradictions. AI is not used as a source of facts or numbers. Every figure must come from published data or our own calculation, and every article is reviewed before publication.
6. Keep Articles Honest About Their Limits
Every analysis ends with a section describing what it doesn't capture: taxes it simplified, periods it didn't cover, and data it couldn't use. We would rather publish a narrow finding clearly than a broad one we can't support.
7. Correct Mistakes Openly
When an error is found, by us or by a reader, we correct the article and record what was wrong and what changed on the Correctionspage. We don't quietly edit results.
8. Independence
TheDividendDesk is run by an independent individual investor. No fund company pays for coverage, reviews, or rankings. The site may display advertising, and advertisers have no influence over what we publish.
Not Advice
All content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment, tax, or legal advice. See About for more on who runs this site.
Contact: bnam1321@gmail.com