These standards apply to every article on Ridge & Valley Insurance Journal, whether written by our editors or submitted by a guest contributor.
1. Accuracy and sourcing
- Statements about law, regulation, deadlines, and statistics must be supported by a named source, preferably a primary one: the Tennessee Code, a Tennessee state agency, the NAIC, FEMA, or a federal agency.
- Statistics must name their source and the year the data covers.
- Every article shows the date it was published and the date it was last reviewed.
2. Independence from sales
- We do not publish rankings or “best of” lists of agencies or insurance companies.
- We do not publish rate quotes, premium promises, or sales offers.
- Articles may explain how a type of coverage works in general terms. They do not advertise a specific policy.
- We do not accept payment, free services, or other compensation for publishing an article or a link.
3. Disclosure
- The Journal’s publisher is a licensed insurance agent. See About and Ownership.
- Every guest author’s employer or business affiliation appears in their author bio.
- If an article discusses a company, product, or service the author has a financial connection to, the connection is disclosed at the top of the article.
4. Links
- Guest authors may include one link to their own website in their author bio. Links in contributed content are marked with
rel="ugc nofollow". - Links to sources are encouraged and are not limited.
- We remove links to rate-quote pages, lead forms, and affiliate offers.
5. Tennessee insurance advertising rules
Because insurance content can be treated as advertising, we avoid language that Tennessee regulations restrict, including describing life insurance as an “investment” or “savings” plan, implying that a policy is endorsed by a government agency, or referring to the Tennessee Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association as a reason to buy. Content that would need an insurer’s review is not a fit for the Journal.
6. Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us through the contact page. We correct factual errors promptly and note meaningful corrections at the bottom of the article with the date.
7. Use of AI tools
Writers may use software tools to help draft or edit, but every article must be reviewed, fact-checked, and approved by a person, and the named author is responsible for its accuracy.