Editorial policy and calculator methods
A reader should be able to trace a result from the number entered to the number shown. This policy explains which source answers which question, how we check a calculation, and how to report a result that doesn’t add up.
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Which source answers the question?
- A policy-specific amount
- Start with the applicable declarations, endorsements, written quote, benefit statement or illustration. A declarations page may name the dwelling limit. A dated rebuilding estimate supplies the separate figure needed to compare against it. The insurer can clarify a conflict between documents.
- A rule or public program
- Use the law, regulator or agency responsible for the program. State the jurisdiction, covered product and conditions. For instance, the mortgage worksheet distinguishes a borrower’s request to remove private mortgage insurance from automatic termination. The rules depend on the loan involved. CFPB guidance on conventional PMI
- A market figure
- Identify the reporting body, geography, time period and population. Texas reported a $3,489 average annual homeowners premium for 2025. That figure describes a statewide market. An insurer’s quote supplies the price for a particular home. Texas Department of Insurance market overview
- A teaching example
- Label fictional inputs as examples and show the assumptions a reader can change. A policy limit is the amount of coverage available under its terms. A premium is the price paid for the policy. An example claim uses chosen losses to test a limit. Actual payment depends on the contract and the facts.
How we check a number
Take a monthly group life rate of $0.067 per $1,000. Washington’s benefits guide uses that rate for a 42-year-old employee who doesn’t use tobacco in its supplemental life example. The stated coverage is $350,000. Our worksheet first divides coverage by $1,000 to get 350 units, then multiplies 350 by $0.067 to get $23.45 per month. Rounding the rate to $0.07 before multiplying would produce $24.50.
We compare the displayed amount with the published example and check what changes if the rate or coverage input is blank. In this worksheet a missing rate leaves the employer premium unresolved. A written zero rate is a different entry. You can repeat this calculation with the rate and coverage from your own benefits guide. Try the employer rate-sheet calculation · Washington Health Care Authority’s source example
A page date and a rate date mean different things
A page’s last-updated date refers to its content. A source’s reporting year identifies the period a statistic describes. A rate’s effective date or a program’s eligibility window determines when its rules apply. Check those dates beside the amount before using it in a budget.
For example, VA’s Veterans’ Group Life Insurance rate table took effect July 1, 2025. Its separate premium holiday applies to qualifying months from November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. Someone whose coverage starts in December still owes the first premium to activate coverage and may qualify for January’s holiday. The worksheet keeps the standard rate and the selected month’s treatment separate so both facts remain visible. VA’s VGLI rate table · VA’s holiday and enrollment rules
How to report a correction
Give the calculator URL, the field or passage, and what you expected to see. For arithmetic, include a small fictional input set. For an outdated rule or rate, include the issuing agency’s link and the date the change took effect. Report a correction to Insurance Calculator.
Our correction process starts by reproducing the example or comparing the cited statement with the applicable source. A correction that changes a result calls for checking the formula, worked example and explanation together. A material correction should identify what changed and when on the affected page so readers can decide whether to recalculate.
Read about the publisher. To understand how worksheet inputs and correction emails are handled, see the privacy notice.