Editorial Standards

1. Editorial mission

Bedrocka Tools exists to give operators finance calculators they can audit, not black boxes they have to trust. Our editorial mission is verifiable trust: every formula is open-source on GitHub, every assumption is cited to a primary source, and every page is reviewed by a named human with public accountability. We believe the next decade of finance media will be defined by transparency, and we built Bedrocka Tools to deliver it.

2. How our calculators are built

Every calculator on a Bedrocka Tools site goes through the same six-step process. We document the process here because the claims in our author bio — that the math is verifiable, the sources primary, and the reviewer named — only mean something if there's a documented production process behind them.

1. Source identification. Before we write a line of code we identify the primary sources for the category — federal regulation, IRS publication, peer-reviewed research, or industry-standard reference. If a primary source doesn't exist, we don't ship a calculator: we ship a research note explaining why.
2. Formula derivation. We derive each formula directly from the source documents, citing them as code comments at the call site. Anyone reading the source on GitHub can trace each constant back to the authoritative document and section that defined it.
3. Test case generation. For every calculator we write automated tests against worked examples published by the source — IRS sample problems from IRS Publications 560, 535, 969, and 334; IRC worked examples; Treasury Regulation illustrations. The tests run on every commit. A regression in math gets caught before it can reach a reader.
4. Code review. Every calculation passes a human review before publication. For finance content the reviewer is Byron Malone in his operator capacity. For specialized regulated domains we engage credentialed subject-matter experts and credit them on the page.
5. Methodology documentation. For each calculator category we publish a methodology page covering how the formulas derive from primary sources, what edge cases are handled, what we don't model, and when the page was last reviewed. Those pages live at /methodology and the per-category routes beneath it.
6. Public release. The calculator goes live with a "View source on GitHub" link in the math accordion, full citations in the page copy, a named reviewer byline, and a last-updated date. Nothing publishes without those four elements.

3. How AI is used (and where humans review)

Bedrocka Tools is one of the first finance media companies built natively on AI automation. We use AI for: drafting calculator copy and explanatory content, generating test cases, monitoring regulatory sources for changes, and producing initial article drafts. Every AI-produced output passes through human editorial review before publication: every formula is verified by Byron Malone, every citation is checked against the primary source, every published page has a named reviewer.

We use AI as amplification of editorial judgment, not replacement. The transparency isn't optional — we believe finance readers deserve to know how the content they rely on is produced. If a piece of content was AI-drafted, it was human-reviewed before it shipped, and the human who reviewed it is named on the page.

4. How we vet sources

Every formula and assumption in a Bedrocka Tools calculator traces to a primary source. Primary sources we use on this site:

• IRS Publications — Pub 560 (Retirement Plans for Small Business), Pub 535 (Business Expenses), Pub 334 (Tax Guide for Small Business), Pub 969 (HSAs and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans), Pub 587 (Business Use of Your Home), Pub 538 (Accounting Periods and Methods), Form 1040-ES instructions.
• Internal Revenue Code sections — IRC §199A (QBI deduction), §401(k) (qualified retirement plans), §408(k) (SEP-IRA), §415(c) (contribution limits), §1366 (S-Corp pass-through), §3121 (SE tax / FICA), §36B (premium tax credit), §162(l) (self-employed health insurance deduction), §223 (HSA).
• Treasury Regulations — Treas. Reg. §1.199A-1 through -6 (QBI), Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1 through -6 (plan requirements), Treas. Reg. §1.415(c)-1 (defined contribution limits).
• IRS Revenue Procedures and Notices — annual cost-of-living adjustments (e.g., Rev. Proc. 2025-43 for 2026 retirement limits), IRS Notice guidance on plan corrections and eligibility.
• HHS and CMS marketplace guidance for ACA premium tax credit and HDHP plan definitions relevant to HSA eligibility.
• State Department of Revenue guidance — noted by state when state conformity diverges from the federal rule, and labeled as state-specific rather than portable across jurisdictions.

We do not cite blog posts, content-marketing pages, or aggregator sites as primary sources. We do not cite our own prior content as a source — every assumption traces to original authoritative documentation. When sources disagree or when a state rule diverges from the federal rule, we cite both and explain the discrepancy rather than picking one and hiding the conflict.

5. Update and correction policy

Federal tax law changes. IRS Publications update annually. IRC contribution limits adjust with inflation every October (IRS Rev. Proc. cost-of-living adjustments). QBI thresholds phase in and out. A self-employment finance calculator that doesn't update with its sources becomes actively misleading. Bedrocka Tools intelligence agents continuously monitor primary sources for changes affecting our calculators. When sources update, we evaluate and refresh affected calculators within 30 days, with named-reviewer signature on the update. Each calculator displays a “Last Reviewed” date.

When we publish a calculation with an error, we acknowledge it publicly on our corrections page, fix the error promptly, and document what was wrong, when it was identified, and who reviewed the fix. We believe transparent corrections strengthen trust more than silent fixes. If you've spotted an error, email info@bedrockatools.com with the calculator slug, the inputs you used, and the output you got. We respond to every report within three business days.

6. Affiliate disclosure and editorial independence

Bedrocka Tools earns revenue partly from affiliate partnerships with companies whose products we recommend, and partly from display advertising on our pages. We disclose these relationships clearly on every page where they apply — see our affiliate disclosure for the full partner list and commission structure.

Affiliate revenue does not influence which calculators we build, what sources we cite, or what our methodology says. Editorial decisions are made by Byron Malone and reviewed before publication; affiliate partners have no influence on editorial content. We select affiliate partners based on alignment with our editorial standards: partners must have verifiable customer service, transparent pricing, and reputable industry standing. We decline partnerships with products we wouldn't recommend on the merits.

When multiple affiliate partners exist for a category, our recommendation is based on which best fits the reader's situation as indicated by the calculator inputs — not which partner pays the highest commission. If you spot a recommendation that looks affiliate-driven rather than editorial, please email info@bedrockatools.com. We take editorial independence seriously and we'd rather hear about a problem than have it sit unfixed.

7. Author, contributor, and YMYL-Tax reviewer policy

Every Bedrocka Tools page has a named human reviewer. We do not publish under “Editorial Staff” or “Bedrocka Team” bylines. Reviewers are identified by name with a link to a public author page that includes their professional background and contact information.

Currently, Byron Malone serves as the primary editor and reviewer for solo-operator finance content across all five calculator categories (Retirement Savings, Entity Structure, Tax Deductions, Health Coverage, Operating Finance). Byron is a solo operator since 2018 and has direct working experience with these decisions. He is not a licensed CPA, Enrolled Agent, or attorney, and the site's content is designed to inform, not to advise.

YMYL-Tax surface protocol. Solo Operator Finance Hub is a YMYL-Tax surface — the content directly affects readers' tax filing decisions and financial outcomes. For this reason, content covering S-Corp vs LLC reasonable-salary determination, multi-state QBI deduction strategy, retirement-plan correction procedures, and health coverage election interactions with ACA tax credits is marked for credentialed reviewer sign-off before publication. Credentialed reviewers for this site are CPAs, Enrolled Agents, or licensed tax attorneys with relevant self-employment practice experience. Until a credentialed reviewer has signed off on a specific piece of content, that content is published as a planning-estimate framework with an explicit note that it requires professional review for your specific situation.

Health Coverage calculator gate. The Health Coverage methodology page and any future health-coverage calculators (HSA, ACA premium tax credit, HDHP plan comparison) are gated behind a credentialed health coverage reviewer — a Certified Health Counselor (CHC), Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), or licensed health insurance broker — before the computational calculator launches. The methodology page is live as a source-documentation reference; the calculator ships only after reviewer sign-off.

The expansion to credentialed contributors is an active commitment, with formal recruitment beginning in Year 1 of operations. As contributors are added, they will appear with full bylines, public author pages, and category-specific reviewer attribution on the pages they review. Read the lead reviewer's full bio at /authors/byron-malone.

8. Contact and feedback

Spotted an error? Want to suggest a calculator we should build? Have feedback on our methodology? Email Byron Malone directly at info@bedrockatools.com or open an issue on our GitHub repository. We read every message.