AI disclosure

Where we use AI

We use general-purpose large language models (currently Claude and GPT-class models) for:

• Draft scaffolding. Generating initial outlines and first drafts for explanatory copy. These drafts are heavily rewritten by editors before any review.
• Research summarization. Compressing long source documents (HUD Mortgagee Letters, IRS publications, state revenue filings) into editor-readable summaries with citations preserved.
• Editing assistance. Identifying clarity, redundancy, and tone issues in human-written copy.
• Translation support. Initial pass on English-to-Spanish translation, with every page subsequently edited by a human native-speaker editor before publication.
• Code assistance. Calculator logic, schema markup, and accessibility patterns are reviewed and refined with AI help, but the math itself is human-verified against authoritative sources.

Where we don't use AI

Some things require a human in the loop, full stop:

• Calculator formulas. The amortization formula, PMI rate bands, FHA MIP schedule, and VA funding fee logic are human-written and cross-checked against HUD, VA, and Fannie Mae primary sources. Not AI-generated, not AI-modified without verification.
• State-specific data tables. The 50-state + DC defaults for property tax, insurance, transfer taxes, and attorney-state flags are compiled from named primary sources (Tax Foundation, NAIC, state revenue departments) by a human and verified during quarterly reviews.
• Final editorial decisions. What gets published, how it's framed, what claims are too strong or too weak — these are human calls. AI doesn't sign off.
• Reviewer sign-off. NMLS-licensed reviewers and CFP reviewers are humans with real credentials. We don't put a synthetic name on a byline.
• Author photos. Every author photo on this site is a real photograph of a real person. We do not use AI-generated images, stylized portraits, or stock photography in author bylines.

Why we publish this

Google and most regulators have clarified: AI-assisted content is fine if it's accurate, useful, and human-verified. AI-generated slop without human review is not. For YMYL finance content the bar is higher — readers may be making six-figure decisions partly on what they read here.

By publishing this disclosure we're inviting accountability. If you find content on this site that reads like an unedited AI draft — vague, repetitive, wrong on facts, or generic to the point of being useless — flag it. That's a failure of our editorial process, and we want to know.

How to tell if our process worked

Indicators that a HearthLoan page has been through full human review:

• Specific numbers (rates, fees, percentages) with named sources
• State-specific or scenario-specific examples with real values
• Acknowledged limitations and edge cases ("this calculator does NOT apply when...")
• Named creator + reviewer in the byline, both with profile pages and external credentials
• Last reviewed date no more than 90 days old

If a page is missing any of those, treat it as a draft and let us know.

Updates to this disclosure

We will update this page when our AI usage materially changes — for example, if we begin generating images, automating reviewer sign-off (we won't), or adding a chat-style interface. Material changes are logged in our site changelog.

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Questions about how a specific page was produced? Email [email protected] with the URL and we'll tell you which parts were AI-assisted and which were not.