Editorial Policy

How Finance Atlas content is created, maintained and corrected

Finance Atlas exists to give South Africans free, accurate, plain-language finance tools. Because the figures here can influence real money decisions, we hold the content to a clear standard. This page explains who writes and maintains the site, how we keep the numbers current, where they come from, and what to do if you think something is wrong.

Who writes and reviews this site

Finance Atlas is written and maintained by its editorial team, drawing on hands-on experience in the South African vehicle and asset finance industry. Content is published under the Finance Atlas Editorial byline rather than ghost-written under invented personas. The focus is on the South African context specifically — the National Credit Act, SARB-linked rates, SARS tax tables and local lending practice — rather than generic international finance content.

Accuracy and how we keep figures current

Rates and statutory figures live in a single central file, so an update flows through every calculator at once rather than being changed page by page. We review the key inputs on this schedule:

• Interest rates — reviewed after each SARB Monetary Policy Committee meeting (up to six times a year). When the repo rate moves, prime and the calculator defaults move with it.
• NCA fees and caps — reviewed when the National Credit Regulator updates the prescribed maximums.
• Tax figures — transfer duty and tax-free savings limits are reviewed after the annual National Budget and when SARS publishes new tables.

Each calculator shows a "rates last verified" date so you can see how current the figures are. For the formulas behind the tools, see our methodology page.

Our sources

We rely on primary, official South African sources rather than second-hand summaries:

• South African Reserve Bank (SARB) — repo rate and monetary policy.
• National Credit Regulator (NCR) — National Credit Act fees, caps and credit rules.
• South African Revenue Service (SARS) — transfer duty and tax-free savings limits.
• Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) — conduct standards for financial products.

Independence and what we don't do

Our calculators and guides are educational. We do not accept payment to rank a lender higher, to recommend a specific product, or to alter a calculation. Finance Atlas is not a registered Financial Services Provider (FSP) under the FAIS Act and not a registered credit provider under the NCA. Nothing on the site is personal financial advice. The site is supported by advertising, which is kept separate from our content — ads never influence what a calculator returns or what a guide says.

How We Monitor and Correct Information

Financial figures change, so the site is maintained on an ongoing basis rather than published once and forgotten. Our review process works as follows:

• Scheduled reviews. Interest rates are checked after every SARB Monetary Policy Committee meeting (up to six times a year); NCA fee caps when the National Credit Regulator updates them; and tax figures such as transfer duty and the tax-free savings limits after each National Budget.
• Central source of truth. These values live in a single configuration file, so an update flows through every calculator at once rather than being changed page by page — which prevents one tool from quietly going stale.
• Reader reports. If a figure looks out of date or a result seems wrong, tell us the exact inputs and what you expected via the contact page. We investigate every report.
• Prompt correction. When something is genuinely off, we correct it and update the "rates last verified" date shown on the affected tools, so you can always see how current the figures are.

Accuracy is the entire point of the site, so corrections take priority over new features.