Sources & Methodology

ETFCompass is an educational website. The aim is to explain investing topics clearly, show uncertainty honestly, and point readers toward stronger primary sources where precision matters.

1. What this page is for

This page explains how ETFCompass approaches fact-checking, editorial judgement, source quality, and updates. It does not mean that every page is perfect or always fully current. Where decisions involve money, taxes, legal rules, platform terms, or product suitability, you should verify important details directly from official sources before acting.

2. Source priority

ETFCompass gives the highest weight to primary and official sources wherever possible.

• EU regulators and legal texts: ESMA, EUR-Lex, and related official EU materials.
• National supervisory context: Bank of Lithuania and other official supervisory bodies where relevant.
• ETF issuer documents: factsheets, KIDs/KIIDs, prospectuses, and official product pages.
• Index methodology sources: MSCI, FTSE Russell, S&P Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and similar official index-provider materials.
• Broker official materials: fee schedules, pricing pages, legal entity disclosures, terms and conditions, and country/account-specific product availability pages.
• Macro and historical references: ECB, FRED, BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank, exchange archives, and official statistical portals.

3. How ETFCompass checks facts

ETFCompass aims to distinguish between facts, estimates, assumptions, examples, and opinion. When possible, claims about fees, tax context, legal rules, ETF structure, and platform terms should be checked against official documents rather than summaries or marketing language.

4. Time-sensitive information

Some topics change quickly. This includes broker fees, legal entity structures, investor protections, account terms, tax treatment, ETF availability, and country-specific restrictions. Content on ETFCompass may become outdated over time, even when originally written in good faith. For any time-sensitive decision, verify the latest official source before acting.

5. Broker and fee verification

Broker comparisons and platform mentions should be treated as editorial summaries, not definitive rankings or regulated recommendations. Important checks should include the exact legal entity, regulator register, fee schedule, account type, investor protection details, and country-specific product access. If any of those points are unclear, the official provider documentation should take priority over ETFCompass summaries.

6. Translation policy

The working language of ETFCompass is English. Other language versions, where available, may be machine-assisted translations provided for convenience. Meaning can shift in translation, especially for legal, tax, and investment language. For important decisions, use the English version together with primary source documents.

7. Editorial rules

• No return promises or certainty claims.
• Examples are examples, not guarantees.
• Opinion should not be presented as verified fact.
• Country-specific differences matter and should not be ignored.
• When better evidence appears, content may be updated or corrected.

8. Corrections and updates

ETFCompass may update articles, tools, comparisons, and summaries when better evidence becomes available or when a page is no longer accurate enough. If you notice a material error, outdated fee reference, or broken source logic, you can make contact through the Register / Contact page.

For legal context, also read the Financial Disclaimer, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.