About Kiplinger

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MISSION STATEMENT

Kiplinger helps readers make smart financial decisions at all stages of life. We are the pioneer of personal finance journalism and have earned our readers’ loyalty with authoritative, unbiased advice that has helped make them the most affluent audience in the category. Our readers are intelligent and action-oriented, and they tend to trust our advertisers as much as they trust our advice.

We always aim to provide unbiased editorial created by our journalists and writers. We also need to pay our teams and website costs so we make money in a number of ways. We sometimes use affiliate links to products and services on retailer sites, for which we can receive compensation if you click on those links or make purchases through them. From time to time, we also publish advertorials (paid-for editorial content) and sponsored content on the site. When this is the case, the content is clearly marked as sponsored or promoted, so you’ll always know which content is editorial and which is not. Future PLC is our parent company and has more information on its terms and conditions page.

We believe that Kiplinger’s readers benefit from the expertise of our staff writers, editors, and columnists, and that Kiplinger advice is better informed if the staff itself participates in the actions it advises. (We “eat our own cooking,” as it were.) Accordingly, Kiplinger employees, freelancers, contractors, and columnists are allowed to own securities of entities about which they have written, commented, or reported recently, provided the editorial activity would not likely have an impact on the securities or their price.

All Kiplinger employees are expected to conduct themselves at all times in a manner that leaves no grounds for belief, or even suspicion, that an employee, an employee’s family, or anyone else connected to an employee made financial gains by acting pursuant to "inside" information obtained through the course of the employee’s work. Furthermore, no employee may profit from news, data, or information learned in the course of employment that has yet to be made public. We will not publish any story critical of any investment in which the author has a short position.

For decades, Kiplinger has had a successful history of independently considering and reviewing a wide variety of products, services, businesses, and locations, among other subjects. Kiplinger readers have been able to trust the expertise and judgment used by Kiplinger in making its selections. Kiplinger uses different methodologies to evaluate subjects based on the product and type of evaluation. These include:

Evaluation by an expert. At times Kiplinger uses staff experts and knowledgeable contributors to evaluate products, businesses, places, and services. These Kiplinger experts base their assessments on personal research and evaluation, as well as any special criteria established for that particular ranking.
Scoring based on quantitative or qualitative criteria. Some Kiplinger rankings and ratings are based upon evaluations that use quantitative or qualitative scoring systems.
Surveys. Kiplinger recommends some products, services, businesses, or other subjects based upon surveys. At times, these surveys are the result of contributed appraisals from readers. At other times, Kiplinger uses reputable third-party survey providers or in-house survey expertise in crafting and executing surveys. When surveys are used, Kiplinger ensures the surveys are independent and follow best practices methodologies.

Founded in 1947 as Kiplinger Magazine (subtitled "The Changing Times"), it was the first magazine to offer money management advice to the American people. Kiplinger Magazine changed its name to Changing Times (subtitled: "The Kiplinger Magazine") in 1949, and it was known by that name until 1991, when it was renamed Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. For 33 years after its founding, it existed entirely on subscription and single-copy revenue, but in 1980 began carrying advertising.

With tens of thousands of biweekly subscribers, the Kiplinger Tax Letter is the most widely read tax advisory newsletter in the U.S., with readers at law and accounting firms, corporate CFO and general counsel offices, and the homes of high-net-worth individuals. In four pages each issue, covering both business and personal taxation, the Letter advises its readers on coming changes in tax law and regulations; recent rulings and interpretations by the IRS, Tax Court and states; and strategies for minimizing taxes. It was launched in 1925.