Editorial Policy
How we research and verify the pension information in the PensionChart directory, and how to tell us when something needs correcting.
Why this matters
Cross-border pension rules are technical, country-specific, and change over time. People make real decisions based on what they read here — whether to top up a contribution record, when to claim, whether a short stint abroad is worth pursuing. So we hold our country data to a clear, stated standard rather than treating it as generic web content.
Where our information comes from
Our country guides are built from primary, official sources first: the national pension and social-security authorities (for example the UK’s HMRC and DWP, Germany’s Deutsche Rentenversicherung, the US Social Security Administration), the text of bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements and tax treaties, and reputable international bodies such as the OECD and EU. Where a fact traces to a specific authority, we record that source alongside the entry.
How a country guide is produced
We use AI research tools to draft and keep each guide current, working from those official sources. AI drafting lets us cover 47 countries and re-check them far more often than manual research alone would allow — but it never publishes on its own. Every guide is structured into the same fields (retirement ages, scheme structure, contribution rates, eligibility, tax treatment, and claiming from abroad) so it can be compared and reviewed consistently.
How we verify
A country entry is only marked Verified once a member of our team has checked it against the named official source. A verified entry records:
- the official source it was checked against;
- the date of that verification;
- a confidence level reflecting how directly the source supports the entry.
You’ll see this provenance on the country page itself: verified entries carry a “Verified” badge with the source and date, while entries still awaiting human review are labelled as such, so you always know how far a given fact has been checked.
Keeping it current
Pension rules change — retirement ages rise, contribution rates are re-set, and top-up windows open and close. We re-review each country at least once every three months, and prioritise the ones people actually ask about through the Finder. When a rule change is detected, the affected guide is re-drafted and checked by a PensionChart team member against the named official source before its “Verified” date is updated.
What this is (and isn’t)
PensionChart is an information and organisation tool. Our country guides explain how systems work in general; they are not personal financial, tax, or legal advice, and they can’t account for every individual’s circumstances. For decisions with a deadline or a large sum at stake, confirm the specifics with the relevant official authority or a qualified cross-border adviser. The official route is always free to check.
Tell us if something’s wrong
If you spot something that looks out of date or incorrect, we want to know — corrections from people who’ve dealt with these systems first-hand make the directory better for everyone. Email info@pensionchart.com or use our contact form, and point us to the official source if you have one. You can also suggest an edit directly on any country page.
PensionChart is operated by MagicCompany.AI BV, Haarlem, The Netherlands.