The Vetted Standard™ is our documented editorial and evaluation framework. “Vetted” means information has passed a five-step process — Evidence, Evaluation, Explanation, Disclosure, Review — against up to fifteen published dimensions. It is a promise about process. It does not guarantee product authenticity, dealer performance, prices, or outcomes, and it is not individualized financial advice.
What we evaluate
Where evidence exists, subjects are assessed against these fifteen dimensions: product clarity, dealer reputation, pricing transparency, premium visibility, liquidity considerations, recognizability, authenticity safeguards, shipping and fulfillment transparency, storage considerations, buyback information, customer-service accessibility, educational accuracy, disclosure quality, suitability by stated consumer objective, and risk and limitation visibility.
What we do not evaluate
Individual order outcomes; future prices; tax outcomes for a specific person; and products or dealers for which insufficient public evidence exists. Where we can’t evaluate, we say so rather than guessing.
Evidence standards and source hierarchy
Claims are sourced in this descending order of authority: government agencies and regulators; sovereign mints; tax authorities (always jurisdiction- and date-bounded); established exchanges and benchmark administrators; recognized industry organizations; audited public information; primary dealer published policies; and peer-reviewed research where relevant. We never cite low-quality affiliate blogs as primary evidence.
Every claim is classified — stable fact, time-sensitive fact, market data, dealer-specific information, regulatory or tax information, editorial analysis, general education, opinion, or commercial recommendation — and the classification determines the language we use, the source we require, and the review schedule it receives. Time-sensitive statements carry dates. Dealer-provided information is attributed as such and is not treated as independently verified fact.
Our scoring policy
We do not publish numeric scores or star ratings, because our scoring rubric has not yet met our own bar: documented, consistently applied across multiple subjects, and reviewable. Until it does, evaluations are qualitative and dimension-by-dimension. An undocumented score would be a trust liability wearing a trust costume.
Review frequency and corrections
Stable facts are reviewed at least annually; dealer-specific and commercial content quarterly; regulatory content semi-annually and on legislative change. Errors are corrected in place with a dated note, and material corrections are logged. Report errors to hello@vettedbullion.com — see the full corrections policy.
Affiliate independence
Commercial relationships — currently including JM Bullion — never determine educational conclusions, the visibility of risks, or the dimensions we evaluate. Dealers do not review or approve editorial content before publication. Content that exists because a commercial relationship exists (such as dealer inventory pathways) is labeled as commercial. Full details: affiliate disclosure.
What “vetted” does — and does not — guarantee
It does mean: the information passed the documented process above, with sources, dates, and limitations visible.
It does not mean: that any product is guaranteed authentic in your specific order, that any dealer is endorsed by a government or mint, that prices will move in any direction, or that a purchase is right for you. Suitability depends on individual goals, financial circumstances, risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs.