Reaching the editorial desk

The desk behind Karat Arithmetic reads every message sent to [email protected]. It corrects figures that are wrong, answers questions about how a measurement is taken, and names plainly the questions it cannot answer.

Email: [email protected]

Reporting errors and corrections

A figure that looks wrong is always worth reporting. Each table on this site names the public source it was read from, with a link, and shows the date and hour of the reading. If a number does not match what that source publishes, the desk wants to know. The same applies to a source that has moved or closed: a link that no longer resolves, a publisher that has changed its page, or a rate that is no longer updated. The desk checks every report against the named source and does not rely on memory.

A question about how the measurement is taken is equally welcome. The site publishes one measurement: the association's rates before tax, with a final column that adds the three per cent a buyer pays. Readers often ask why a shop price differs, why the hour of reading matters, or how the purity of a karat mark changes the arithmetic. The desk answers those questions with the same method it uses for the tables: it names the source, shows the calculation, and does not add an estimate of its own. A correction is handled the same way.

Correction Process

A correction is handled the same way. When a figure is wrong, the desk corrects it and dates the correction on the page. The original number is not silently replaced: the change is marked, with the date it was made, so a reader can see what was altered and when. The desk does not edit a table without leaving a trace. If the error came from a source that has since changed its own page, the desk notes that the source was re-read. The correction is the reason the address exists, and the desk treats it as the most important part of its work.

If a reader writes to report a source that has moved or closed, the desk checks the link and replaces it if needed. A closed source is not hidden; the table is updated to name the new source or to state that the figure can no longer be verified. The desk does not keep a figure online if it cannot be checked at its publisher. Every message that reports a broken link or a silent change gets a reply once the check is done. The desk does not promise an immediate answer, but it does not ignore a report.

What the Desk Cannot Answer

This desk does not give personal investment advice. It will not tell a reader whether to buy, sell, or hold gold, nor will it comment on a reader's portfolio, income, or goals. The figures describe what things cost, not what a reader should do. A message that asks for a recommendation will receive a plain statement that the desk cannot answer it. The same applies to any question about tax owed by a specific person or a specific transaction. The desk publishes the arithmetic; it does not apply it to a reader's life.

No help with a broker's account is possible, and no tips are given. The site links to one broker, FxPro, through an affiliate link, but the desk has no access to that broker's systems, no ability to see a reader's account, and no role in deposits, withdrawals, or trades. A reader who writes about a broker account will be told to contact the broker directly, under that broker's own terms and privacy policy. The desk cannot reset a password, trace a payment, or explain a margin call. It is not a customer service desk for any broker.

How the Site Is Paid

The site is paid through an affiliate link to one broker, FxPro. If a reader clicks that link and opens an account, the site receives a commission. The reader pays nothing to this site and nothing extra at the broker. This is stated plainly on the page about the publisher and on the page about terms, and it is repeated here because a reader deciding whether to believe the figures should know how the desk earns. The affiliate relationship does not change the measurement. The rates are read from the same public sources whether or not a reader ever clicks the link.

The desk holds no client money, takes no orders, and is not a licensed adviser. It is an independent editorial desk, not a broker or an exchange. The figures are republished with the date and hour they were read, and the sources are named under every table. A reader who wants to check a figure can go to the source. The desk's income from the affiliate link does not depend on any reader's trading result, and the desk does not know whether a reader who clicks the link ever opens an account. The two things are separate: the measurement is one job, the funding is another.

What Happens When You Write

Writing to [email protected] reaches the desk. The address is the only channel; the site has no accounts, no login, no newsletter, and no comment form. Messages are read by the editorial team, which is the Karat Arithmetic editorial team. No single person is named, because responsibility sits with the desk as a whole. The desk answers what it can and says plainly what it cannot. A question about a figure gets a check against the source. A report of a broken link gets a repair or a note. A request for advice gets a refusal, with the reason.

The site sets no cookie of its own, runs no analytics, and stores nothing in the reader's browser. The pages are served by a hosting provider, which keeps its own technical request logs, as any web host does. The publisher does not read a reader's personal data out of those logs. A message sent to the address is an email, and it is handled as correspondence, not as a data profile. The desk does not add the sender to a list, because no list exists. The only outcome of a message is an answer, a correction, or a plain statement of the desk's limits.

The Desk's Limits

The desk will not estimate a price it has not read from a named source. It will not predict a rate, a premium, or a market move. It will not tell a reader which shop to visit, which karat to choose, or when to buy. Those decisions are the reader's own. The desk publishes one measurement, taken from named public sources, and it does not add a layer of guesswork. A reader who asks for a forecast will be told that none is given. The desk's value is in what it can verify, not in what it can imagine.

The figures are not investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer. They describe what things cost, not what a reader should do. The desk does not hold itself out as an adviser and does not answer questions that belong to a licensed professional. A reader who needs personal financial advice should seek it from someone qualified to give it. A reader who needs help with a broker's account should contact that broker. A reader who wants to know how a number on this site was produced can write, and will get an answer that names the source and shows the calculation.