Source Register
Every source actually relied on for a calculator's arithmetic or a guide's factual claims is listed here, grouped by the page that cites it. See the editorial policy for how sources are chosen.
This page covers the ten calculators' formula and methodology sources below. The 23-guide
library's sources are cited inline on each guide's own page (in its "Sources" section) rather
than duplicated here — see the summary and links in the Guides section further down.
Settlement Check Breakdown
- Model reflects a standard first-party/third-party total-loss settlement waterfall as commonly described in state insurance-department consumer guides on total-loss claims; it is a general organizing structure, not a citation to any single statute.
Total-Loss Offer Audit
- The mean, median, range, and 20% possible-outlier check are descriptive arithmetic only. The outlier threshold is a disclosed review heuristic, not a legal or professional appraisal standard.
- Comparable-quality prompts do not assign dollar weights. They surface year, mileage, trim/configuration, distance, listing status/date, seller type, condition, and adjustment differences for the user to verify.
Diminished Value Baseline
- The multiplier table is the commonly published version of an insurer-style formula associated with a 2002 Muscogee County, Georgia class-settlement order in the Mabry litigation; it is not presented as a state or national legal standard.
- Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Directive 08-P&C-2 (December 2008) states that no formula was approved as determinative of diminished value.
Rental / Loss-of-Use Reimbursement
- Nevada Division of Insurance, filed policy endorsement Form A-431 (05-11), "Rental Reimbursement Endorsement" — a real, publicly filed example of how one insurer's first-party rental-reimbursement coverage structures a daily cap and a total per-claim cap.
- Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC), Auto Insurance resources — describing loss-of-use damages under a third-party property-damage liability claim as governed by a reasonableness standard, not a fixed formula.
Salvage / Owner-Retained Value
- Wikipedia, "Salvage title" — general overview of owner-retained salvage and branded titles; branding criteria differ by state and should be confirmed with your state DMV.
- New York State Department of Financial Services, OGC Opinion No. 00-02-07: Salvage Vehicle Branding — a real regulator opinion letter on salvage-title branding.
Leased Vehicle Diminished Value
- The multiplier table is the commonly published version of an insurer-style formula associated with a 2002 Muscogee County, Georgia class-settlement order in the Mabry litigation; it is not presented as a state or national legal standard.
- Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Directive 08-P&C-2 (December 2008) states that no formula was approved as determinative of diminished value.
Total-Loss Threshold Checker
- Brennan, R., "Total Loss Threshold by State," Policygenius, updated July 2026 — same secondary compilation cited in the companion guide. Treat as a starting point, not a final legal citation; confirm your own state's current rule with your state insurance department.
- New Hampshire Insurance Department, <a href="https://www.insurance.nh.gov/about-us/property-casualty-division/list-accepted-valuation-methods-total-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">List of Accepted Valuation Methods for Total Loss</a> — a real example of a state regulator publishing its own accepted methodology.
Loan/Lease Payoff vs. ACV Gap
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-guaranteed-asset-protection-gap-insurance-en-797/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"What is Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) insurance?"</a>, last reviewed March 8, 2024 — same primary federal source cited in the companion guide.
Sales Tax & Title Fee Estimator
- Texas Comptroller, <a href="https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/96-254/insurance-settlement-transfers.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motor Vehicle Tax Guide — Insurance Settlement Transfers</a> — same primary state-government source cited in the companion guide, as one real example of how a state handles this.
- This tool intentionally does not include a built-in state tax-rate table — see the companion guide for why. Enter your own known or looked-up rate.
Claim Letter & Evidence Packet Builder
- Editorial template rules: use a narrow factual request, preserve bracketed placeholders for missing facts, and require the user to verify every name, date, figure, recipient, and attachment.
Guides
Each of the 23 guides in the guide library cites its own sources inline, next to the claim, in a Sources section at the bottom of the page. Sources include primary government and regulatory records (e.g., the NAIC's Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, the Texas Comptroller's insurance-settlement-transfer rules, the New York DFS's salvage-title opinion, and the New Hampshire Insurance Department's list of accepted valuation methods) alongside general concept explanations and this site's own methodology notes, each labeled for what it is.
Found a sourcing error?
Use the corrections page to report it, or the
contact page to reach the editor directly.