Paperwork Rules Guide — Know what a document proves before you act on it

Source-backed

Every comparison cites the issuing authority — FAA, CMS, FTC, EPA, USPS, and the rest — and links its published rule.

Not advice

Reference only: what documents are and how to read them. Never legal, medical, insurance, or financial advice.

Dated & reviewed

Every guide carries a last-reviewed date and a fixed review cycle, surfaced on the page.

No ads, no affiliate

The current guides carry no advertising and no affiliate links.

What paperwork are you dealing with?

Most trouble starts when one document is mistaken for another — a coverage summary read as a final bill, a tracking number treated as a refund. Pick the situation; each guide lays the documents out side by side.

Travel1 guide

Lithium batteries and power banks: carry-on, checked, and shipping rulesWhether you can fly with or mail a lithium battery comes down to three things: is it loose or installed, is it carry-on or checked, and what is its watt-hour rating. Here is what's allowed and where it's restricted, by battery type.US6 documentsSourcesFAATSAAmerican AirlinesUSPS

Shipping & Returns2 guides

Shipping lithium batteries: ground, air, and international rulesWhether you can ship a lithium battery depends on three things at once: its configuration (installed, packed with a device, or loose), its condition (new, used, damaged, or recalled), and where it's going. Here is how the answer changes across USPS, UPS, and FedEx.US9 documentsSourcesUSPSUPSFedExPHMSAFAA Return shipping documents and carrier claims: what each one proves"I shipped it back," "the seller received it," "the return was accepted," "the refund was issued," and "the carrier is liable" are five different facts — and each one is proven by a different document. Here is what each piece of the return paper trail actually establishes.US9 documentsSourcesUSPSUPSFedExFTC

Warranty & Disputes1 guide

Warranty, returns, and dispute paperwork: what each document provesReturning an item, claiming a warranty, and disputing a charge are three different systems with three different deadlines. Here is what each document actually proves, what it doesn't, and the deadline or record that goes with it.US9 documentsSourcesFTC

Household1 guide

Battery disposal rules: trash, recycling, drop-off, and damaged batteriesWhat you can do with a dead battery depends on its chemistry, its condition, and your locality — not its shape. Here is where each battery type can and cannot go, and which ones need special handling.US11 documentsSourcesEPACall2RecycleCPSCPHMSAUSPS

Health & Insurance2 guides

EOB, medical bill, denial letter & appeal notice: what each document actually meansAfter a medical visit you can receive five or six different documents that look alike and read like bills. Most aren't. Here is what each one is, what it doesn't prove, and the federal deadlines attached to the ones that matter.US6 documentsSourcesCMSHealthCare.govCFPB Internal appeal vs. external review: which document starts which clockWhen a health plan denies a claim, the path forward runs through a chain of specific documents — each one starting a different clock, and only one stage producing a decision the insurer is required by law to accept. Here is what each document is, what it starts, and what it doesn't prove.US13 documentsSourcesHealthCare.govCMS45 CFR

Homeowners Insurance3 guides

Homeowners claim documents: the declarations page, proof of loss, estimates, and why the numbers don't matchAfter home damage you can receive a coverage summary, a sworn form you must file, an adjuster's estimate, your contractor's estimate, and a first check smaller than both. Here is what each document is, what it doesn't prove, and why three different amounts can all be correct.US7 documentsSourcesNAICNC Dept. of InsuranceCA Dept. of Insurance The proof-of-loss package: which document plays which roleWhen an insurer asks for a sworn proof of loss, it's asking for one specific document — and a package of others that support it. Mixing up their roles is how claims stall. Here is what each piece is, what it doesn't prove, and which deadline source actually controls.US13 documentsSourcesNAICCA Dept. of InsuranceNC Dept. of InsuranceCFPB Recoverable depreciation: the documents behind the two-payment claimOn a replacement-cost claim, the first check is usually the actual cash value — the depreciation is held back until the work is done and documented. Here is what each document in that two-payment process is, what it doesn't prove, and which papers commonly move the held-back money.US11 documentsSourcesNC Dept. of InsuranceNAICCA Dept. of InsuranceCFPBNJ Dept. of Insurance

How every guide is built

The same four-part structure across every situation, so you read each document the same way.

01What it is

Each document named and defined in plain language — no jargon, no assumptions.

02What it does not prove

The misread that causes the problem, stated outright.

03What to check next

The next step, and the specific document that carries it.

04The rule behind it

The deadline or rule that governs it, tied to the issuing authority's published source.