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ANCHOR is built specifically for African American genealogy. Standard genealogy platforms and services were designed for families whose documentation was consistently maintained. For Black families, that was never the case — and our entire research methodology, technology, and standards reflect that reality.
We don't use automated hints or shared trees as the basis for conclusions. Every fact in your tree is backed by a primary source we've actually reviewed. When we can't confirm something, we say so.
Yes. While our primary expertise is in U.S. records, many of our clients are diaspora descendants researching African American lines from abroad. Our Tier 5 "Origin Journey" package also includes African origin research for clients who want to trace their heritage back to the continent.
Not at all. We can start from nothing — just your name and what you know about your family. If you've already done some research, that's a head start we'll gladly build from. Bring whatever you have: documents, photos, DNA results, family stories.
Email us at info@anchorgenealogy.com to schedule your intake consultation. We'll discuss what you're looking for, what you already have, and which research tier fits your goals. From there, we'll send you a project agreement and get to work.
ANCHOR accepts a limited number of new clients each month to protect research quality — so earlier is better.
It's a conversation, not a form. We'll ask about your family, what you already know, and what questions you most want answered. We'll also explain what's realistic given the records available for your specific family's geography and time period. No obligation to proceed after the consultation.
Timelines vary by tier and the complexity of your specific family lines. Estimates are:
Tier 1 — 2 to 3 weeks
Tier 2 — 4 to 6 weeks
Tier 3 — 6 to 10 weeks
Tier 4 — 10 to 16 weeks
Tier 5 — 4 to 12 months
These timelines begin after your intake call and payment confirmation. Complex cases, record access delays, or remote archive research may extend timelines — we'll always communicate that proactively.
Yes. We provide progress updates throughout the research process — no black boxes and no radio silence. For longer projects (Tiers 3–5), you'll receive milestone updates at defined stages. You can also reach us at any time with questions.
We pull from a wide range of primary sources depending on your family's geography and time period, including:
Federal and state census records (1790–1940), vital records (birth, marriage, death), Freedmen's Bureau records, slave schedules, plantation inventories, probate and estate files, deed books, church records, military service and pension files, city directories, newspaper archives, DNA match analysis, and more.
For pre-Emancipation research, we also investigate enslaver lines — their probate records, plantation journals, and correspondence often contain the only surviving documentation of enslaved ancestors.
No — and any genealogy service that guarantees specific discoveries isn't being honest with you. What we can guarantee is thorough, documented research following professional genealogical standards. We will find what the records have to offer, document our methodology, and be transparent when we hit a genuine dead end.
In our experience, most families are surprised by how much actually survives in the record — even for lines that seem completely lost.
The portal is our proprietary research management platform — a web application where your family tree lives. It includes an interactive pedigree viewer, source citation management, DNA match organization, relationship tagging (biological, step, adopted, NPE), photo uploads, and more.
Full-service research clients (Tier 3 and above) receive portal access as part of their package. Portal-only access is also available as a standalone purchase ($79 one-time) for researchers who want the tools without the full-service research.
NPE stands for Non-Paternity Event — a situation where the documented father is not the biological father. This is discovered through DNA evidence and is more common than most people expect, particularly in family lines with complex histories around slavery, coercion, and family separation.
ANCHOR's portal handles NPE relationships explicitly and sensitively, allowing you to document the truth of your biological line while preserving the full family history context.
No. Portal access is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees. Your tree, documents, and data remain accessible indefinitely.
Yes — visit portal.anchorgenealogy.com/demo for a fully interactive demo tree with real data. No signup required.
Payment terms vary by tier:
Tier 1 ($350): Full payment due at project start.
Tier 2 ($750): 50% deposit at start, balance due on delivery.
Tier 3 ($1,500): 50% deposit at start, balance due on delivery.
Tier 4 ($3,000): 33% deposit, 33% at midpoint milestone, balance on delivery.
Tier 5: Custom payment schedule per engagement.
We accept all major credit and debit cards. Payment links are sent via email after your intake consultation. Contact us if you have special payment needs.
Please see our full Refund Policy for details. In summary: deposits are non-refundable once research has begun. If we determine at intake that we cannot help with your specific case, you will not be charged. See the full policy for all terms.
The milestone-based payment structure for Tiers 2–5 functions as a built-in payment plan. For Tier 5 engagements, payment schedules are negotiated individually. Contact us to discuss your situation.
No. DNA testing is not required for Tiers 1 or 2. For Tier 3 and above, DNA match analysis is part of the research — we'll work with any results you already have (AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA). If you haven't tested yet, we can advise which platform is most useful for your research goals.
With care and directness. We believe you deserve to know the truth of your biological history — and we'll present discoveries clearly, with context and without judgment. We also give you the tools to document these discoveries in a way that honors both the biological reality and the family you knew.
If you have specific concerns about what might be discovered, please raise them during your intake consultation so we can discuss how to handle them together.
Researching enslaver families is often the only way to document enslaved ancestors before 1865. We approach this work directly — the goal is documentation of your ancestors, not rehabilitation of the people who enslaved them.
Our portal includes specific tools for tracking enslaver relationships, documentary links, and biological connections (including sexual violence that produced descendants) — all documented with appropriate historical context and source citations.