ReadyToRetireNow.com
Effective Date: January 15, 2025
Last Updated: November 10, 2025
The Plain English Version: By using our site, you’re agreeing to these terms. The main points: our retirement calculators and content are for educational purposes, not personalized financial advice. Use our tools responsibly. Don’t copy our content without permission. We try hard to keep everything accurate, but we’re human and retirement rules change. If something goes wrong, we’re not liable for your retirement decisions—you’ll need to verify important information with official sources or professional advisors.
Now for the version our lawyer made us write…
1. Acceptance of Terms
Welcome to ReadyToRetireNow.com (the “Site,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using our website, retirement calculators, content, or any services we provide, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”).
If you don’t agree with these Terms, please don’t use our Site. Simple as that.
These Terms constitute a legal agreement between you (the “User,” “you,” or “your”) and Ready to Retire Now. By continuing to use the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms.
2. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time as our services evolve or legal requirements change. When we do:
- The “Last Updated” date at the top will change
- Significant changes will be announced via email to newsletter subscribers
- We’ll post a notice on the homepage for 30 days
- Continued use after changes means you accept the new Terms
We encourage you to review these Terms periodically. If you disagree with any changes, discontinue use of the Site.
3. Description of Services
ReadyToRetireNow.com provides:
- Educational Content: Articles, guides, and resources about retirement planning, FERS, Social Security, pension systems, and retirement lifestyle
- Interactive Calculators: Tools to estimate retirement dates, pension benefits, Social Security projections, and savings duration
- Community Features: Comment sections, email newsletters, and user forums for retirement planning discussion
- Gift Recommendations: Curated suggestions for retirement gifts (with affiliate links clearly marked)
IMPORTANT: What We Are NOT:
- We are NOT your personal financial advisor
- We do NOT provide individualized investment advice
- We do NOT offer legal, tax, or accounting services
- We do NOT guarantee specific retirement outcomes
- We do NOT replace professional consultation with licensed advisors
4. Use of Content & Services
4.1 Personal, Non-Commercial Use
You may access and use our content and calculators for personal, non-commercial retirement planning purposes. This includes:
- Reading articles for your own education
- Using calculators to plan your retirement
- Saving or printing content for personal reference
- Sharing links to our content on social media
4.2 Prohibited Uses
You may NOT:
- Copy, republish, or redistribute our content without written permission (articles, calculators, graphics)
- Use our calculators or content for commercial purposes (selling our tools, incorporating them into paid services)
- Scrape or harvest data from our Site using automated tools
- Reverse engineer our calculators or attempt to access source code
- Remove attribution or copyright notices from any content
- Impersonate us or misrepresent affiliation with Ready to Retire Now
- Use the Site for illegal purposes or to violate any applicable laws
- Introduce viruses, malware, or harmful code to the Site
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users’ accounts
4.3 Fair Use & Permissions
Want to quote or reference our content? We’re generally happy to grant permission for reasonable use:
- Brief quotes (under 300 words) with clear attribution and link back to source: Generally OK
- Using our calculators on your site: Requires written permission—email permissions@readytoretirenow.com
- Republishing full articles: Not permitted without licensing agreement
- Academic or educational use: Usually approved—just ask us first
5. User Contributions & Comments
5.1 Comment Policy
We encourage thoughtful discussion in our comment sections. By posting comments, you agree that:
- Your comment becomes publicly visible
- You grant us a non-exclusive license to display, modify, and use your comment
- You won’t post spam, advertising, or self-promotional links
- You won’t post offensive, harassing, or discriminatory content
- You’re responsible for the accuracy of information you share
- We may edit or remove comments that violate these guidelines
5.2 User-Generated Content
If you submit questions, success stories, or other content to us (via email, contact forms, or submissions):
- We may use your story or question (anonymized) in future content
- We won’t share personally identifiable information without your permission
- You retain ownership of your content but grant us a license to use it
- You confirm you have the right to submit the content
6. Intellectual Property Rights
6.1 Our Content
All content on ReadyToRetireNow.com is owned by or licensed to us, including:
- Articles, guides, and educational content
- Calculator tools and algorithms
- Graphics, logos, and design elements
- Website code and functionality
Our content is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. The Ready to Retire Now name, logo, and tagline are our trademarks.
6.2 Third-Party Content
We link to and cite numerous third-party sources (OPM.gov, SSA.gov, etc.). These sources retain their own copyrights and terms of use.
7. Retirement Planning Disclaimers
Critical Disclaimers – Please Read Carefully
Educational Purpose Only: All content and calculators are for general educational and informational purposes. They do NOT constitute personalized financial, legal, or tax advice tailored to your specific situation.
Not Professional Advice: Despite our team’s expertise (CFP®, CPA, former federal employee, former SSA employee), using our Site does NOT create a professional advisor-client relationship. For personalized advice, consult licensed financial advisors, CPAs, attorneys, or benefits counselors.
Verify All Information: While we strive for accuracy, retirement rules change frequently. Always verify critical information with official sources:
- FERS: OPM.gov
- Social Security: SSA.gov
- Taxes: IRS.gov or consult a CPA
- State pensions: Your state retirement system website
Calculator Limitations: Our calculators provide estimates based on the information you input and current rules. They cannot account for:
- Future law changes (Congress can modify retirement benefits)
- Your unique personal circumstances
- Market volatility affecting investment returns
- Health status or life expectancy
- Complex situations requiring professional analysis
Individual Responsibility: You are solely responsible for your retirement planning decisions. We provide tools and information—you make the decisions. Don’t retire based on our calculator alone without verification.
8. FERS-Specific Disclaimer
Our FERS retirement calculator is based on current OPM regulations and standard calculations. However:
- Special category employees (law enforcement, firefighters, air traffic controllers) have different rules
- FERS disability retirement has separate eligibility requirements
- Military service credit, unused sick leave, and other factors may affect calculations
- Your agency’s HR office and OPM are the final authorities on your FERS benefits
- Congress can change FERS rules, contribution rates, or COLA formulas
Always verify FERS calculations with your agency HR and OPM before making retirement decisions.
9. Social Security Disclaimer
Our Social Security calculators use publicly available SSA formulas and rules. However:
- Your actual benefit depends on your complete earnings history (which we don’t have access to)
- Future COLA adjustments can’t be predicted accurately
- Legislative changes could affect benefits (trust fund solvency discussions)
- Special provisions (WEP, GPO, disability) require professional evaluation
- SSA.gov’s online calculator uses your actual earnings record and is more accurate
For official benefit estimates, use my Social Security account at SSA.gov.
10. Tax & Legal Disclaimer
Tax and legal information on our Site is general educational content, not advice for your situation:
- Tax Laws Change: Federal and state tax rules evolve annually
- Individual Circumstances Vary: Your tax situation depends on factors we can’t analyze
- Consult Tax Professionals: For tax planning, consult CPAs or Enrolled Agents
- No Attorney-Client Relationship: Legal information does not create an attorney-client relationship
- State Law Variations: State tax and pension laws vary significantly
11. Affiliate Relationships & Advertising
We participate in affiliate programs, meaning we may earn commissions when you purchase products through our links. This includes:
- Amazon Associates: Retirement gift recommendations may include Amazon affiliate links
- Financial Tools: Some calculator or software recommendations may be affiliate partnerships
- Display Advertising: Google AdSense ads appear on our Site
Our Promise: We only recommend products we genuinely believe are valuable. Affiliate relationships don’t influence our retirement planning advice or calculator accuracy. When recommending retirement planning resources, we prioritize quality and relevance over commission potential.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are clearly marked with language like “affiliate link,” “we may earn a commission,” or designated with special formatting.
12. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law:
Ready to Retire Now, its owners, employees, contributors, and affiliates shall NOT be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from:
- Use or inability to use our Site or services
- Retirement decisions made based on our content or calculators
- Errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in content or calculations
- Financial losses resulting from reliance on our information
- Service interruptions, data loss, or technical failures
- Third-party content, links, or services
- Unauthorized access to your account or data
What This Means in Plain English: We work hard to provide accurate, helpful retirement planning information. But if you make retirement decisions based solely on our calculators without verifying with official sources or professionals, and something goes wrong, we’re not financially responsible for that outcome. This isn’t because we don’t care—it’s because retirement planning involves too many variables and individual circumstances for any website to guarantee results.
13. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ready to Retire Now and its team members from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your misuse of our Site or services
- Your violation of any laws or third-party rights
- Content you post or submit to our Site
14. Warranty Disclaimer
Our Site and services are provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:
- Warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
- Warranties that the Site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
- Warranties regarding the accuracy or reliability of content
- Warranties that defects will be corrected
Translation: We strive for accuracy and reliability, but we can’t guarantee perfection. Retirement rules change, technology fails sometimes, and humans make mistakes. Use our resources as helpful tools, not infallible oracles.
15. Third-Party Links & Services
Our Site contains links to external websites and services (government agencies, financial institutions, product vendors). We’re not responsible for:
- Content, accuracy, or practices of third-party sites
- Privacy policies of external sites
- Products or services offered by third parties
- Transactions you conduct with third parties
Including a link doesn’t constitute our endorsement. Review third-party terms and privacy policies before engaging with external sites.
16. User Accounts & Security
If you create an account to save calculator results:
- Account Security: You’re responsible for maintaining password confidentiality
- Unauthorized Use: Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access
- Accuracy: Provide accurate, current information when creating accounts
- Termination: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts violating these Terms
- No Transfer: Accounts are non-transferable
17. Privacy & Data Protection
Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review the Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your information.
18. Governing Law & Jurisdiction
Governing Law: These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland and the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.
Jurisdiction: Any disputes arising from these Terms or use of the Site shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Montgomery County, Maryland. You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of these courts.
Arbitration: For disputes under $10,000, we encourage informal resolution first by contacting legal@readytoretirenow.com. If unresolved, disputes may be submitted to binding arbitration under the American Arbitration Association rules.
19. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining Terms will remain in full force and effect.
20. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Disclaimer, constitute the entire agreement between you and Ready to Retire Now regarding use of the Site, superseding any prior agreements or understandings.
21. No Waiver
Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms doesn’t constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision. All rights are expressly reserved.
22. Contact Information for Legal Matters
Questions about these Terms? Legal concerns? Contact us:
Legal Inquiries:
Email: legal@readytoretirenow.com
Response time: Within 5 business days for legal matters
Copyright Concerns (DMCA):
Email: dmca@readytoretirenow.com
For copyright infringement claims under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Mailing Address:
Ready to Retire Now – Legal Department
1309 Coffeen Avenue STE 1200
Sheridan Wyoming 82801
United States
Summary: The Common Sense Version
If you made it through all of that, congratulations on your attention span! Here’s what actually matters:
- Educational Resource: We provide retirement planning tools and information for learning, not personalized advice
- Verify Everything: Always check critical retirement decisions with official sources and professionals
- Respect Copyright: Don’t copy our content without permission; link to us instead
- Be Responsible: Your retirement decisions are yours—use our tools as helpful guides, not gospel truth
- Common Courtesy: Keep comments respectful and constructive
- Questions Welcome: If something’s unclear, email legal@readytoretirenow.com
Bottom Line: We’re here to help you plan retirement with confidence. Use our resources wisely, verify important decisions, and consult professionals for personalized guidance. That’s the whole point.