Legal

Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure

Our content is not financial advice. Learn how we handle affiliate links, commissions, and editorial independence.

Last updated: August 2026

Table of Contents
Section 01

General Disclaimer

All content on focalevents.com is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.

You use this Site and its content at your own risk. FocalEvents accepts no liability for any losses or damages resulting from your use of information found here.

This Disclaimer is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service and should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

Section 02

Financial Disclaimer

FocalEvents publishes personal finance guides, calculators, and articles about life milestones including marriage, home buying, student loans, retirement, and family planning.

None of this content constitutes a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial product, security, insurance policy, loan, or investment. Reading our guides does not create a financial planning, advisory, or brokerage relationship.

Financial decisions involve risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Tax laws, interest rates, contribution limits, and regulatory rules change frequently. You must verify all figures and rules against primary sources before acting on them.

Section 03

No Fiduciary Relationship

FocalEvents is a publishing company, not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, financial planning firm, or insurance agency. We do not hold any fiduciary duty toward our readers.

Using this Site, reading our articles, or using our calculators does not create any professional relationship between you and FocalEvents or any of its contributors, reviewers, or editorial team members.

Section 04

Affiliate Disclosure (FTC)

In compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Endorsement Guides, we disclose the following:

FocalEvents may earn a commission from qualifying purchases or referrals made through links on this Site. This means if you click an affiliate link and make a purchase or sign up for a service, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

What Are Affiliate Links

Affiliate links are special tracking links that connect you to a product or service provider. If you purchase through that link, the provider pays us a referral fee. You pay the same price whether or not you use our link.

Where Affiliate Links Appear

  • Within articles recommending specific financial products or services
  • In comparison tables or product reviews (if applicable)
  • In call-to-action boxes linking to tools or services

What We Do Not Do

  • We do not bury affiliate links in the middle of content without disclosure.
  • We do not recommend products we have not researched or evaluated.
  • We do not allow affiliate relationships to determine our editorial rankings or recommendations.
  • We do not receive compensation for mentioning specific products in informational content.
Section 05

Editorial Independence

Our editorial team and content reviewers operate independently from any affiliate or advertising relationships. The process works as follows:

  • Research first: We identify the best products or services for a given situation based on objective criteria including fees, features, reputation, and user experience.
  • Affiliate second: If an affiliate program exists for a product we already recommend, we may join it. The recommendation comes first, not the commission.
  • Disclosure third: We disclose every affiliate relationship clearly, on the page, at the point of the link, and on this page.

If we ever change a recommendation based on a new affiliate relationship, we will update the article and note the change transparently.

Section 06

Accuracy Disclaimer

While we maintain strict editorial standards including fact-checking, source citation, and credentialed review, we cannot guarantee that all information is free from error.

Financial figures cited on this Site include:

  • IRS tax brackets and contribution limits (verified against IRS.gov)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics household spending data (verified against BLS.gov)
  • Federal Reserve economic reports (verified against FederalReserve.gov)
  • Insurance industry statistics (verified against III.org and LIMRA)

These figures change annually. We update our content when new data is released, but there may be a delay between a regulatory change and our content update. Always verify critical figures against the primary source linked in each article.

Section 07

Calculator Disclaimer

Our financial calculators (mortgage, wedding budget, student loan, retirement, baby cost, and 401k growth) produce estimates based on simplified mathematical formulas and the inputs you provide.

Calculator results are not financial advice. Real-world financial outcomes depend on variables no calculator can fully capture, including market volatility, tax law changes, fees, lifestyle inflation, and unexpected life events.

Use our calculators as a starting point for understanding financial concepts, not as a basis for making specific investment, borrowing, or insurance decisions.

Section 08

Third-Party Products

If we mention or link to specific financial products, services, insurance policies, or investment platforms, we are not the provider of those products. We do not control:

  • Product terms, fees, interest rates, or eligibility requirements
  • Product availability in your state or region
  • Customer service quality or claims handling
  • Changes to product features or discontinuation of products

Always read the provider's terms and conditions, fee disclosures, and fine print before purchasing any financial product. If a product we mentioned has changed or been discontinued, please let us know so we can update our content.

Section 09

External Links

Our articles cite primary sources including IRS.gov, CFPB.gov, SSA.gov, HUD.gov, BLS.gov, and FederalReserve.gov. These links open in new tabs and send you directly to the government source.

We also link to financial institutions, research organizations, and industry associations. We are not responsible for the accuracy, privacy practices, or content of these external sites.

Section 10

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, FocalEvents, its owners, contributors, reviewers, and editorial team members are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

  • Your use of or reliance on content from this Site
  • Financial decisions you make based on our articles or calculators
  • Errors, omissions, or outdated information in our content
  • Actions taken by third-party products or services we link to
  • Site interruptions, errors, or data breaches

You are solely responsible for your financial decisions. See our Terms of Service for full liability terms.

Section 11

Seek Professional Advice

Before making any financial decision based on content from this Site, consult a licensed professional:

  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP): For comprehensive financial planning, retirement strategies, and investment guidance.
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA): For tax planning, filing status decisions, and IRS compliance.
  • Attorney: For estate planning, trust formation, beneficiary legal questions, and contract review.
  • Licensed Insurance Agent: For specific policy terms, coverage amounts, and underwriting questions.

These professionals can assess your individual circumstances, which we cannot do through published content.

Section 12

Changes to This Disclaimer

We may update this Disclaimer at any time. When we do:

  • We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
  • Material changes will be posted for at least 30 days before taking effect.
  • Newsletter subscribers will be notified of significant changes by email.

Continued use of the Site after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Disclaimer.

Section 13

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Disclaimer, our affiliate practices, or the accuracy of any content on this Site, please contact us.

Get in Touch

Email us with any questions about our disclosures.

contact@focalevents.com