1. Who We Are
This Privacy Policy explains how Walker Thomas LLC, which operates Retirement Education Network (“REN”), an educational publisher, collects, uses, and protects your information. In this policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” mean Walker Thomas LLC.
2. Information We Collect
Information you give us. When you fill out a form on this site, for example to receive one of our guides, we may collect your first and last name, email address, and mobile phone number, along with any other details you choose to share, such as your approximate retirement savings range or your biggest retirement concern.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we may collect basic technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and how you found our site. This may be collected through cookies and similar tools.
Communication records. If you communicate with us by text message, email, or phone, we may keep records of those conversations so we can serve you better.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Deliver the guides and educational content you request
- Respond to your questions and requests
- Send you text messages, phone calls, and emails you have agreed to receive
- Schedule an appointment with a financial professional, only if you ask us to
- Provide and improve our website and content
- Meet our legal and regulatory obligations
4. Text Messaging (SMS) Privacy
Your phone number stays with us. We do not share, sell, rent, or trade your mobile phone number or your SMS opt-in consent with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging opt-in data and consent are never shared with any third party for marketing.
The only exception is service providers who work on our behalf to deliver messages (for example, our text messaging platform). These providers may process your number solely to send our messages to you, and they are not allowed to use it for anything else.
Your text messaging consent is never transferred to anyone else. If you ask us to schedule an appointment and a financial professional contacts you about it, they do so under their own practices, not under the consent you gave us.
You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. Reply HELP for assistance, or contact us at support@retirementeducationnetwork.com.
5. How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not give it to financial advisors, insurance agents, or financial firms unless you ask us to. We share it only in these limited situations:
- A financial professional, only at your request. If you ask us to schedule an appointment with a financial professional, we share your name, contact information, and the details you gave us with that professional so they can meet with you. We share it with that professional only, and only to arrange the appointment you asked for. The professional is independent of us, and once they have your information, their own privacy practices apply to it.
- Service providers. Companies that help us run our business, such as website hosting, scheduling, customer relationship management, email, and text messaging platforms. They may use your information only to provide services to us.
- Legal reasons. If required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
- Business changes. If our business is sold or merged, your information may transfer to the new owner under the same protections in this policy.
6. Content Shared by Financial Professionals
Financial professionals may share our articles and guides with you as part of their own relationship with you or their own marketing. Those professionals are independent of us. Any information you give directly to a professional, including through their own website, forms, or ads, is collected by them and governed by their privacy policy, not ours.
7. Cookies and Analytics
We may use cookies and analytics tools to understand how visitors use our site and to improve it. You can control or block cookies in your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect how parts of the site work.
8. How Long We Keep Information
We keep your information only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. When it is no longer needed, we delete it or make it anonymous.
9. How We Protect Information
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. No website or system is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Your Choices and Rights
- Text messages: reply STOP to any message to opt out.
- Emails: click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email.
- Access, correction, or deletion: you may ask us what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, by emailing support@retirementeducationnetwork.com.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under state law, including the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act. We will honor valid requests as required by applicable law and will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.
11. Children’s Privacy
This site is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Links to Other Websites
This site may link to websites run by others. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. Please review the privacy policy of any site you visit.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version, with its effective date, will always be posted on this page.
14. Contact Us
Walker Thomas LLC
Retirement Education Network
700 Raleigh Ave
Norfolk, VA 23507
Email: support@retirementeducationnetwork.com
Phone: (908) 317-3392