Plain-English Summary: We collect your email address if you sign up for our newsletter. We will place a Meta (Facebook) Pixel and may use analytics tools in the future, which collect browsing data. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have specific rights described below. You may opt out of tracking at any time.
1. Who We Are
Retirement Education Network ("REN," "we," "us," or "our") operates the website at https://retirementeducationnetwork.com (the "Site"). REN is an independent educational media publication for Americans age 59 and older. We provide informational content about Social Security, Medicare, retirement income, estate planning, and related topics.
For privacy inquiries, contact us at: privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com
2. Information We Collect
A. Information You Provide
- Email address: when you subscribe to our newsletter or email updates. We collect only your email address unless you voluntarily provide additional information.
B. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically by our servers and third-party tools, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Browser type, operating system, and device type
- Pages viewed, time on page, and referring URL
- Date and time of your visit
C. Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel)
This Site uses the Meta Pixel (also called the Facebook Pixel), a tracking code provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. The Meta Pixel collects data about your activity on this Site, including pages visited and actions taken, and transmits that data to Meta. Meta uses this data to:
- Measure the effectiveness of content shown on Facebook and Instagram
- Build and serve audiences for advertising purposes on Meta's platforms
- Enable retargeting (showing ads to people who have visited this Site)
The Meta Pixel may combine Site visit data with other information Meta holds about you, including your Facebook profile data, if you are logged into Facebook. This constitutes "sharing" of personal information under California law.
You can limit Meta Pixel tracking by:
- Adjusting your Facebook Ad Preferences
- Using the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tool
- Installing a browser-level ad blocker or tracker blocker
- Using your browser's "Do Not Track" setting (note: not all third parties honor this signal)
D. Analytics and Other Third-Party Tools
We may use web analytics services such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Site. These services collect usage data through cookies and similar technologies. Google Analytics anonymizes IP addresses by default. We do not use these tools to identify individual visitors.
Our Site loads fonts via Google Fonts. When your browser requests a font file, Google's servers receive your IP address. We use Google's privacy-preserving font loading methods where available. See Google's Privacy Policy.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Send you the REN newsletter and educational email updates you subscribed to
- Understand how visitors use the Site and improve our content
- Measure the reach of our content on social media platforms via the Meta Pixel
- Maintain the security and operation of the Site
- Comply with applicable legal obligations
We do not use your information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. We do not engage in profiling for those purposes.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:
- Email service providers: We use a third-party email platform to send newsletters. That provider processes email addresses on our behalf and is contractually prohibited from using them for any other purpose.
- Meta Platforms, Inc.: The Meta Pixel transmits browsing data to Meta, as described in Section 2(C). This is considered "sharing" under California law. You may opt out using the methods listed above or the link in Section 7(B).
- Analytics providers: Aggregated, non-identifiable usage data is processed by analytics services such as Google Analytics.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect our legal rights.
- Business transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred to the successor entity.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We and our third-party partners use cookies, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies. These may be "session" cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent" cookies (remaining until you delete them or they expire).
Essential cookies: Required for the Site to function properly.
Analytics cookies: Used to understand Site usage and improve content.
Advertising/tracking pixels: The Meta Pixel, as described above.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect Site functionality. Most browsers allow you to block third-party cookies specifically, which will limit advertising pixel functionality.
6. Data Retention
We retain email addresses for as long as you remain subscribed to our newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send you, after which we will remove your address from our active mailing list. We may retain a suppression record to honor your opt-out.
Server log data (IP addresses, page views) is retained for a limited period consistent with our security and operational needs, typically no longer than 24 months.
7. California Residents: Your Privacy Rights
This section applies to residents of California and supplements the rest of this Privacy Policy.
A. California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
CalOPPA requires operators of websites that collect personally identifiable information from California residents to post a privacy policy disclosing: the categories of PII collected, the categories of third parties with whom it is shared, and a description of how California residents may request changes to their information. This Privacy Policy fulfills those requirements.
Do Not Track: California law requires us to disclose whether we honor browser "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals. We do not currently respond to DNT signals because no uniform standard exists for their implementation. Third-party services (Meta, Google) have their own policies regarding DNT.
B. California Consumer Privacy Act / CPRA: Opt-Out of Sharing
Although REN is a small business that may not meet all CCPA/CPRA applicability thresholds, we voluntarily provide the following rights as a matter of good practice:
- Right to Know: You may request what personal information we have collected about you and how it is used and shared.
- Right to Delete: You may request deletion of personal information we hold about you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
- Right to Opt Out of Sharing: The Meta Pixel constitutes "sharing" of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising under the CPRA. You may opt out by emailing us at privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com or by using the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal, which we will honor for California residents.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: Exercising any of these rights will not result in denial of service or different pricing.
To submit a privacy request, email: privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com. We will respond within 45 days as required by law.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
To opt out of the sharing of your personal information with Meta via the Pixel, email us at privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com with the subject line "Do Not Share." We will process your request within 15 business days.
8. Children's Privacy
This Site is intended for adults age 59 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us at privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com and we will delete it promptly.
9. Security
We use commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information. The Site is served over HTTPS. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.
10. Links to Third-Party Sites
This Site contains links to external websites, including government sources (SSA, IRS, CMS), news outlets, and research institutions. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before submitting any information.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. If we make material changes affecting your rights, we will notify subscribers by email.
12. Contact Us
For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices:
Retirement Education Network
Email: privacy@retirementeducationnetwork.com