Privacy Policy | Smart Retirement HQ

This Privacy Policy applies to Smart Retirement HQ and its website at smartretirementhq.com (hereinafter, "us", "we", or "Smart Retirement HQ"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personally identifiable information you may provide through our Website. We have adopted this Privacy Policy to explain what information may be collected, how we use it, and under what circumstances we may disclose it to third parties.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information we collect through our Website and does not apply to information collected from other sources. This policy covers visitors from both Canada and the United States.

Consent

By using our website or submitting your personal information to Smart Retirement HQ, you consent to the purposes and uses outlined in this Privacy Policy for which Smart Retirement HQ collects, uses, shares, or discloses your personal information.

We may only share your personal information with other organizations when we have your consent. We may disclose personal information without consent when required by law, and any such disclosure will be limited to only what is legally required.

Information We Collect

Visitors to Smart Retirement HQ choose to interact with us in ways that may require us to gather personal information. You can browse our Website without providing personal information; however, certain services (such as downloading a free guide or subscribing to educational updates) may require it.

The personal information we ask for, and the reasons we ask for it, will be made clear to you at the point of collection. Information we may collect includes:

Your name and email address
Your country of residence (Canada or United States) and province or state
Retirement timeline information provided through our forms or quiz
Any other information you voluntarily provide when contacting us or completing a form

Note: All personal information is stored in a secure system solely to deliver the educational resources and communications you have requested. We do not collect financial account details, Social Insurance Numbers, Social Security Numbers, or sensitive financial data.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Deliver the free educational guides and resources you have requested
Provide, operate, and improve our Website and its content
Personalize your experience based on your country of residence and retirement timeline
Communicate with you about updates, new resources, and relevant retirement education topics
Respond to your inquiries and provide support
Comply with applicable legal obligations in Canada and the United States
Detect and prevent fraud

Smart Retirement HQ is an independent educational resource. We do not sell retirement products or provide personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. Information you provide will never be used to solicit financial products or shared with financial advisors, institutions, or investment companies.

Text Messaging

Where you provide a mobile phone number and opt in to SMS communication, Smart Retirement HQ may send you text messages strictly for transactional or educational purposes, including:

Delivery confirmations for requested guides or resources
Follow-up communications related to your inquiry
Relevant retirement education updates you have opted in to receive

For US residents: In compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and applicable FTC guidelines, explicit opt-in consent is required before sending marketing text messages.

For Canadian residents: SMS communications comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), which requires express or implied consent before sending commercial electronic messages.

By providing your mobile number and submitting a form on our Website, you agree to receive SMS communication from Smart Retirement HQ for the above purposes. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message, or by contacting us directly.

Security

The security of your personal information is important to us. Smart Retirement HQ has implemented commercially reasonable organizational, physical, and technological measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, or unauthorized alteration.

Please be aware that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Non-Personally Identifiable Information

Like most websites, Smart Retirement HQ automatically collects non-personally identifiable information to better understand how visitors use our site and to improve the experience we offer. This may include:

IP address and general geographic region
Browser type, version, and operating system
Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
Number, duration, and frequency of visits

This information is collected in aggregate and cannot be used to identify you personally unless you have also provided personally identifiable information.

Cookies

To enrich and improve your experience, Smart Retirement HQ uses cookies and similar technologies to display relevant content and remember your preferences. Cookies help us identify and track visitor usage patterns and site-access preferences.

You can set your browser to refuse cookies before using our Website. Please note that some features may not function properly without cookies.

By continuing to navigate our Website without changing your cookie settings, you acknowledge and agree to Smart Retirement HQ's use of cookies as described in this policy.

Links to External Sites

Our Website may contain links to third-party sites that are not operated by us. If you click a third-party link, you will be directed to that site. We strongly encourage you to review the Privacy Policy and terms of every site you visit.

Smart Retirement HQ has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Smart Retirement HQ discloses personally identifiable information only to those employees, contractors, and service providers who:

Need access to that information in order to process it on our behalf or to provide services available through our Website, and
Have agreed not to disclose it to others

Smart Retirement HQ will not rent, sell, or share your personally identifiable information with financial advisors, institutions, investment companies, or third-party marketers.

We may disclose information in response to a subpoena, court order, or other governmental request, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the rights or property of Smart Retirement HQ, third parties, or the public.

If you have submitted your contact information through our Website, Smart Retirement HQ may occasionally send you emails to share new educational resources, retirement planning insights, or updates relevant to your retirement timeline and region.

Your Rights — Canadian Residents

Smart Retirement HQ is committed to complying with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation, including British Columbia's PIPA and Alberta's PIPA where applicable.

Under PIPEDA and related legislation, Canadian residents have the right to:

Know that we collect, use, and disclose personal information only for identified purposes
Access the personal information we hold about you
Challenge the accuracy and completeness of your personal information and have it corrected
Withdraw consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information (subject to legal limitations)
File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

All commercial electronic messages we send to Canadian residents comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Every marketing email includes a working unsubscribe mechanism and our valid mailing address. You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or by contacting us directly.

Jurisdiction (Canada): For Canadian residents, this Privacy Policy is governed by the federal laws of Canada and applicable provincial law. Disputes relating to privacy matters shall be resolved in accordance with applicable Canadian federal and provincial legislation.

Your Rights — US Residents

Smart Retirement HQ is committed to complying with applicable United States privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents, the CAN-SPAM Act for commercial email communications, and applicable FTC guidelines.

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA, including the right to:

Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you
Opt out of the sale of your personal information (Smart Retirement HQ does not sell personal information)
Non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights

Residents of other US states may have similar rights under applicable state privacy legislation. To exercise any privacy rights, please contact us using the information in the Contact section below.

All commercial emails we send comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. Every marketing email includes a clear mechanism to unsubscribe, our valid physical address, and honest subject lines. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or by contacting us directly.

Jurisdiction (United States): For US residents, this Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the United States and the applicable laws of your state of residence. Any disputes relating to privacy matters shall be resolved in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Smart Retirement HQ may update this Privacy Policy from time to time at our sole discretion. We encourage you to check this page periodically for any changes.

Your continued use of this Website after any change to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or want to update or access your personal information, please reach out to us directly.

info@smartretirementhq.com

By providing your information to us or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.