Disclaimer & Legal Notices

1. General Site Disclaimer

The information provided by Teacher Retirement Lab (“we,” “us,” “our”), including all content on teacherretirementlab.com, our calculators, downloadable reports, emails, and any related materials (collectively, the “Services”), is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, financial, legal, tax, accounting, or retirement planning advice specific to your individual circumstances.

Teacher Retirement Lab is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS), the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or any New York State or City agency. All references to these organizations are for informational purposes only.

2. Not Financial, Legal, or Tax Advice

Nothing on this site, in our calculators, in any generated report, or in any communication from us creates an advisor-client, attorney-client, accountant-client, or fiduciary relationship between you and Teacher Retirement Lab. We are not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, law firm, or accounting firm, and no employee, contractor, or representative of Teacher Retirement Lab is providing individualized recommendations about your specific pension elections, tax situation, estate plan, or investments.

Retirement benefit rules — including TRS tier provisions, TDA contribution limits, CAR day conversion rates, health insurance eligibility, Medicare/IRMAA thresholds, Social Security rules, and federal/state tax law — change periodically and can vary based on facts specific to you. Content on this site reflects our understanding of publicly available rules as of the date published or last reviewed (noted on each page) and may not reflect the most current rules or your specific situation.

You should always, before making any final retirement decision:

• Consult your union representative (e.g., your UFT chapter leader or UFT Retirement Services) about contract-specific provisions, including CAR days, leave, and grievance rights;
• Contact TRS directly and/or attend an official TRS counseling session to obtain a verified, individualized benefit estimate and confirm your tier, service credit, and eligibility;
• Contact DOE Human Resources / your school payroll office to confirm your service, leave, and CAR day records;
• Consult a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or qualified tax professional regarding the tax impact of your specific retirement timing, TDA distributions, and any leave payouts;
• Consult a licensed attorney regarding estate planning documents, beneficiary designations with legal effect, QDROs, powers of attorney, and health care proxies; and
• Contact the Social Security Administration and/or Medicare directly to confirm your personal benefit amounts and enrollment deadlines.

Teacher Retirement Lab strongly recommends completing these steps before making any final, irrevocable retirement election (including survivor option elections, which are generally irrevocable once your retirement becomes effective).

3. Calculators, Estimates & Paid Reports

Any calculator, estimate tool, or personalized report offered through the Services (“Tools”) generates output based solely on the information you enter and general publicly available formulas and assumptions. Tools do not access your actual TRS, DOE, Social Security, or IRS records, and outputs are estimates only — they are not, and should not be treated as, an official benefit calculation, tax return, or legal document.

Actual amounts may differ materially from any estimate due to data entry errors, rule changes after the report date, incomplete information, or factors the Tools do not account for. Purchase of a paid report does not create any advisory relationship and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the output for your circumstances. All sales of Tools/reports are described further in our Refund Policy (see Section 7).

4. Referrals, Affiliate Relationships & Lead Generation

Teacher Retirement Lab may refer you to, or share your contact information (with your consent) with, third-party financial advisors, insurance producers, tax professionals, or other service providers (“Partners”) who may contact you to offer their own services. Teacher Retirement Lab may receive a fee, commission, or other compensation from a Partner for this referral, whether or not you ultimately engage that Partner’s services.

This compensation arrangement does not affect the price you pay a Partner, but it is a financial relationship you should be aware of. We do not guarantee the quality, suitability, licensing status, or outcome of services provided by any Partner, and any engagement between you and a Partner is solely between you and that Partner, governed by that Partner’s own terms and disclosures.

We encourage you to independently verify the licensing, credentials (e.g., CFP®, CPA, attorney bar status), and fee structure of any Partner before engaging their services, and to ask any Partner directly whether they paid for or received your referral.

5. No Guarantee of Outcomes; Assumption of Risk

Retirement, tax, and financial outcomes depend on numerous factors outside our control, including future legislative changes, market performance, your individual employment history, and decisions made by TRS, DOE, SSA, and other agencies. Teacher Retirement Lab makes no guarantee, warranty, or representation — express or implied — regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or applicability of any information, Tool output, or report to your specific situation, and you assume all risk associated with your use of, and reliance on, the Services.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Teacher Retirement Lab, its owners, employees, contractors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Services, including but not limited to lost pension income, tax penalties, missed deadlines, or decisions made in reliance on any content, Tool, or report, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

7. Refund Policy (Paid Tools & Reports)

[Placeholder — finalize your actual policy, then insert here.] Suggested starting point: reports are non-refundable once generated and delivered, given the on-demand, personalized nature of the output; consider offering a refund only if a report fails to generate due to a technical error on our end.

8. Data & Privacy

Information you provide to our calculators or in generating a report (which may include salary, service years, tier, birthdate, or family information) is used to generate your output and, where you’ve opted in, to follow up with relevant content or Partner referrals. See our full Privacy Policy for details on data collection, storage, and your rights. Do not enter another person’s personal information without their consent.

9. Changes to This Disclaimer

We may update this Disclaimer at any time to reflect changes in our Services, applicable law, or our business relationships. The “Last Updated” date at the top of the published version reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Disclaimer.

10. Contact

Questions about this Disclaimer can be sent to: hello@teacherretirementlab.com.