Terms of Service

Money Field Guide (“the site”) is a free educational website about personal finance for people in the United States. By using the site, you agree to these Terms. If you don’t agree, please don’t use it.

1. This is general education, not advice

Everything here — the lessons, worksheets, situation playbooks, and the optional assistant — is general financial education for a general audience. It is not individualized financial, investment, tax, legal, accounting, or insurance advice, and using the site does not create any professional, advisory, or fiduciary relationship between you and us. Rules and dollar figures change and vary by situation and state. For any decision with real stakes, confirm the current details at an official source and consult a qualified, licensed professional. You are responsible for your own financial decisions.

2. For adults (18+)

The site — and especially the optional assistant — is intended for adults aged 18 or older. It is not directed to children, and we don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you are under 18, please use the site only with the involvement of a parent or guardian, and do not use the assistant (see Section 4).

3. The site is provided “as is”

We work hard to keep the content accurate and current, and we date figures and link to official sources. Even so, the site is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. We don’t warrant that the content is error-free or fully up to date, or that the site will always be available. Information may become outdated, and official sources always govern over anything you read here.

4. The optional assistant and your own Google key

The assistant (“Ask”) is an optionalfeature. It runs on Google’s Gemini API using your own Google API key, which you add yourself and which stays on your device. When you ask a question, your message is sent directly from your browser to Googleunder your key — it does not pass through any server we run, and we don’t receive, store, or log your conversations.

Because you use your own key, your use of Google’s service is governed by Google’s terms, including the Gemini API Additional Terms of Service. Those terms require you to be 18 or older. They also note that on Google’s free (unpaid) tier, Google may use your prompts and the responses to improve its products and human reviewers may read them — so don’t enter sensitive, confidential, or personal informationinto the assistant. The assistant’s answers are generated by a third-party AI model and can be wrong, incomplete, or out of date; treat them as a starting point for your own research, never as professional advice, and verify anything important at an official source.

5. Acceptable use

Please use the site lawfully and for its intended purpose — your own personal financial education. Don’t misuse it: for example, don’t try to break, overload, scrape at scale, or interfere with the site or its security; don’t use it to violate any law or anyone’s rights; and don’t use the assistant to generate unlawful, harmful, or abusive content or anything that violates Google’s policies.

6. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the site and its creator(s) will not be liable for any damages— including indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, or any loss of money, profits, data, or goodwill — arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the site, including both the educational content and any output of the assistant, whether the claim is based in contract, tort (including negligence), or any other theory, and even if we’ve been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions don’t allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you; in that case, our liability is limited to the smallest amount the law allows. Because the site is free, you have not paid us anything, and to the extent any liability is found notwithstanding the above, it will not exceed US $0 (the amount you paid to use the site).

7. Third-party links and services

The site links to third-party resources (such as government agencies and nonprofits) and relies on third-party services (such as Google for the assistant and a form provider for the contact form). We don’t control those sites or services and aren’t responsible for their content, accuracy, or practices. Your use of them is subject to their own terms and privacy policies.

8. Intellectual property

The original content on the site is owned by its creator(s). You may read it and use it for your own personal, non-commercial learning. Official agency materials and other third-party content linked here belong to their respective owners.

9. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in California.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the “Last updated” date above. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated Terms.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Reach us through the contact page. See also our Privacy Policy and Accessibility statement.