Privacy Policy

2. Information We Collect

We may collect information in a few different ways: information you choose to give us directly, and information collected automatically when you visit our website or interact with our tools. Depending on how you interact with Blackburn, we may collect some, all, or none of the categories described in this section and the two sections that follow.

3. Information You Provide to Us

Depending on how you interact with Blackburn, you may voluntarily provide information such as:

• first name and last name
• email address
• mobile phone number
• state
• your retirement timeframe
• whether you have retirement savings with a former employer
• retirement-related questions or topics you'd like to discuss
• general messages you send us
• the type of inquiry you select on a form
• appointment information, such as a preferred time or scheduling details
• information you voluntarily enter into Blackburn tools, such as the Blackburn Retirement Income Planner

You may provide this information when you complete a form on our website — such as our Contact form, a Free Guide request, our Schedule a Conversation pathway, or a future Ask Blackburn question form — schedule an appointment, use the Blackburn Retirement Income Planner, or otherwise communicate with us directly. We do not necessarily collect every category listed above from every visitor.

4. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website or interact with our online tools, we — and the service providers and technologies described later in this Policy — may automatically collect certain technical information, such as:

• IP address
• browser and device information
• pages viewed and links clicked
• referring website or source
• an approximate, area-level location derived from your IP address (this is a general estimate, not precise or pinpoint location tracking)
• how you interact with our website or content
• cookie or similar identifiers

This information is typically collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Cookies and Similar Technologies) and the advertising and analytics tools described in Advertising and Measurement Technologies below.

5. How We Use Information

We may use the information described above for purposes such as:

• responding to your questions and inquiries
• providing educational resources you request, such as our Free Guide
• determining an appropriate next step after you complete our Schedule a Conversation qualification pathway
• scheduling, confirming, and managing appointments
• sending appointment-related communications
• delivering educational communications you have requested or agreed to receive
• maintaining records of our communications and interactions with you, including in our customer relationship management (CRM) system
• improving our educational content and website
• understanding how our website and tools are used
• measuring the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising
• detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, or security issues
• operating, maintaining, and improving our services
• complying with applicable legal and regulatory obligations

Blackburn is an insurance-focused retirement-income education company. Information submitted through our website forms helps us respond to you and determine an appropriate next step — it is not used to generate individualized financial, investment, tax, or legal advice through the website itself. Any individualized recommendations are made only through a direct conversation with Blackburn, not automatically through a website form.

6. Communications

Transactional and service communications. We may contact you about a request you've made, an appointment, or another interaction you've had with Blackburn — for example, to confirm an appointment or respond to a message you've sent us.

Educational and marketing email. If you request a resource, such as our Free Guide, or otherwise agree to receive them, we may send you educational emails about retirement-income topics. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in those emails, or by contacting us using the information in the Contact Us section below.

Text/SMS communications. Where you have provided appropriate consent, we may send text messages related to your inquiry, an appointment, or educational communications you've agreed to receive. We do not make commitments in this Policy about specific message frequency. If you no longer wish to receive text messages from us, you can let us know using the information in the Contact Us section below, or by following any opt-out instructions included in a message you receive.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Blackburn may use cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels or local storage) to operate our website, remember certain preferences where applicable, understand how our website is used, and measure the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing (see Advertising and Measurement Technologies below).

Most web browsers let you control cookies through their settings, including blocking or deleting them. If you disable cookies, some parts of our website may not function as intended.

8. Advertising and Measurement Technologies

We intend to use Meta (Facebook/Instagram) advertising, which may include the Meta Pixel or similar Meta measurement technology, to help us measure and improve the effectiveness of our advertising. We also expect to implement standard website analytics to help us understand how visitors use our website; we have not identified a specific analytics vendor in this Policy.

These advertising and analytics providers may collect or receive information about activity on our website — such as pages viewed or actions taken — according to their own configuration and privacy practices, in addition to the information described elsewhere in this Policy. We do not control, and are not responsible for, how these third-party providers separately use the information they collect or receive; their own privacy policies govern that use. If we adopt a particular analytics or advertising tool, we will update this Policy as appropriate.

9. Third-Party Service Providers

We work with third-party service providers to help us operate our business and website, for functions such as:

• website hosting
• customer relationship management (CRM)
• communications, email, and text/SMS delivery
• appointment scheduling
• website analytics
• advertising measurement
• embedded media, such as video
• other technology and infrastructure services

These providers may process information on our behalf, or according to their own applicable terms and privacy practices, in order to provide the services we use. Our service providers may change as our business and technology evolve.

Using a service provider to help operate our business is different from selling your information — see How We Share Information below.

10. Blackburn Tools and External/Embedded Services

Blackburn Retirement Income Planner. The Blackburn Retirement Income Planner, available at planner.blackburnretirement.com, is a Blackburn-related tool that helps you work through retirement-income questions. Information you voluntarily submit through the Planner, or other Blackburn tools, may be processed to provide the functionality you're using and related Blackburn services, such as following up with you about what you've entered.

Embedded content. We may embed third-party content on our website, such as YouTube videos, for educational purposes. If you interact with embedded content, the third-party provider (such as YouTube) may collect or process information about that interaction under its own privacy policy, separate from this one. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with through our website.

11. How We Share Information

We may share information as described in this Policy, including with the service providers described above, so that they can perform functions on our behalf. We may also share information to comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; to protect the rights, property, or safety of Blackburn, our clients, or others; in connection with a business transition such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets; or with your consent or at your direction.

Blackburn does not intend to operate a business model based on selling customer lists or personal information for monetary payment. That said, some of our advertising and analytics activities — such as our use of the Meta Pixel or similar measurement technologies described above — may be considered a "sale," "sharing," or targeted advertising under certain state privacy laws, depending on how those laws define those terms and how the underlying technology is configured.

12. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as we reasonably believe it is needed for the purposes described in this Policy, including to maintain our business records, meet legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. How long that is can vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected; this Policy does not commit to a specific retention period.

13. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information appropriate to its nature and the services we provide. However, no method of transmission over the internet, and no method of electronic storage, can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and we do not represent that our systems are invulnerable.

14. Your Choices

Depending on how you interact with Blackburn, you may have choices such as:

• unsubscribing from marketing emails using the unsubscribe link included in those emails
• letting us know your communication preferences by contacting us
• controlling cookies through your browser settings
• contacting us with questions about your personal information or this Policy

Depending on your state of residence, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable law. If you would like to make a request regarding your information, please contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below, and we will respond as appropriate.

15. Children's Privacy

Blackburn's website and services are intended for adults interested in retirement-related education and services. Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can address it.

16. Links to Other Websites or Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that Blackburn does not own or control. This Policy does not apply to those other websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy practices of any third-party website or service before providing information to it.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including as our business, technology, and legal obligations evolve. If we make changes, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this Policy. Your continued use of our website or services after an update means you accept the changes described in the updated Policy.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or about your information, you can reach us online, by mail, or by phone:

Online: through our Contact page.

• By mail: Blackburn Retirement Strategies LLC, 821 King George Blvd, Ste C-1093, Savannah, GA 31419
• By phone: 912-465-2548