The plain-English rules for using Debt Clarity Tools — our free calculators, articles, downloadable guides, and embeddable widgets. By using the site you agree to these terms.
These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your use of the Debt Clarity Tools website at debtclaritytools.com and all subdomains, calculators, articles, downloads, paid products, and embeddable widgets we provide (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
Debt Clarity Tools is a personal finance education publisher owned and operated by Dr. James Frederick Smiling, Ph.D. — Mathematics Education Professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Throughout these Terms, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Debt Clarity Tools. “You” and “your” refer to the user of the Service.
Debt Clarity Tools provides educational calculators, articles, worksheets, and downloadable guides designed to help users understand personal-finance concepts and debt-repayment scenarios. All content is for informational and educational purposes only.
You do not need an account to use the calculators or read the articles. You may voluntarily submit your email address to receive a free guide or email content, or to purchase a paid product through SamCart. We are not responsible for inaccurate information you provide or for emails that are blocked, filtered, or otherwise undelivered by your email provider.
Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your own personal, non-commercial purposes. You may:
You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any portion of the Service except as expressly allowed by these Terms.
The calculators use standard financial formulas (amortization, simple interest per period, snowball / avalanche ordering) and produce estimates based on the inputs you provide. Actual outcomes will vary because of:
Always confirm specific numbers with your lender or servicer before making a decision based on a calculator result.
Some products — including the five Mini-Guides ($7 each) and the Debt Freedom Blueprint — are sold through SamCart at shop.debtclaritytools.com. By making a purchase, you agree to:
All prices are in US dollars. We reserve the right to change pricing at any time; the price displayed at checkout is the price you pay for that order.
Refunds are processed by SamCart and the original payment processor and typically appear on your statement within 3–7 business days. After 30 days from the purchase date, refunds are at our sole discretion. Free downloads, free guides, and use of the free calculators are non-refundable because no payment was made.
We offer free embed codes for our calculators at debtclaritytools.com/for-webmasters. Use of the embed codes is governed by the following:
We may revoke embed permission at any time for misuse. If we update the underlying calculator logic, your embed will pick up the change automatically.
All content on the Service — including the calculators, articles, downloadable guides, the “Debt Clarity Tools” name and logo, the visual design, copy, and the underlying code — is the property of Debt Clarity Tools or its licensors and is protected by United States copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws.
You may quote up to 100 words from any article for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution and a link back to the source page. Bulk scraping, AI-training datasets, or republication of substantial portions without written permission is not permitted.
If you send us feedback, suggestions, bug reports, or ideas (collectively, “Submissions”), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license to use, reproduce, and incorporate those Submissions into the Service without compensation or attribution. We will not publish your personal information without your consent.
You agree not to:
The Service contains links to third-party websites and depends on third-party services (Netlify hosting, ActiveCampaign email, SamCart checkout, Google services, Meta Pixel, payment processors). We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party site or service. Your use of any third-party site or service is at your own risk and subject to that party’s terms.
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DEBT CLARITY TOOLS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ACCURACY.
We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of viruses or other harmful components. We do not warrant that calculator results, articles, or any other content will be complete, accurate, current, or applicable to your specific situation. No advice or information you obtain from the Service creates any warranty not expressly stated in these Terms.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL DEBT CLARITY TOOLS, DR. JAMES FREDERICK SMILING, OR ANY AFFILIATED PARTIES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES — INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE, RELIANCE ON CALCULATOR ESTIMATES, OR ANY FINANCIAL DECISION YOU MAKE.
OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (a) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (b) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100). Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages; in those jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Debt Clarity Tools, Dr. James Frederick Smiling, and their respective affiliates, officers, employees, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your violation of these Terms; (b) your use of the Service in a manner not authorized; or (c) your violation of any rights of a third party.
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, without notice, for any reason — including a violation of these Terms. You may stop using the Service at any time. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law, Intellectual Property) will survive.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States of America, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. The exclusive venue for any action arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service shall be the state or federal courts located in Robeson County, North Carolina, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
Before filing any formal claim, you agree to first email us at hello@debtclaritytools.com with a description of your concern, so that we have an opportunity to resolve the issue informally. Most disputes can be resolved within 30 days of contact.
If informal resolution is unsuccessful, you and Debt Clarity Tools agree that any dispute will be resolved on an individual basis — no class actions or class arbitrations — in the courts identified in Section 18.
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Debt Clarity Tools regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements or understandings.
We may revise these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will, where practical, be announced to email subscribers. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, stop using the Service.
Questions about these Terms?
Email: hello@debtclaritytools.com
Contact page: debtclaritytools.com/contact
Operated by: Dr. James Frederick Smiling, Debt Clarity Tools (United States)