Terms of Use
Contents
1. Acceptance
By accessing or using Index Instead, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you don't agree, don't use the Service.
You must be at least 18 years old, or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, to click through to our broker partners — most brokerage accounts require adulthood.
2. The service
Index Instead is an editorial publication and comparison tool. We review index-fund brokers, maintain a calculator that illustrates opportunity cost against the S&P 500, and publish editorial content about investing and consumption.
The Service is provided free of charge, "as is". We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue it at any time.
3. Affiliate disclosure
How we make money.
Index Instead participates in the affiliate programs of several brokers, including (but not limited to) Wealthfront, Public, M1 Finance, Betterment, SoFi Invest, and Fidelity Go. These programs are administered primarily through the Impact.com affiliate network.
When you click a partner CTA and subsequently open and fund a qualifying account, Index Instead may receive a one-time commission — typically between $50 and $200, depending on broker and funding tier.
This commission is paid by the broker, not by you. It does not increase the cost of any broker's services. However, you should know that it creates a financial incentive for us to recommend broker signup.
We mitigate this conflict by (i) only linking to brokers we would personally use, (ii) ranking by editorial fit rather than commission amount, and (iii) clearly disclosing every affiliate relationship. You should still read this disclosure and each broker's fee schedule before acting.
Disclosure is also provided visibly in the footer of indexinstead.com and on the Partners page.
4. Not financial advice
Please read this carefully.
Nothing on Index Instead constitutes financial, investment, tax, legal, or any other professional advice. Content on the site is editorial and educational, not personalized advice.
We are not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or financial planner. We do not have a fiduciary relationship with you.
Past performance of the S&P 500 — including the 10.5% annual historical average used in the calculator — does not guarantee future results. Index funds can and do decline. Actual returns will vary and may be lower than projected.
Before making any investment decision, consult a licensed financial advisor, tax professional, or attorney.
5. No endorsement of brokers
The broker partners listed on Index Instead are independent third parties. Index Instead:
- Does not control broker products, fees, account terms, or execution
- Does not guarantee that any broker will accept your application, remain in operation, or maintain specific fee structures
- Is not responsible for any broker's conduct, errors, outages, or representations
Once you click through to a broker, their terms of service and their privacy policy govern your relationship with them, not ours. Read both before opening an account.
6. Accuracy & assumptions
The Index Instead calculator and Partners page use simplified models and data that may be out of date:
- S&P 500 growth: 10.5% nominal compound annual, applied uniformly. Real-world returns fluctuate year to year.
- Depreciation and appreciation models per category are illustrative estimates, not actuarial values.
- Inflation, taxes, fees, and dividends are not explicitly modeled.
- Broker fees, minimums, and product features shown on the Partners page are sourced from each broker's public disclosures and may change without notice. Always verify on the broker's own website before relying on them.
We make no representation that the Service is complete, accurate, or current.
7. Intellectual property
All content on Index Instead — text, layout, typography, source code, and editorial voice — is the property of 1337.ai unless otherwise attributed. Broker names, logos, and trademarks referenced on the site are the property of their respective owners.
You may share individual reckonings and articles for personal, non-commercial use with attribution. You may not copy or reproduce the site in whole or in substantial part for commercial purposes without written permission. You may not use our content to train machine-learning systems.
8. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or otherwise abuse the Service
- Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure
- Use the Service to harass, defame, or defraud anyone, including our broker partners
- Manipulate affiliate tracking (e.g. self-referral fraud) to extract commissions from our partners
- Republish the Service or substantial portions of its content without permission
9. No warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. 1337.AI DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR PRODUCE ACCURATE RESULTS.
10. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, 1337.AI, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SERVICE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS, INVESTMENT LOSSES, OR LOSS OF DATA.
You assume full responsibility for any financial decisions you make based on or inspired by content on Index Instead.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless 1337.ai from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Service or your violation of these Terms.
12. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.
13. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be noted with a new "Last updated" date at the top, and continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance.
14. Contact
Questions or legal correspondence: hello@1337.ai.