Legal

Privacy policy

This policy explains what data finbarrow collects, why, who we share it with, and how you can review, delete, or opt out. It applies to every visitor regardless of location.

Last updated:

Who we are

finbarrow.com is an independent personal finance editorial publication operated by Cristian Corrales, an individual publisher based in Spain. We do not have a parent company, investors, or shareholders. For the purpose of this policy, "we", "us", and "finbarrow" refer to that publisher; "you" refers to any visitor to finbarrow.com.

Because finbarrow serves a primarily US audience, this policy is written to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), comparable state laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and other US jurisdictions, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR for European readers.

What we collect

We collect the minimum information needed to operate the site, measure how it is used, and serve ads if you consent.

Automatically collected

  • IP address — collected by our hosting provider in server logs and by privacy-respecting analytics. Used for security, abuse detection, and approximate geolocation (country / region level only).
  • Device and browser metadata — user-agent string, screen size, language preference, referring URL. Used to render the site and aggregate usage statistics.
  • Pages viewed and time on page — aggregated, never tied to a real-world identity, used to understand which content readers find useful.

Submitted voluntarily

  • Email content — when you write to [email protected], we receive whatever you send. We retain the thread to respond and follow up.

finbarrow does not run a newsletter, an account system, or any user-generated content features at this time. There is no signup form. There is no member area. We have no way to receive credit card numbers, SSNs, or any other financial PII through the site.

Cookies and similar technologies

On first visit, you will see a cookie consent banner. Until you make a choice, our Consent Mode v2 implementation sets all advertising and analytics signals to "denied". No advertising or analytics cookies are written before consent.

  • Strictly necessary cookies — used only to remember your consent choice. Always active. No opt-out needed.
  • Analytics cookies — used to count pageviews and bounce rates in an aggregated, anonymized way. Optional, granted only if you accept analytics.
  • Advertising cookies — used by Google AdSense to deliver ads relevant to your interests. Optional, granted only if you accept advertising.

You can change your choice at any time using the "Cookie preferences" link in the footer.

Third parties we share data with

We share the minimum data needed for these limited purposes:

  • Google AdSense — if you consent to advertising, AdSense receives cookies and IP-derived signals to deliver ads. Their privacy policy is at policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Search Console and analytics provider — receive aggregated, anonymized usage data so we can understand site performance.
  • Hosting provider — receives standard server logs as part of operating the site.
  • Affiliate networks — if you click an affiliate link, the destination issuer or affiliate network may set a cookie to attribute a future application or purchase to finbarrow. We do not receive your personal information from that interaction.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising beyond what AdSense does with your consent. If you are a California resident, you can confirm and exercise your opt-out rights on the Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information page.

Your rights

If you live in California, Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, or other US states with a comprehensive privacy law

  • Right to know what categories of personal information we collect and process.
  • Right to access a copy of the personal information associated with you.
  • Right to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to legal retention exceptions.
  • Right to opt out of "sale" or "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising.
  • Right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

If you live in the EU, EEA, UK, or Switzerland

  • The full set of GDPR / UK GDPR rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection.
  • Right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.
  • Right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority (in Spain, the AEPD).

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected] with the subject line "[Privacy request] — Access", "Delete", or "Opt-out". We aim to respond within 30 days. We may ask you to verify identity for delete and access requests in order to protect your data.

Data retention

Server logs are retained for up to 30 days for security purposes. Email correspondence is retained for as long as needed to respond and follow up, then deleted unless required for legal recordkeeping. Analytics data is retained in aggregated form indefinitely; it is not personally identifiable.

Children

finbarrow is not directed at children under 13 in the US (under 16 in the EU/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy materially, we will update the "Last updated" date above and note the change in plain English. For substantial changes, we will surface a notice on the site for a reasonable period.

Educational content only. finbarrow is an independent editorial publication, not a licensed financial advisor, broker, tax preparer, or attorney. Always verify rates, terms, and eligibility with the issuer or a licensed professional before acting. See disclaimers and funding disclosures for details.