Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how HonestCredit.org processes information when you visit our website, use our educational content and tools, contact us, or subscribe to updates. It also explains our use of Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and Google’s consent management platform across the website.

Information We Process

Website Operation and Security

Hosting and security systems may process IP addresses, browser and device details, requested URLs, timestamps, error records, and security events. We use this information to operate, protect, and troubleshoot the website.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand traffic, content usage, and interactions with our website. Data can include page views, interactions, referral information, browser and device details, approximate location, and pseudonymous identifiers when the relevant storage is enabled.

Google states that Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses. Temporary IP processing can be used to derive approximate location before the address is discarded. Other services, including hosting, security, and advertising providers, may process IP addresses separately.

For visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, our Consent Mode configuration starts with denied analytics-storage and advertising consent states and uses applicable choices collected through Google CMP. Advanced Consent Mode can send limited cookieless measurement signals while storage consent is denied. Declining Analytics cookies does not necessarily stop every measurement request.

Google AdSense and Advertising

We display advertising served through Google AdSense. Google and other third-party advertising vendors may use cookies, local storage, pixels, web beacons, or similar technologies to serve ads based on previous visits to HonestCredit.org or other websites.

Google’s advertising cookies can enable Google and its partners to personalize ads across participating websites, subject to applicable consent, opt-out choices, and other requirements. Advertising services can also process IP addresses, browser and device details, page and referral information, identifiers, impressions, and ad interactions for delivery, measurement, frequency limits, security, and fraud prevention.

Non-personalized ads do not use information to personalize ads, but can still use cookies for functions such as measurement, frequency limits, and fraud prevention. Consent for that storage is still required where applicable.

Depending on your choices, the applicable requirements, and ad availability, Google may serve limited ads even when you do not consent to personalized advertising or advertising storage. Limited ads disable the use of personal data for personalization, but can still process technical information, including IP addresses for ad delivery. Google may use storage dedicated to detecting invalid traffic and fraud when programmatic limited ads are enabled. Declining consent does not necessarily remove every ad or stop every data-processing operation.

Where applicable, Google’s consent message identifies participating advertising providers, purposes, and privacy-policy links. Google’s own practices are explained in its Privacy Policy and its explanation of data use on partner websites.

For more information about Google’s processing of personal information, visit Google’s Business Data Responsibility information.

Privacy Preferences

We use Google CMP, through AdSense Privacy & messaging, throughout HonestCredit.org, including our homepage, articles, dictionary pages, calculators, and category or hub pages. It presents applicable European consent and U.S. state privacy messages and records and communicates choices such as consent, objections, and advertising opt-outs to the relevant providers.

Website-wide availability does not mean that every visitor sees the same message on every page. The message depends on your location, applicable requirements, and any previously recorded choices. Google may use a standard consent message or a smaller, non-blocking notice for limited advertising. Continuing to browse or leaving a message unanswered is not, by itself, consent to optional cookies or personalized advertising.

The message and available controls can differ by region. You can review the options described under privacy and cookie choices.

Messages and Newsletter Subscriptions

If you contact us, we process the contact details, message, and related information you provide to respond and handle your request. If you subscribe to our newsletter, we process your email address and relevant subscription or consent details to deliver the updates you request.

You can unsubscribe using the link in a newsletter where available or by contacting us. Please do not send passwords, Social Security numbers, payment-card details, bank-account credentials, or unnecessary sensitive financial information.

Calculator and Tool Use

Our calculators are educational tools. Inputs and results may appear on your screen and in files you choose to export. Pages containing tools can also generate technical, advertising, or analytics information as described above.

Do not include names, account numbers, login credentials, or other direct identifiers in calculator inputs. Follow any tool-specific notice about saving, storage, or sharing. Calculator estimates are not lending, insurance, or other eligibility decisions about you.

Purposes and Legal Bases

We use information to operate and secure the website, understand content usage, fund free content through advertising, remember privacy preferences, deliver requested updates, answer messages, handle rights requests, and meet applicable obligations.

Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we rely on consent for processing that requires it, legitimate interests in running and securing the website and handling routine communications where appropriate, steps necessary to provide a requested service where applicable, and legal obligations when relevant. The advertising message explains the purposes and legal bases used by participating vendors, including any permitted legitimate interests and the ability to object.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Sharing and Service Providers

Information may be processed by providers supporting hosting, security, communications, newsletter delivery, Google Analytics, Google CMP, Google AdSense, and participating advertising services. Depending on the service and applicable arrangements, a provider may process information on our behalf or for purposes described in its own privacy notice.

We may also disclose information when necessary to comply with law, respond to a valid legal request, protect rights and security, or address fraud or misuse. If the website or business is transferred, relevant information may be transferred subject to applicable law.

International Processing

Google and other providers may process information in countries outside your own, including the United States. Applicable laws govern whether and how international transfers may take place. Google’s Privacy Policy explains its international processing and relevant transfer safeguards. Contact us for information about transfers relating to personal data we control.

Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for its purpose, including security, handling requests, maintaining required records, and legal obligations.

Our GA4 user and event-data retention setting is 14 months. This is not a universal deletion period: it does not control all aggregated Analytics reports, advertising information, cookies, or other providers’ records. Some identifier retention periods may restart with new activity, depending on configuration.

Messages and subscription records are retained as needed to handle correspondence, deliver requested updates, and maintain appropriate consent or unsubscribe records. Necessary suppression records may be retained to avoid sending unwanted newsletters.

Your Privacy Choices and Rights

Depending on where you live and which laws apply, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of certain personal information; request portability; restrict or object to processing; withdraw consent; or lodge a complaint with the relevant data-protection authority. Where an applicable U.S. state law provides an appeal right, you may contact us to appeal our response to a privacy request.

To make a request, contact info(at)honestcredit(dot)org. We may need proportionate information to verify your identity or an authorized agent’s authority. Available rights and any lawful exceptions depend on the circumstances.

European Privacy Choices

Visitors covered by the European regulations message can use the Privacy and cookie settings link in our website footer, or the button below when available, to reopen the Google message, review purposes and providers, reject or withdraw consent, and exercise applicable objections to legitimate-interest processing. See our Cookie Policy choices for browser options and other available controls.

U.S. Advertising Opt-Outs

Some disclosures of identifiers or browsing information for advertising may be considered a sale, sharing, or targeted advertising under applicable U.S. state laws, even when no money is paid for the information. Where Google’s U.S. state regulations message applies, use its Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link to exercise the available opt-out for Google’s advertising processing. Contact us for other applicable requests.

You can also manage eligible Google personalized-ad settings in Google My Ad Center or use Digital Advertising Alliance choices for participating providers. These provider-specific choices do not remove all ads or replace every website-level choice.

Global Privacy Control

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a browser opt-out signal. Google describes how recognized GPC signals trigger restricted advertising data processing in supported U.S. states. Its treatment depends on the region and service; it does not automatically control every provider or substitute for every consent decision.

Security

We use reasonable measures intended to protect information processed through the website. No transmission or storage method is completely secure. Please limit the personal information you send to what is needed for your request.

Children’s Privacy

HonestCredit.org is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

Third-Party Websites

External websites, advertisers, and linked services have their own privacy practices. Our Privacy Policy does not govern their separate processing after you interact with their services or leave HonestCredit.org.

Changes and Contact

We may update this policy when our website, providers, practices, or legal requirements change. The revised policy and effective date will appear on this page.

Website operator: BoostMedia
Email: info(at)honestcredit(dot)org