Privacy policy

This policy explains what True Cost Funding ("we") collects on truecostfunding.com, why, and your choices — in plain language.

What we collect

• Nothing, for browsing. Reading guides and using the calculator requires no account; calculator inputs are processed in your browser and are not transmitted to us. Your last calculator numbers are saved only in your own browser so they're there when you come back — they never reach our server, and the “Clear my numbers” button removes them.
• What you submit in forms. The newsletter form collects your email. The options-check form collects the answers you provide: funding amount sought, revenue range, time in business, credit range, state, industry, name, email, and optionally phone. Submissions are screened for spam by Akismet (a service run by Automattic) as part of our form handling.
• Which link brought you here. If you arrive from one of our own tagged links (say, a YouTube video), we note that tag and the page you landed on, and attach it to any form you submit — so we learn which of our content actually helps. It lives in your browser for the session only, is not a cookie, and identifies the link, not you.
• Basic technical data. Our hosting provider (Netlify) logs standard technical information such as IP address and browser type to serve and secure the site.

How we use it

• To email you what you asked for (the newsletter, or information about funding options that fit your answers).
• To contact you by phone or text about your request only if you provided a phone number and checked the consent box.
• To match you with funding providers. With your consent given on the form, we may share your submitted answers with matched funding providers, who may contact you directly about their products. We share only what you entered on the form.

What we don't do

• We don't pull your credit, and we never ask for your Social Security number, bank login, or account numbers.
• We don't sell browsing data, and we don't share your information with anyone beyond the matched providers and the service vendors that operate this site (hosting, form handling, email delivery).
• We don't send spam. Every email includes an unsubscribe link that works.
• We don't track you — no analytics scripts, no ad pixels, no cookies. Browser signals like Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control are, in effect, always honored here, because there's nothing to opt out of.

Your choices

• Opt out anytime: unsubscribe via the link in any email, or email hello@truecostfunding.com and we'll stop contacting you.
• Access or deletion: email us and we'll tell you what we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. California residents have these rights under the CCPA; we honor the same requests from everyone, regardless of state.
• Providers who received your information with your consent maintain their own privacy policies; opt-out requests for their communications go to them, and we'll help you identify who was matched if you ask.

Retention & security

Form submissions are retained while relevant to your request and our records, then deleted. Data in transit is encrypted (HTTPS). No internet service can promise perfect security; we minimize what we collect so there's less to protect.

Contact

Questions or requests: hello@truecostfunding.com. If we update this policy, we'll change the date at the top; material changes will be noted on this page.