Information We Collect

When you use our services, we gather different types of information. Some you give us directly, while other data comes from how you interact with our site.

Information You Provide Directly

• Name and email address when you sign up for our learning programs
• Phone number if you choose to provide it for program updates
• Mailing address for sending course materials (33 Mississaga St E, Orillia, ON L3V 1V4, Canada)
• Payment information when enrolling in paid courses (processed through secure third-party providers)
• Questions and feedback you submit through contact forms
• Comments or posts you make in course discussion areas

Information Collected Automatically

Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP address and general location data (city/province level)
• Browser type, device information, and operating system
• Pages you visit and how long you spend on them
• Links you click and content you download
• Date and time of your visits
• Referring website or search terms that brought you here

How We Use Your Information

Everything we collect serves a specific purpose. Here's what we actually do with your data:

We analyze usage patterns to make our courses better. For example, if most students spend extra time on a particular lesson, we might add more explanation or examples. This helps us create content that actually works for beginners trying to understand investing.

Sharing and Disclosure

We don't sell your personal information. Period. But we do work with some third parties to run our business:

Service Providers We Work With

• Email platform providers for sending course materials and updates
• Payment processors for handling course enrollment fees securely
• Cloud hosting services that store our educational content
• Analytics tools that help us understand site usage patterns
• Technical support providers who help maintain our platform

These companies only get access to information they need for their specific job. They're contractually required to protect your data and can't use it for their own purposes.

What We Never Share

Your email address won't end up on marketing lists. We don't provide student information to investment firms, financial advisors, or anyone trying to sell you products. Your learning journey is between you and us.

Your Privacy Rights in Canada

Under PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws, you have specific rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: If your information is inaccurate, you can ask us to update it
• Deletion: You can request we delete your account and associated data
• Withdrawal: You can withdraw consent for marketing communications anytime
• Portability: You can request your course progress and materials in a transferable format
• Complaint: You can file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we've mishandled your information

We might ask you to verify your identity before processing certain requests. This protects your information from unauthorized access. It's not us being difficult – it's us being careful with your data.

Data Security Measures

Protecting your information is something we take seriously, even though we're a small operation. Here's what we do:

• All data transmission uses SSL/TLS encryption (that's the lock icon in your browser)
• Password information is hashed and salted – we can't see your actual password
• Our servers are hosted with Canadian providers who maintain SOC 2 compliance
• Access to student data is limited to essential team members only
• We use two-factor authentication for our administrative accounts
• Regular security audits and software updates to patch vulnerabilities

But let's be honest – no system is completely bulletproof. If we ever experience a data breach that affects your information, we'll notify you promptly and explain what happened, what information was involved, and what steps we're taking. Canadian law requires this, but we'd do it anyway because you deserve to know.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to make our site work properly and remember your preferences. Here's what's actually happening:

Essential Cookies

These keep you logged in and remember your course progress. Without them, you'd have to log in every time you clicked a new page. They're necessary for basic functionality.

Analytics Cookies

These help us understand which content is useful and where students get stuck. We use this to improve our courses. You can disable these in your browser settings – it won't affect your ability to access course materials.

Preference Cookies

These remember settings like whether you prefer dark mode or which lessons you've bookmarked. They make your experience more convenient.

We don't use advertising cookies or social media tracking pixels. You won't see targeted ads following you around the internet based on your visits to our site.

Data Retention and Deletion

We keep your information for as long as you're actively using our services. After that, here's what happens:

• Active account data is retained while your account is open
• If you don't log in for 3 years, we'll send a reminder email before archiving your account
• Archived accounts are permanently deleted after an additional 2 years
• Financial transaction records are kept for 7 years (Canadian tax law requirement)
• Anonymous analytics data may be retained indefinitely for research purposes
• Upon deletion request, we'll remove your data within 30 days, except where legal retention is required

When we delete data, we actually delete it – not just hide it. Backups containing your information are overwritten within 90 days of deletion.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our courses sometimes reference external resources – articles, videos, calculators from other websites. When you click those links, you're leaving our site and entering someone else's domain.

We try to link to reputable sources, but we can't control their privacy practices. Before providing personal information to any external site, check their privacy policy. This includes investment platforms we mention in educational contexts – we're not affiliated with them and they have their own data practices.

Children's Privacy

Our investment education programs are designed for adults. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you're a parent and believe your child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we'll delete it promptly.

Canadian privacy law provides special protections for minors. We respect those protections and don't target educational materials to underage individuals.

International Data Considerations

We're based in Canada and our servers are located here. Most of our students are Canadian. If you're accessing our site from outside Canada, your information will be transferred to and processed in Canada, where privacy laws may differ from your home country.

By using our services from outside Canada, you consent to this transfer. We apply the same privacy protections regardless of where you're located.

Changes to This Policy

Privacy laws change. Our services evolve. Sometimes we need to update this policy to reflect those changes.

When we make significant changes, we'll notify you by email and post a notice on our site. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy tells you when the most recent changes were made. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If changes materially affect how we use information you've already provided, we'll give you a chance to opt out or delete your account if you disagree with the new terms.