Legal & Privacy
Privacy Policy
We believe in plain-English privacy. This page explains exactly what data we collect, why, and how we protect it.
1
Overview
RealCostIQ ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website at realcostiq.com. We provide free financial and home cost calculators to help people make informed decisions about mortgages, home maintenance, renovation, and more.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when you visit our website. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and transparently.
Short version: Our calculators run entirely in your browser — no calculation inputs are ever sent to our servers. We collect only minimal analytics data and contact form submissions. We do not sell your data.
2
Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
We collect information you voluntarily give us when you use our contact form:
- Your full name
- Your email address
- The subject and content of your message
- Your IP address (collected automatically at submission time)
2.2 Calculator Inputs
All calculator inputs (loan amounts, interest rates, property values, etc.) are processed entirely within your browser using JavaScript. This data is never transmitted to our servers and we never store or see your financial inputs. Calculations happen locally on your device.
2.3 Automatically Collected Data
When you visit RealCostIQ, we may automatically collect:
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Pages visited and time spent
- Referring website
- General geographic location (country / city level, derived from IP)
- Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop)
This data is collected in aggregate form through analytics services and is not linked to your identity.
We do not collect: Social Security numbers, bank account details, credit card numbers, precise location data, or any other sensitive financial information. Never enter such data into any web calculator.
3
How We Use Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Type of Data Used | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to contact form inquiries | Name, email, message | Legitimate interest / consent |
| Improving calculator accuracy and site performance | Anonymous analytics | Legitimate interest |
| Spam prevention | IP address, submission timestamp | Legitimate interest |
| Understanding how visitors use the site | Aggregated analytics | Legitimate interest |
| Legal compliance and fraud prevention | Log data, IP address | Legal obligation |
We do not use your data for advertising profiling, sell it to data brokers, or share it with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
4
Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and understand how the site is used.
4.1 Types of Cookies We Use
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Required for basic site functionality (e.g., WordPress security nonces, session management) | Session |
| Analytics | Track page views, session duration, and navigation patterns (Google Analytics / Google Site Kit) | Up to 2 years |
| Performance | Cache control for faster page loads (LiteSpeed Cache) | Varies |
4.2 Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
- View cookies currently stored on your device
- Block all or specific cookies
- Delete cookies when you close the browser
Note that blocking certain cookies may affect site functionality. Analytics cookies can also be blocked using browser extensions like uBlock Origin or by opting out via Google Analytics Opt-out.
4.3 URL Parameters
Some calculators use URL query parameters (e.g., ?loan=400000&rate=6.5) to allow you to share calculator results via a link. These parameters are processed entirely in your browser and are not logged by our servers.
5
Third-Party Services
We use a limited number of trusted third-party services to operate RealCostIQ. Each has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Website usage analytics | Anonymised usage data, IP (anonymised) |
| Google Site Kit | Analytics dashboard integration | Same as Google Analytics |
| Hostinger | Web hosting & infrastructure | Server logs, IP addresses |
| LiteSpeed Cache | Performance caching | None beyond server logs |
| Akismet | Spam filtering (comment protection) | Comment content, IP |
Links to external websites from our calculators or content are not covered by this Privacy Policy. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external site you visit.
6
Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected:
- Contact form submissions — retained for up to 24 months to ensure we can follow up on inquiries, then deleted.
- Server logs — retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes.
- Analytics data — retained per Google Analytics default settings (up to 26 months for aggregated data).
You may request deletion of your contact form data at any time by contacting us (see Section 11).
7
Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Correction — Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to Deletion — Request that we delete your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
- Right to Restriction — Ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Portability — Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to Object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Right to Withdraw Consent — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
California residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information is collected, to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and to non-discriminatory treatment for exercising your rights.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We will respond within 30 days.
8
Children's Privacy
RealCostIQ is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.
Our calculators are designed for adults making financial and home-related decisions and are not appropriate for or targeted at minors.
9
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit (TLS)
- WordPress security nonces for all form submissions
- Input sanitisation and validation on all contact form fields
- Spam protection via honeypot and time-check mechanisms
- Regular WordPress core and plugin security updates
- Hosting infrastructure security managed by Hostinger
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you as required by applicable law.
10
Policy Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a notice on our website for a reasonable period
We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of RealCostIQ after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
11
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out:
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.