1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners.
Cookies help us remember your preferences, understand how you use our platform, and improve your experience.
2. How We Use Cookies
InvestBuddy.ai uses cookies for the following purposes:
- Authentication: Keep you logged in to your account
- Preferences: Remember your settings and preferences
- Security: Detect and prevent fraudulent activity
- Analytics: Understand how you use our platform
- Performance: Improve loading times and functionality
- Marketing: Deliver relevant content and measure effectiveness
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| auth_token | Authentication - keeps you logged in | 7 days |
| session_id | Session management | Session |
| csrf_token | Security - prevents cross-site request forgery | Session |
| cookie_consent | Stores your cookie preferences | 1 year |
3.2 Functional Cookies
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| user_preferences | Stores display preferences (theme, language, etc.) | 1 year |
| portfolio_view | Remembers your preferred portfolio view | 30 days |
| notification_prefs | Stores notification preferences | 6 months |
3.3 Analytics Cookies
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics - user identification | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics - session tracking | 24 hours |
| analytics_session | Internal analytics tracking | 30 days |
3.4 Marketing Cookies
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| marketing_id | Tracks marketing campaign effectiveness | 90 days |
| referrer | Tracks how you found our platform | 30 days |
4. Third-Party Cookies
We use services from third parties that may set their own cookies. These include:
4.1 Analytics Services
- Google Analytics: Website usage analytics (Privacy Policy)
4.2 Payment Processors
- Stripe: Payment processing for subscriptions (Privacy Policy)
4.3 Communication Services
- Twilio: Phone verification services (Privacy Policy)
4.4 OAuth Providers
- Google OAuth: Sign in with Google (Privacy Policy)
5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
5.1 Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit InvestBuddy.ai, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can:
- Accept All: Allow all cookies for the best experience
- Reject Optional: Only use strictly necessary cookies
- Customize: Choose which categories of cookies to accept
5.2 Change Your Preferences
You can change your cookie preferences at any time:
5.3 Browser Settings
You can also control cookies through your browser settings:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies
- Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions
Note: Blocking all cookies may prevent some features from working properly.
6. Local Storage and Session Storage
In addition to cookies, we use browser storage technologies:
- Local Storage: Stores preferences and cached data locally
- Session Storage: Temporary storage cleared when you close your browser
These technologies help improve performance and user experience but don't track you across different websites.
7. Do Not Track (DNT)
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature. While we respect your privacy choices, there is no universal standard for DNT signals. We recommend using our cookie consent tools to manage your preferences.
8. Cookies and Mobile Apps
If we release a mobile app in the future, similar tracking technologies may be used. Mobile-specific identifiers will be managed through your device settings.
9. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in technology or legal requirements. The "Last Updated" date at the top indicates when changes were made.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
Email: support@investbuddy.ai
Contact Form: Contact Us
11. Related Policies
For more information about how we handle your data:
- Privacy Policy - How we collect and use your data
- Terms of Service - Terms governing platform use