Cookies Policy
Cookies are small files that a website stores in your browser. We use a few to keep the site secure, to see which guides readers find useful, and, because ads support the site, to show and measure advertising. This page lists them and shows you how to control them.
The short version
We use essential cookies to keep the site working and secure, analytics cookies to learn which pages help readers, and advertising cookies to show ads and credit referrals from affiliate links. We have no reader accounts and no contact forms, so our cookies do not hold your name or email address. You can block or delete cookies at any time.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file. It cannot run code, carry a virus, or read files on your device. It only stores a little information so a website can work properly or measure how it is used.
First-party cookies
Set by Finance Authority Hub itself. We control these.
Third-party cookies
Set by outside services that work on our site, such as analytics, advertising, and security providers. Their own privacy policies govern them.
Session and persistent
A session cookie disappears when you close your browser. A persistent cookie stays until it expires or you delete it. The table below shows how long each one lasts.
Similar technologies
Some tools use your browser’s local storage or small tracking pixels. We treat them the same way as cookies, and you can control them with the same tools.
The four kinds of cookies
Only the first kind is required for the site to work. The other three are optional, and you can block them.
Essential
These keep the site secure and working, for example by telling real visitors from automated bot traffic. Without them, parts of the site can fail. They do not build a profile of you for marketing. Always on.
Functional
These remember a choice you make, such as a setting in a calculator. Some tools keep this in your browser’s local storage instead of a cookie. They are not used for advertising. Optional.
Analytics
These help us count visits and see which guides and calculators readers use, so we can improve them. We use Google Analytics with IP anonymization turned on, and we do not share this data for advertising. Optional.
Advertising
Ad networks, including Google, set these to show ads, measure them, and limit how often you see the same one. Affiliate networks set a cookie when you click an affiliate link, so a commission can be credited. Optional.
Cookies we use
Exactly which cookies you receive depends on what you do on the site and on your choices. Providers can rename cookies when they update their systems. If you find one that is not listed, email us and we will add it.
Essential
| Cookie | Provider | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Helps tell real visitors from bot traffic, to protect the site from abuse. It does not build a marketing profile. | About 30 minutes |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Remembers that you passed a security check, so you are not challenged again during your visit. Set only if a check was needed. | Up to 1 year |
Analytics
| Cookie | Provider | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Stores a random ID so we can count visitors and see how the site is used. | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 | Keeps track of your visit so page views and events are counted together. The end of the name varies. | 2 years |
Advertising and affiliate
| Cookie | Provider | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| __gads, __gpi | Used to show ads, measure how they perform, and limit how often you see the same ad. | Up to 13 months | |
| IDE | Google (doubleclick.net) | Records actions after you view or click an ad, and helps Google show relevant ads. | Up to 13 months |
| test_cookie | Google (doubleclick.net) | Checks whether your browser accepts cookies. | 15 minutes |
| Affiliate click ID (name varies) | Affiliate networks | Records that you arrived from our site after clicking an affiliate link, so a commission can be credited. It is not used for cross-site ad profiles. | Usually 30 to 90 days |
How to control cookies
You can manage cookies in your browser, use opt-out tools from the providers below, or both. Blocking optional cookies will not stop the site from working.
In your browser
- Google Chrome (opens in a new tab)
Clear cookies, block third-party cookies, or set exceptions
- Mozilla Firefox (opens in a new tab)
Cookies and Enhanced Tracking Protection settings
- Microsoft Edge (opens in a new tab)
Delete cookies and use Tracking Prevention
- Apple Safari (opens in a new tab)
Manage cookies and prevent cross-site tracking
Opt-out tools
- Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on (opens in a new tab)
Stops Google Analytics on all websites
- Google Ads Settings (opens in a new tab)
Turn off personalized ads from Google
- Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out (opens in a new tab)
Opt out of interest-based ads from many companies
- Network Advertising Initiative opt-out (opens in a new tab)
Opt out of ad networks in the United States
- Global Privacy Control (opens in a new tab)
A browser setting that asks sites not to sell or share your data
Opting out of interest-based advertising does not remove ads. It means the ads you see are no longer tailored to your browsing history. Affiliate cookies are separate and only credit a referral.
Third-party services
These outside services may set cookies on your device. We do not control their cookies, so each one’s own policy explains how it handles data.
Google Analytics
Measures how visitors use the site, using de-identified data with IP anonymization on. Read the Google Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab).
Google advertising
Shows and measures ads. See how Google uses cookies in advertising (opens in a new tab).
Cloudflare
Provides security and speed. Its cookies are essential and are not used for advertising. Read the Cloudflare Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab).
Affiliate networks
Credit a referral when you click an affiliate link. To ask which network a link uses, email us. See our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure.
Your privacy choices
This site is written for readers in the United States. Here is what you can do.
Depending on where you live, US state privacy laws may give you rights to know what personal data is collected, to have it deleted, and to opt out of its sale or sharing for targeted advertising. Our Privacy Policy explains how to make a request.
Some browsers and extensions can send a Global Privacy Control signal, and you can use the opt-out tools above at any time. There is no common standard for “Do Not Track” signals, so the most reliable control is to block or delete optional cookies yourself.
Common questions
Quick answers about cookies on this site.
If I block all cookies, will the site still work?
Yes, for the most part. You can read every guide and use every calculator. Blocking security cookies may cause extra checks, and blocking all cookies can reset any settings you change in a tool. If something misbehaves, allow cookies from financeauthorityhub.com and keep blocking third-party ones.
Do the calculators need cookies?
No. The calculators run in your browser and do not need cookies to give you a result. A setting you change may be remembered between visits, and if you block that, it simply resets.
Do these cookies identify me personally?
Not by name. We have no reader accounts and no contact forms, so our cookies hold random IDs rather than your name or email. Advertising cookies from third parties can build a profile of your interests, which is why you can opt out above.
I cleared my cookies. Will I see a cookie message again?
If a consent message is shown to you, your choice is stored in a cookie. Clearing cookies removes that record, so you may be asked again.
Can you delete data collected through cookies?
You can delete the cookies yourself in your browser at any time. For data held by Google or an affiliate network, you need to ask that company, because we do not control it. For anything else, email support@financeauthorityhub.com.
How will I know if this policy changes?
We update the last-reviewed date at the top whenever the policy changes in a meaningful way, for example if we add a new advertising partner or a new kind of cookie. We review it at least once a year.
Questions about cookies
Email us if you spot a cookie that is not listed or want to ask about your data. We do not use contact forms.
You can also visit our Contact page.
Policy statement
Policy statement: This Cookies Policy applies to financeauthorityhub.com, published by KCS Global Group. It covers cookies, local storage, and similar technologies on the site. By continuing to use the site you accept essential cookies, and you can control all other cookies as described above. We review this policy at least once a year and whenever our cookie use changes.