Cookie Policy
Last Updated: January 20, 2025
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners information about how their site is being used.
Cookies are stored on your device and can be read by the web server that placed them. They do not contain any personal information such as your name or email address, but they can be used to identify your browser and device.
2. How We Use Cookies
InvestmentBasic uses cookies and similar technologies for several purposes:
- Essential Functionality: To enable core features of the Site to function properly
- Performance & Analytics: To understand how visitors use our Site and identify areas for improvement
- User Preferences: To remember your settings and preferences (such as dark/light mode)
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the Site to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you, such as setting your privacy preferences or using certain features of the Site.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| theme | Stores your dark/light mode preference | 1 year |
| cookie_consent | Remembers your cookie consent choice | 1 year |
3.2 Analytics Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our Site. They help us know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the Site.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes users for analytics | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 | Stores and counts page views | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes users for analytics | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Limits request rate | 1 minute |
3.3 Local Storage
In addition to cookies, we may use browser local storage to store certain preferences and data. Local storage works similarly to cookies but can store larger amounts of data and doesn't expire automatically.
| Key | Purpose |
|---|---|
| investmentbasic_theme | Stores your dark/light mode preference |
| investmentbasic_newsletter_dismissed | Remembers if you've dismissed the newsletter prompt |
4. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on our Site are set by third-party services that appear on our pages. We do not control the use of these cookies and cannot access them. The third parties that set these cookies are responsible for their own data collection practices.
4.1 Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors interact with our Site. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about your visits, including:
- Pages you visit and time spent on each page
- How you arrived at our Site (search engine, direct visit, link from another site)
- Your approximate geographic location (city/country level only)
- Technical information about your device and browser
This information is aggregated and anonymized. Google's use of this data is governed by their Privacy Policy.
You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
4.2 External API Services
Our Site uses external APIs (Finnhub for stock data, FRED for economic data) to display market information. These services may use their own tracking technologies when making requests from your browser. Please review their respective privacy policies for more information.
5. Managing Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies:
5.1 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:
- View what cookies are stored on your device
- Delete all or specific cookies
- Block all cookies
- Block third-party cookies
- Accept cookies only from sites you visit
- Clear cookies when you close your browser
Here are links to cookie management instructions for popular browsers:
5.2 Impact of Blocking Cookies
Please note that if you choose to block or delete cookies, some features of our Site may not function properly. For example:
- Your theme preference (dark/light mode) won't be saved between visits
- We won't remember if you've dismissed certain prompts
5.3 Do Not Track
Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" feature that lets you tell websites you don't want to be tracked. We honor Do Not Track signals when possible, but please note that not all third-party services support this feature.
6. Session vs. Persistent Cookies
Cookies can be classified by their lifespan:
- Session Cookies: These temporary cookies are deleted when you close your browser. They're used for essential Site functionality during your visit.
- Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. They're used to remember your preferences between visits.
7. First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies
- First-Party Cookies: Set by our Site directly. These include preferences like your theme choice.
- Third-Party Cookies: Set by external services like Google Analytics. These help us understand how our Site is used.
8. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to periodically review this Cookie Policy to stay informed about our use of cookies.
9. More Information
For more information about cookies in general and how to manage them, you can visit:
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at:
