Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2026

Canadian Money Guide ("we," "our," or "us") operates canadianmoneyguide.ca (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit our Site. We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

We do not collect sensitive personal information (SIN, date of birth, financial account numbers, government ID).

Information Collected Automatically

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) uses first-party cookies (_ga, _ga_*) to measure site usage. These cookies have a maximum retention of 14 months. We have enabled IP anonymization. You can opt out of GA4 tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for these specific purposes:

• Site improvement — understanding which content is most useful helps us write more of it
• Newsletter delivery — sending the emails you signed up for (and nothing else)
• Affiliate attribution — tracking referrals so partners can attribute commissions (see Section 4)
• Ad delivery — Google AdSense uses cookies to serve relevant ads (see Section 5)
• Inquiry response — answering your questions submitted through contact channels

We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored in your browser. We use:

Managing Cookies

You have full control over cookies:

• Browser settings — disable all cookies in your browser preferences; the site will still work
• Google Ad Settings — opt out of personalized advertising at adssettings.google.com
• Industry opt-outs — www.aboutads.info (US), youradchoices.ca (Canada)
• Newsletter unsubscribe — every email we send includes a one-click unsubscribe link

Blocking affiliate tracking cookies doesn't affect your experience — you'll see the same content and pay the same rates. The only difference is we won't receive a commission if you open an account.

4. Affiliate Tracking

When you click an affiliate link on our Site, a tracking cookie is placed in your browser. This cookie:

• Contains a referral identifier, not personal data
• Is set by the affiliate network or provider, not by us
• Typically expires after 30–90 days
• Allows the provider to attribute a commission to us if you complete a qualifying action
• Does not increase the price you pay

Our Affiliate Disclosure explains this in full detail.

5. Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google and its partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this Site and other websites.

How Ad Personalization Works:

• Google uses the DART cookie to serve interest-based ads
• Google and its certified ad networks may show you ads based on your browsing history across participating sites
• We do not have access to the information collected by these cookies
• We do not combine AdSense data with any other data we hold

Your Choices for Ads:

• Opt out of personalized ads: adssettings.google.com
• Industry opt-out: www.aboutads.info
• EU/EEA users: We use Google Funding Choices to manage cookie consent before personalized ads load. You'll see a consent banner on your first visit and can customize your preferences at any time.
• Canadian users: PIPEDA does not require explicit opt-in for non-sensitive data used for advertising, but you still have opt-out rights

Third-Party Vendors: Google's certified ad networks may also serve ads on this Site. Each vendor has its own privacy policy and opt-out mechanisms. See Google's list of certified ad networks for details.

6. Email Newsletter

Our newsletter is powered by Buttondown, a privacy-respecting email platform. When you subscribe:

• We collect your email address and, optionally, your name
• Buttondown stores your subscription data securely on our behalf
• Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link
• Unsubscribing removes you immediately — no "are you sure?" tricks, no delay
• We never sell, rent, or share our subscriber list with anyone

Buttondown's privacy policy is available at buttondown.com/privacy.

7. Third-Party Services

We use these third-party services that may process data on our behalf:

Each service is governed by its own privacy policy. We select partners based in part on their privacy practices and only share the minimum data necessary for the service to function.

8. Data Retention

9. Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your information:

• HTTPS everywhere — all traffic to and from the Site is encrypted via TLS
• DNSSEC enabled — protects against DNS spoofing and cache poisoning
• Security headers — HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and Content Security Policy
• Minimal data collection — we only collect what we need, which limits what could be exposed in a breach
• Trusted infrastructure — the Site is hosted on Cloudflare's global network with enterprise-grade security

No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights Under Canadian Law

Under PIPEDA (and substantially similar provincial laws in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec), you have the right to:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We'll respond within 30 days as required by PIPEDA.

EU/EEA Users (GDPR): If you are accessing the Site from the European Economic Area, you may have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including the right to data portability, the right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"), and the right to restrict processing. Contact us at the email above to exercise these rights.

11. Children's Privacy

This Site is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed on servers located outside of Canada, including in the United States. These jurisdictions may have different data protection laws than Canada. By using the Site, you consent to such transfers.

We ensure that any third-party service providers we use comply with applicable data protection requirements, including through contractual safeguards where appropriate.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We will update this page if our practices change. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when the current version took effect. For material changes, we may provide additional notice (such as a banner on the Site or an email to subscribers).

14. Contact

Privacy questions, access requests, or complaints?

• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Canadian Money Guide, Toronto, ON, Canada
• Privacy Commissioner of Canada: priv.gc.ca — for formal complaints

Canadian Money Guide complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.