Privacy Policy

At Dark Mortgage, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our mortgage analysis and investment comparison tool.

By using Dark Mortgage, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address: Used for authentication and account communications
• Name: Provided during account creation or OAuth sign-in
• OAuth profile information: If you sign in with Google or GitHub, we receive your profile name and email address
• User tier: Whether you have a Free or Pro account
• Account creation date: When you registered

1.2 Authentication Data

We use HTTP-only cookies to maintain your authenticated session, including:

• Session tokens (stored in secure, HTTP-only cookies)
• OAuth tokens from Google and GitHub (if you use social sign-in)
• Email OTP (One-Time Password) verification codes when authenticating via email

1.3 Usage Analytics

We use third-party analytics services to understand how users interact with our tool:

• Amplitude Analytics: Tracks user events like page views, feature usage, and button clicks to help us improve the product
• Google Analytics: Tracks aggregate traffic patterns, device types, and referral sources

These analytics tools may collect device information, browser type, IP address, approximate location, and interaction patterns. They use cookies and similar tracking technologies. You can opt out of analytics tracking through your browser settings or privacy extensions.

1.4 Payment Information

For credit purchases, payment processing is handled by Stripe. We do not store your credit card numbers or full payment details on our servers.

We do store:

• Stripe customer ID (to link your account to your payment method)
• Transaction history (purchase dates, amounts, credit balances)

1.5 Technical Data

We automatically collect certain technical information when you use the service:

• IP address and general geographic location (country/region)
• Browser type and version
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Operating system
• Pages visited, timestamps, and interaction patterns
• Error logs and debugging information

1.6 What We Do NOT Collect

We explicitly do NOT collect or store:

• Mortgage calculations: Loan amounts, interest rates, payment schedules (stored locally in your browser only)
• Investment scenarios: Expected returns, risk profiles, NPV analysis results (local only)
• Financial data: Tax information, income, home values, or any specific financial details you enter into the calculator
• Full payment card details: Handled exclusively by Stripe

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide the service: Authenticate your account, enable calculations, and deliver requested features
• Process payments: Manage credit purchases through Stripe
• Improve the product: Analyze usage patterns to identify popular features, bugs, and areas for enhancement
• Communicate with you: Send account-related emails (verification, password resets, purchase confirmations)
• Ensure security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access
• Comply with legal obligations: Respond to legal requests or enforce our Terms of Service

We do NOT use your information to make financial decisions on your behalf, provide investment recommendations, or share your data with financial institutions.

3. Data Storage and Security

3.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

• Server-side data: Account information (email, name, tier) is stored on our secure servers with industry-standard encryption
• Client-side data: Financial calculations and analysis results are stored in your browser's localStorage on your device
• Payment data: Stored by Stripe in accordance with PCI-DSS standards

3.2 Security Measures

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• HTTP-only, secure cookies for authentication tokens
• Password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls limiting employee access to user data

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do NOT sell your personal information. However, we may share certain information with trusted partners as described below.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

4.1 Financial and Mortgage Service Partners

We may share your account information (email, name, user tier) and aggregate usage patterns with trusted third-party financial institutions, mortgage lenders, or financial service providers for the following purposes:

• Mortgage refinancing offers: To connect you with lenders who may offer competitive mortgage rates or refinancing options
• Financial advisory services: To provide you with personalized financial planning or investment advisory services
• Product recommendations: To offer you relevant financial products that may benefit your mortgage or investment strategy

Important: We will never share your specific financial calculation data (loan amounts, interest rates, investment scenarios) stored in your browser with third parties without your explicit consent. Only basic account information and aggregate usage patterns may be shared with financial service partners.

You may opt out of data sharing with financial partners at any time by contacting us at support@dark-mortgage.com.

4.2 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate:

• Stripe: Payment processing for credit purchases (see Stripe's Privacy Policy)
• Amplitude and Google Analytics: Usage analytics (subject to their privacy policies)
• Cloud hosting providers: Infrastructure for running the service

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.

4.3 OAuth Providers

If you sign in with Google or GitHub, your authentication is handled by those platforms. We receive only your public profile information (name and email).

4.4 Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders)
• Government or regulatory requests in accordance with applicable law
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users

4.5 Business Transfers

If Dark Mortgage is acquired by or merged with another company, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Authentication: HTTP-only, secure cookies to keep you logged in
• Analytics: Amplitude and Google Analytics cookies to track usage patterns
• Preferences: LocalStorage for saving your calculator settings and sessions (client-side only)

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Blocking cookies may limit some functionality of the service.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Contact us at support@dark-mortgage.com to request your data export.

6.2 Correction

You can update your account information (name, email) through your account settings or by contacting us.

6.3 Deletion

You can delete your account at any time through account settings. Upon deletion, we will:

• Remove your email, name, and personally identifiable information from our servers
• Deactivate your authentication credentials
• Retain anonymized transaction history for legal/accounting purposes (as required by law)

Note: Your financial calculation data (mortgage scenarios) is stored locally in your browser and is not affected by account deletion. Clear your browser data to remove it.

6.4 Opt-Out of Analytics

You can opt out of analytics tracking by:

• Using browser privacy extensions (e.g., Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin)
• Enabling "Do Not Track" in your browser settings
• Blocking third-party cookies in your browser preferences

7. Children's Privacy

Dark Mortgage is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using Dark Mortgage, you consent to the transfer of your information to our servers and service providers.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users.

Your continued use of Dark Mortgage after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Email: support@dark-mortgage.com