Legal and privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 8, 2026

We care about privacy because money topics are personal. People visit this site to learn, compare, and think clearly. They should not have to guess what happens to their data. This page explains, in simple English, how Dividend Income Guide handles personal data, especially for people in the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the United Kingdom.

This policy is written for a research and education website. It does not try to hide behind confusing legal wording. When we process personal data, we want to be open about what we collect, why we collect it, and what choices you have. The European Commission explains that people must be told key information such as who collects data, why it is collected, how long it is kept, and what rights they have. citeturn417168search23turn417168search9

Who we are

Dividend Income Guide is an educational website about dividend markets, income investing concepts, calculators, and long-run what-if studies. Unless a page says otherwise, the site operator is the controller of the personal data described in this policy.

Privacy contact: [email protected]

What this policy covers

This policy covers personal data processed when you browse the website, read pages, use calculators, or contact the site operator. It also covers data related to cookies and similar technologies. Our cookie rules for EU users are explained in more detail on the Cookie Policy page.

What data we may process

1. Basic technical and log data

When you open the website, the hosting and security layers may process data such as your IP address, browser type, device type, language, approximate location derived from IP, the page you visited, the page you came from, and timestamps. This is common for website delivery, abuse prevention, and system troubleshooting.

2. Calculator and page interaction data

Many calculators on this site are designed to work in the browser. That means your inputs may stay on your device instead of being sent to a central account system. Some request logs and technical diagnostics may still be created at the hosting layer, but this site does not currently offer member accounts or private portfolio dashboards.

3. Contact information you send to us

If you email us, we process the information you choose to send, such as your name, email address, and message content, so we can reply and keep a record of the conversation if needed for support, legal, or security reasons.

4. Cookie and similar technology data

If this site uses cookies, local storage, or similar technologies, we may process identifiers, device information, page activity, consent choices, and preference settings. For EU and UK users, non-essential cookies should not be set unless valid consent is given. The ICO explains that organisations must provide clear and comprehensive information and obtain consent for non-exempt technologies, while only limited exceptions apply for strictly necessary uses. citeturn417168search19turn417168search13turn417168search25

Why we process personal data

To deliver the website and keep it secure
To prevent abuse, fraud, and technical misuse
To understand site performance and improve content, but only with consent where required
To answer questions or messages sent to us
To comply with legal obligations, lawful requests, and record-keeping needs

Legal bases we rely on

Under the GDPR, a controller needs a valid legal basis for each type of processing. Depending on the situation, we may rely on:

Legitimate interests for core website operations, security monitoring, debugging, and protecting the website from abuse
Consent for non-essential cookies, analytics, advertising technologies, and similar optional tracking where required
Legal obligation where we must keep records or respond to lawful requests
Performance of a contract if we ever provide a direct service requested by a user

European guidance on transparency and data protection expects organisations to explain their legal basis and the rights linked to it in a clear way. citeturn417168search9turn417168search6

How long we keep data

Server and security logs: only as long as reasonably necessary for performance, fraud prevention, and incident review
Consent records: for as long as needed to prove the consent choice or manage renewals
Email communications: for as long as needed to answer the request, keep support history, or protect legal interests
Analytics data: according to the retention period set for the tool, but only where such analytics are enabled lawfully

We try not to keep personal data longer than needed. If a category of data no longer has a clear purpose, it should be deleted or anonymized.

Who we share data with

We do not sell personal data to data brokers. We may still share limited data with service providers that help operate the site, such as hosting, content delivery, security, analytics, or email tools. These providers process data on our behalf or as independent controllers depending on the service.

Hosting and content delivery providers
Security and anti-abuse services
Analytics providers, but only where lawfully enabled
Professional advisers or authorities where disclosure is legally required

International data transfers

Some providers used to host or protect the website may process data outside the EU or EEA. When that happens, we expect transfers to use a valid legal mechanism, such as an adequacy decision or contractual safeguards. The European Commission explains that transfers to third countries need appropriate safeguards where personal data leaves the EU framework. citeturn417168search0turn417168search6

Your rights in the EU, EEA, and UK

Depending on the situation, you may have the right to access your personal data, correct it, delete it, restrict it, object to certain processing, receive a portable copy, or withdraw consent. The EDPB notes that controllers must facilitate the exercise of these rights and respond to data subject requests. citeturn417168search11

Access: ask what personal data we hold about you
Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Erasure: ask us to delete data where the law allows it
Restriction: ask us to limit how data is used in some situations
Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain cases
Portability: ask for a copy of data you provided in a portable format where the law applies
Withdraw consent: change your mind about optional cookies or similar tools
Complain: contact your local supervisory authority if you think your rights were not respected

To exercise these rights, email [email protected]. We may need enough information to verify your request and protect the privacy of other people.

Children

This website is not directed at young children. We do not knowingly try to collect personal data from children through accounts or community features. If you believe a child has sent us personal data without appropriate permission, contact us so we can review and remove it where appropriate.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the website changes, when laws or guidance change, or when we introduce new tools such as analytics, ads, account features, or newsletters. If a change is important, we will update the date at the top of this page and revise related notices where needed.

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This page is educational and operational. It is not a substitute for legal advice tailored to your exact business setup, hosting stack, analytics tools, advertising partners, or jurisdiction.