Cookie policy
We set no cookies of our own. Advertising partners do — this page explains which, why, and how to switch them off.
This page explains what cookies and similar technologies are used when you visit moneyguidance.site, who sets them, and how to control them. It supplements our privacy policy.
What a cookie is
A cookie is a small text file a website asks your browser to store and send back on later requests. Related technologies — local storage, session storage, pixels and web beacons — do similar jobs by different means. This page covers all of them.
Cookies we set ourselves
None. The Budget Compass sets no first-party cookies. We have no accounts, no sessions, no shopping basket and no first-party analytics, so there is nothing for a cookie to remember.
We do use one item of browser local storage, which is not a cookie and is never transmitted to any server:
| Name | Type | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
bc-theme |
Local storage | Remembers whether you chose the light or dark theme | Until you clear your browser storage |
Nothing you enter into a calculator on this site is stored in a cookie, in local storage, or anywhere else. Calculator inputs exist only in the page's memory and are gone when you navigate away.
Cookies set by third parties
Advertising. This site is supported by display advertising served by third-party networks, which may include Google AdSense and its advertising partners. These networks may set and read cookies, and use similar technologies, in order to:
- serve advertisements and measure whether they were seen;
- limit how many times you see the same advertisement (frequency capping);
- measure the performance of an advertising campaign;
- detect and prevent advertising fraud and invalid traffic;
- personalise the advertisements shown to you based on your browsing across this and other sites, where you have not opted out and where consent requirements are met.
Typical cookie categories used by advertising partners include identifiers such as
Google's IDE and DSID cookies (advertising and personalisation), and test_cookie
(technical check). The exact set varies by partner, region, and your consent choices,
and is controlled by those partners rather than by us.
Hosting. Our host, Netlify, may set a cookie in limited technical circumstances, such as when serving a redirect or protecting against abuse. It carries no advertising or profiling function.
We do not control third-party cookies, cannot read their contents, and do not receive the profiles they support.
Consent
Where the law requires consent for non-essential cookies — for example under the EU and UK ePrivacy rules — that consent is requested through the consent mechanism presented by our advertising partner before personalized advertising cookies are set. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time through that mechanism, or by clearing cookies and blocking them in your browser.
How to control cookies
Opt out of personalized advertising:
- Google Ads Settings — controls personalisation for Google's advertising products.
- Network Advertising Initiative opt-out — covers many advertising vendors at once.
- YourAdChoices / DAA opt-out — the equivalent industry program for the United States.
- Your Online Choices — the equivalent for Europe.
Control cookies in your browser. Every major browser lets you block third-party cookies, delete existing ones, or block all cookies. Look for "Cookies and site data" or "Privacy and security" in your browser's settings. Most browsers also offer a private or incognito mode that discards cookies when the window closes.
Global Privacy Control. Some browsers and extensions send a GPC signal that communicates an opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information. Our advertising partners are expected to honour it where the law requires.
What happens if you block everything
The site is designed to work without any cookies at all. All content, navigation, search-engine-visible text, and every calculator function normally with cookies disabled and JavaScript restricted to first-party scripts. Blocking advertising cookies may mean the advertisements you see are less relevant; it does not affect your access to anything we publish.
Changes
If the cookies in use change materially we will update this page and its "last updated" date. Questions: privacy@moneyguidance.site.