Privacy Policy for BudgeTalk

Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — used for authentication, account recovery, and important service communications
• Display name — used for in-app personalization (optional)
• Password — securely hashed by Firebase Authentication; we never see or store your plaintext password

1.2 Financial Data You Provide

To deliver budgeting and financial advisory features, we store data you voluntarily enter:

• Budget information — income, expense categories, budget allocations, and spending limits
• Transaction records — amounts, categories, dates, and merchant names
• Savings goals — target amounts, deadlines, and progress
• Debt information — balances, interest rates, minimum payments, and payoff strategies
• Financial profile — income type, life stage, spending style, and financial literacy level (collected during onboarding)

1.3 Linked Bank Account Data (Plaid)

If you choose to connect a bank account through our integration with Plaid Inc.:

• Account names, types, and current balances
• Transaction history (amounts, dates, categories, merchant names)
• Liability information (credit card balances, student loans, mortgages)

1.4 Voice Data

• Audio is streamed in real-time to process your financial commands
• We do not store voice recordings — audio is processed in real-time and immediately discarded
• Microphone access requires your explicit device permission, which you can revoke at any time

1.5 Receipt Data

• Receipt images are processed using Google Cloud Vision API for text extraction (OCR)
• Extracted data (merchant name, amounts, line items) is stored as transaction records
• Receipt images are not permanently stored on our servers after processing

1.6 Automatically Collected Data

• Usage analytics — anonymous usage patterns via Firebase Analytics
• Device information — device model, OS version, app version
• Push notification token — FCM token for delivering notifications
• Crash reports — automatic crash data to improve stability

How We Use Your Information

Purpose	Data Used
Provide AI financial advice and insights	Budget data, transactions, financial profile
Budget tracking and overspend alerts	Budget allocations, transactions, income
Debt payoff strategy calculations	Debt balances, interest rates, payments
Savings goal tracking and projections	Goal targets, contributions, timelines
Voice command processing	Real-time audio stream (not stored)
Receipt scanning and categorization	Receipt images (processed, not stored)
Push notifications	FCM token, budget status
Partner budget sharing	Budget data (only when you opt in)
App improvement and bug fixes	Anonymous analytics, crash reports
Account security	Email, hashed password

Third-Party Services

Service	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Firebase (Google)	Auth, database, analytics, push notifications, crash reporting	Firebase Privacy
Plaid Inc.	Secure bank account linking and transaction retrieval	Plaid Privacy
Google Gemini AI	AI-powered financial advice with anonymized budget context	Google AI Privacy
OpenAI Realtime API	Voice-based financial interactions (audio not retained)	OpenAI Privacy
Google Cloud Vision	Receipt image OCR (text extraction)	Cloud Privacy

Data Storage and Security

• All data stored in Google Cloud Firestore with AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit
• Authentication via Firebase Auth using industry-standard bcrypt password hashing
• Financial data logically isolated per user with Firestore security rules
• Partner-linked budgets use explicit, revocable consent-based sharing
• All API communication uses HTTPS exclusively
• Principle of least privilege — each service only accesses the data it needs

Data Sharing and Disclosure

Your data is shared only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers — with the third-party services listed in Section 3, solely to deliver app functionality
• Budget partner — with a partner you explicitly invite via a link code (revocable at any time)
• Legal requirements — when required by applicable law or valid legal process
• Safety — to protect the rights, property, or safety of BudgeTalk, our users, or the public
• Business transfer — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (you will be notified)

Your Rights and Choices

Right	How to Exercise
Access your data	View all financial data within the app at any time
Delete your account	Settings > Account > Delete Account
Disconnect bank accounts	Settings > Linked Accounts > Remove
Unlink budget partner	Settings > Partner > Unlink
Manage notifications	Settings > Notifications
Revoke microphone	Device Settings > App Permissions
Export your data	Contact privacy@brucksproducts.com
Correction	Edit data in the app or contact us

Data Retention

• Active accounts: Data retained while your account remains active
• Account deletion: All data permanently removed within 30 days
• Aggregate analytics: Anonymous data may be retained for service improvement
• Legal obligations: Certain data may be retained as required by law

International Data Transfers

BudgeTalk uses Google Cloud and Firebase infrastructure, which may process and store data in the United States and other countries. By using BudgeTalk, you consent to the transfer of your data to these locations. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Google's data processing agreements and standard contractual clauses where applicable.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

• Right to Know: Request details about the personal information we have collected
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have rights under the GDPR:

• Right of access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time

Contact our Data Protection contact at privacy@brucksproducts.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Children's Privacy

BudgeTalk is a financial management application designed for adults. Our service is not directed at children under 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with data, contact us and we will promptly delete it.

Financial Data Disclaimer

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy within the App and updating the effective date. Continued use constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data: