Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

futurecost.ai is owned and operated by Wieneke Group, based in North Carolina, United States. We built futurecost.ai as a free public service to help people understand the long-term opportunity cost of everyday spending decisions.

For privacy-related matters, Wieneke Group is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide directly. futurecost.ai is a calculator. Its core function requires no personal information. When you enter a purchase amount and adjust settings, that data is processed entirely within your browser and is not transmitted to or stored on our servers.

Information you provide voluntarily. If you choose to provide your email address through a future email capture feature, we will collect and store that email address. We will make clear at the point of collection exactly what you are signing up for.

Information collected automatically. We do not currently operate analytics tracking on futurecost.ai. We do not use Google Analytics or any third-party behavioral tracking service. If this changes, this policy will be updated before any tracking is implemented.

3. How we use your information

If you provide your email address, we will use it to communicate with you about futurecost.ai and related financial wellness topics from Wieneke Group. We may also share your information with carefully selected third-party partners whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you.

Our legal basis for processing email addresses you voluntarily provide is your consent. You may withdraw that consent at any time by unsubscribing from any communication we send you.

4. Email communications

If and when we introduce an email capture feature, every email we send will include an unsubscribe mechanism. Unsubscribe requests will be honored promptly and within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days.

We will not add your email address to any list without your affirmative opt-in. Pre-checked boxes do not constitute consent. You will always know what you are signing up for before you sign up.

5. Third-party links and affiliate disclosure

futurecost.ai may contain links to third-party websites, including investment platforms and financial services. Some of these links may be affiliate links — meaning Wieneke Group receives compensation if you click through and take a qualifying action such as opening an account.

We disclose affiliate relationships clearly and prominently at the point where such links appear. We may receive compensation when you click affiliate links and take qualifying actions such as opening an account.

When you click an affiliate link and visit a third-party site, that site's own privacy policy governs the collection and use of your information. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party site. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.

Third-party services we currently link to or may link to include investment platforms that are registered with and regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Wieneke Group is not a registered investment adviser. Nothing on futurecost.ai constitutes investment advice.

6. Cookies and tracking

futurecost.ai does not currently set any cookies of its own. We do not use tracking pixels, web beacons, fingerprinting, or any other technology to identify or follow individual users.

If you click an affiliate link, the destination site may set its own cookies to track referrals for commission purposes. Those cookies are governed by the destination site's privacy policy, not this one. We will update this section if we implement any cookies on futurecost.ai directly.

7. Children's privacy

futurecost.ai is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at the address below and we will delete that information promptly.

This policy is consistent with the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

8. Data security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect any personal information we hold. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your rights

Regardless of where you are located, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate personal information
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information
• Withdraw consent — withdraw any consent you have given us at any time
• Opt out — opt out of any email communications at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 13 below. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law.

10. European users — GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or equivalent legislation may apply to our processing of your personal data.

Legal basis for processing. Where we process personal data, we do so on the following legal bases:

• Consent — where you have given us clear consent to process your data for a specific purpose, such as subscribing to email communications
• Legitimate interests — where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights

Data transfers. futurecost.ai is operated from the United States. If you are located in the EEA, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States, which may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country. By using futurecost.ai and voluntarily providing personal information, you consent to this transfer.

Your GDPR rights. In addition to the rights described in Section 9, EEA users have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country of residence if you believe we have not handled your personal data in accordance with applicable law.

Data retention. We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Email addresses collected through voluntary opt-in will be retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

11. California users — CCPA

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with additional rights regarding your personal information.

California residents have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
• Request deletion of personal information we have collected
• Opt out of the sale of personal information
• Non-discrimination for exercising any CCPA rights

To opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, contact us using the information in Section 13 below.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. If we make material changes — particularly any changes that affect how we collect, use, or share personal information — we will make reasonable efforts to notify users before those changes take effect.

Your continued use of futurecost.ai after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact us

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or your personal information, please contact us through our website:

www.wienekegroup.com

We will respond to all legitimate privacy inquiries within a reasonable time.