What we collect. And what we don't.
The short version: we collect the message you send us, the email you send it from, and nothing else worth listing. We don't sell anything, we don't run an ad network, and we don't have a marketing list. This page exists so you can verify that, not take our word for it.
What you give us, on purpose
When you fill out the contact form, we collect your name, email address, the topic you picked, and your message. That's it. We use this information to reply to you. We don't add you to any list, and we don't share it with anyone outside the two services described below that help us receive your note.
What you give us, just by visiting
Like every website, the server that serves this page sees your IP address and a request log entry — the standard handshake any browser performs. Cloudflare hosts the site and is the service that sees those logs. We do not use any third-party analytics service, advertising pixels, or behavioral trackers. We do not set tracking cookies. If we ever add lightweight, cookieless visitor counts (such as Cloudflare Web Analytics), it will be disclosed here.
The calculators on this site store their inputs two places, both inside your browser: the URL of the page you're on (so the "share link" button works) and your browser's local storage (so the numbers are still there when you come back). Once you've set up the Paycheck tool, the other calculators offer a one-click "use your saved data" prefill — that handoff happens entirely between tabs of your own browser. None of it travels to our servers, and none of it goes anywhere else unless you copy a share link yourself.
Who else sees a contact-form message
Two services help us receive your note. They each see only what they need to do their job:
- Cloudflare Turnstile — a privacy-preserving alternative to CAPTCHA that decides whether the submission looks human. It does not require you to identify pictures of buses and does not build a profile of you.
- Resend — the service that delivers your message to our inbox as an email. Resend processes the contents of the form for the few seconds it takes to send the email, then it's an ordinary email between you and us.
The email we receive includes your IP address as a small line at the bottom — we keep that so we can recognize patterns of spam or abuse. If you'd rather not have your IP retained, email us directly at hello@michaelwestfinancials.com and we'll handle your message that way instead.
How long we keep things
Your message lives in our inbox the same way any email does — until we archive or delete it. We don't run a separate database of contacts, and we don't export the inbox anywhere. If you want your messages deleted, ask, and we'll do it.
What we never do
- Sell your information. Not now, not later, not ever.
- Share your information with anyone other than the two services listed above.
- Send marketing email. The only email you'll receive from us is a reply to a note you sent.
- Track you across other sites or build a behavioral profile.
- Use your data to train AI models.
Younger readers
The guides and calculators on this site are written for teens and young adults, and we're glad to have them as readers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If a parent or guardian believes a child under 13 has sent us a message, email hello@michaelwestfinancials.com and we'll delete it.
Your rights
You can ask us at any time to tell you what we have on file for you, to correct it, or to delete it. Send the request from the email address you used to write us, so we can verify it's actually you. We'll act on it within a reasonable time — usually the same day.
Changes to this page
If we change how the site collects or uses information, we'll update this page and revise the "Last updated" date at the top. We don't keep a private version of this policy — what you see here is what's in effect.
How to reach us
Michael West Financials LLC is based in Texas, United States. For any privacy question or request, the fastest path is email: hello@michaelwestfinancials.com.