Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Authentication Data: Email address, name, and profile photo (when using Google/Apple sign-in)
• User Preferences: Currency settings, theme preferences, and app configurations

1.2 Financial Data (Stored Locally)

All financial data is stored locally on your device using encrypted SQLite database:

• Transactions: Income and expense records with amounts, dates, categories, and descriptions
• Recurring Transactions: Automated income and expense patterns (salary, subscriptions, bills)
• Balance History: Account balance tracking and forecasting data
• Scenario Sessions: What-if financial planning scenarios and related transactions
• Categories: Custom expense and income categories

1.3 Technical and Usage Data

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, app version for compatibility
• Analytics Data: App crashes, error logs, and basic usage patterns (via Firebase)
• Performance Data: App loading times and feature usage for optimization

1.4 No Third-Party Financial Connections

Important: FinWize does NOT connect to banks or financial institutions. You manually enter all financial data, giving you complete control over what information is stored.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Core Financial Services (Processed Locally)

• Transaction Management: Store, categorize, and analyze your manually entered financial transactions
• Balance Forecasting: Generate up to 36-month financial projections based on your data
• Spending Analysis: Calculate spending capacity and provide budget insights
• Scenario Planning: Create and analyze what-if financial scenarios
• Recurring Transaction Management: Track and project recurring income and expenses

2.2 AI-Powered Features (Premium Users Only)

Data Sharing Notice: These features require sending your financial data to Google Gemini AI for analysis.

• Financial Health Analysis: Send transaction history, balances, and spending patterns to AI for health scoring (0-100)
• Personalized Recommendations: Share spending data with AI to generate personalized recommendations
• Scenario Insights: Send scenario planning data to AI for risk analysis and insights
• Smart Forecasting: Share financial projections with AI for enhanced insights and recommendations

You can choose to use local-only features instead of AI features to keep all data on your device.

2.3 Account and Subscription Management

• Authentication: Verify your identity using Firebase Authentication
• Subscription Services: Manage premium subscriptions via RevenueCat
• Data Backup: Optionally backup your local database to Firebase Cloud Storage
• Cross-Device Sync: Restore your data when switching devices (for authenticated users)

2.4 Service Improvement

• Analyze app crashes and errors to improve stability
• Monitor app performance to optimize user experience
• Collect usage analytics to understand feature adoption (aggregated, anonymized)
• Develop new features based on user behavior patterns

3. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

3.1 We DO NOT Sell Your Data

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal or financial information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

3.2 Third-Party Services We Use

FinWize integrates with the following trusted services to provide our features:

• Firebase (Google): Authentication, analytics, crash reporting, and optional cloud backup storage
  Data shared: Authentication credentials, anonymized usage data, optional encrypted database backups
• Google Gemini AI: AI-powered financial analysis (Premium feature only)
  Data shared: Your financial transaction data, balance information, and spending patterns for AI analysis
• RevenueCat: Subscription and payment processing for Premium features
  Data shared: User ID, subscription status, purchase information

3.3 Limited Data Sharing

We may share your information only in these circumstances:

• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and users' safety
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with continued privacy protection)
• With Your Consent: Any other sharing will require your explicit permission

3.4 No Financial Institution Sharing

Since FinWize doesn't connect to banks or financial institutions, we never share your financial data with them.

4. Data Security and Storage

4.1 Local Data Security

Your financial data is primarily stored locally on your device with strong security measures:

• Local Database Encryption: SQLite database with built-in encryption for all financial data
• Device Security: Relies on your device's built-in security (Face ID, Touch ID, PIN, etc.)
• Offline Functionality: Core features work entirely offline, reducing exposure risks
• No Cloud Dependency: Your data remains accessible even without internet connection

4.2 Cloud Backup Security (Optional)

For users who choose to backup their data to the cloud:

• Encryption: Database backups are compressed and encrypted before upload to Firebase Storage
• Access Controls: Backups are tied to your authenticated account and cannot be accessed by others
• Firebase Security: Leverages Google's enterprise-grade security infrastructure
• User Control: You can enable/disable cloud backups at any time

4.3 AI Processing Security

For Premium AI features that use Google Gemini AI:

• Data Transmission: Your financial data (transactions, balances, spending patterns) is sent to Google Gemini AI for analysis
• No Personal Identifiers: While financial data is shared, personal identifiers (name, email, account numbers) are not included
• Secure Transmission: All data is transmitted using TLS encryption and Firebase App Check for security
• Temporary Processing: AI responses are cached locally for 10-20 minutes for performance, then automatically cleared
• No Long-term Storage: Google does not store your financial data long-term for AI training purposes
• User Control: You can choose whether to use AI features or stick to local-only analysis

4.4 Data Retention

We retain your information based on storage location and type:

• Local Data: Stored indefinitely on your device until you delete the app or clear data
• Cloud Backups: Retained until you delete your account or manually delete backups
• Authentication Data: Stored by Firebase until account deletion
• AI Cache: Temporary caching for 10-20 minutes, then automatically cleared
• Analytics Data: Aggregated usage data retained for 2 years for service improvement

5. Your Privacy Rights

5.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access: Request copies of your personal information
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal requirements)
• Portability: Export your data in a machine-readable format
• Restriction: Limit how we process your information
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing

5.2 Privacy Controls

• Adjust privacy settings within the app
• Manage marketing communication preferences
• Revoke third-party data access permissions
• Request account suspension or deletion

6. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by relevant authorities
• Adequacy decisions where applicable
• Certification under approved frameworks
• Explicit consent for specific transfers

7. Children's Privacy

FinWize is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it's used
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

9. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you're in the European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation including those listed in Section 5, plus:

• Right to lodge a complaint with supervisory authorities
• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to data protection impact assessments

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will:

• Notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification
• Post the updated policy with the new effective date
• Obtain your consent for material changes that affect your rights
• Maintain previous versions for your reference

This Privacy Policy is designed to be transparent and comprehensive. We encourage you to read it carefully and contact us with any questions.