At CognitionWise, we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our weekly budgeting platform. We're committed to transparency—you deserve to know exactly what happens with your data.
Information We Collect
Running a budgeting service means we need certain information to help you manage your finances effectively. Here's what we gather and why it matters.
Account Information
Your name, email address, and password when you create an account. We need this to identify you and keep your financial data secure.
Financial Data
Budget categories, spending entries, income information, and financial goals you enter into our platform. This is the core of what makes our service work for you.
Usage Information
How you interact with our platform—which features you use most, when you log in, and what devices you're using. This helps us improve the service.
Technical Data
IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers. Standard stuff that helps us troubleshoot problems and keep things secure.
Information You Provide Directly
Most of what we know about you comes from what you tell us. When you sign up, update your profile, or enter budget information, you're choosing to share that data with us. We don't collect anything without you knowing about it.
Automatically Collected Data
Like most web services, we automatically collect some technical information when you use our platform. This includes things like your IP address and how you navigate through our site. We use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences and keep you logged in between sessions.
How We Use Your Information
We're not in the business of selling your data or using it for purposes you didn't agree to. Here's what we actually do with your information.
- Provide and maintain our weekly budgeting service, including storing your financial data securely and processing your budget entries
- Send you important updates about your account, service changes, or security issues—we keep these emails minimal
- Improve our platform based on how people actually use it, though we often work with aggregated data rather than individual profiles
- Prevent fraud and protect against security threats by monitoring for suspicious activity
- Comply with legal obligations when required by Taiwan law or valid legal processes
- Respond to your support requests and help you get the most out of our service
We analyze usage patterns to figure out which features are helpful and which ones need work. But when we do this kind of analysis, we typically look at overall trends rather than digging into individual user behavior.
How We Share Your Information
We don't sell your personal information. Period. But there are a few situations where we need to share data with others to make our service work.
Service Providers
We work with third-party companies that help us run our platform—think hosting providers, email services, and payment processors. These companies only get access to the specific information they need to do their job, and they're contractually required to protect your data.
Legal Requirements
Sometimes we're legally obligated to share information with government authorities or law enforcement. This happens when we receive a valid subpoena or court order, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to prevent harm or comply with Taiwan law.
Business Transfers
If CognitionWise is acquired by another company or goes through a merger, your information would likely be transferred as part of that transaction. We'd notify you before this happens and explain any changes to how your data is handled.
With Your Consent
If we ever want to share your information for purposes not covered in this policy, we'll ask for your explicit permission first.
Your Rights and Choices
You have significant control over your personal information. Here's what you can do.
- Access Your Data: Request a copy of all personal information we hold about you in a commonly used format
- Correct Information: Update or fix any inaccurate data in your account settings or by contacting us
- Delete Your Account: Request complete deletion of your account and associated data, subject to legal retention requirements
- Export Your Data: Download your budget information and financial records at any time
- Restrict Processing: Ask us to limit how we use your information in certain circumstances
- Object to Processing: Opt out of certain types of data processing, like marketing communications
- Withdraw Consent: Change your mind about permissions you've previously granted
To exercise any of these rights, email us at help@cognitionwise.com. We'll respond within 30 days and verify your identity before making changes.
Data Security and Protection
Financial data is sensitive, and we treat it that way. We use industry-standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or destruction.
Technical Safeguards
- 256-bit SSL encryption for all data transmitted between your device and our servers
- Encrypted storage for sensitive financial information in our databases
- Regular security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities
- Multi-factor authentication options to protect your account access
- Automated monitoring systems that alert us to suspicious activity
Organizational Measures
Our team members only access user data when absolutely necessary for support or maintenance. We conduct background checks on employees who handle sensitive information and provide regular security training. Access logs are maintained and reviewed periodically.
That said, no system is completely secure. We can't guarantee that unauthorized parties will never breach our defenses. If a security incident affects your data, we'll notify you promptly and explain what happened and what we're doing about it.
Data Retention
We keep your information only as long as necessary to provide our service and comply with legal obligations.
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Active Account Data | Duration of account | Required to provide service |
| Financial Records | 7 years after deletion | Taiwan tax and legal requirements |
| Support Communications | 3 years | Quality assurance and dispute resolution |
| Usage Analytics | 2 years | Service improvement and planning |
| Marketing Preferences | Until withdrawal | Respect your communication choices |
When you delete your account, we remove most of your personal information within 30 days. However, some data may be retained in backup systems for up to 90 days as part of our disaster recovery procedures. Financial transaction records are kept longer to comply with Taiwan accounting and tax regulations.
International Data Transfers
Our servers are located in Taiwan, and we primarily serve users in the Taiwan market. If you access our service from outside Taiwan, your information will be transferred to and processed in Taiwan under local data protection laws.
Taiwan maintains strong data protection standards comparable to many international frameworks. If you're accessing our service from a region with different privacy laws, you acknowledge that your data will be handled according to Taiwan regulations and this privacy policy.
Children's Privacy
CognitionWise is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you're a parent and believe your child has provided us with information, contact us immediately and we'll delete it.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies—small text files stored on your device—to make our service work properly and remember your preferences.
Essential Cookies
These are necessary for basic functionality like keeping you logged in and remembering your settings. You can't opt out of these without losing access to important features.
Analytics Cookies
These help us understand how people use our platform so we can make improvements. They collect information about which pages you visit and which features you use, but not your personal financial data.
Managing Cookies
Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. You can block or delete cookies, but this might affect how our service works for you. Check your browser's help section for instructions.
Changes to This Policy
We update this privacy policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we'll notify you by email or through a prominent notice on our platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect.
The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy tells you when we last made changes. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
If you continue using CognitionWise after we update this policy, that means you accept the changes. If you don't agree with the new terms, you can delete your account before they take effect.
Questions About Privacy?
If you have questions about this policy or concerns about how we handle your data, we want to hear from you.
Email: help@cognitionwise.com
Phone: +886 2 8773 5616
Mail: No. 107, Section 2, Dongda Rd, North District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan 300
We typically respond to privacy inquiries within 5 business days.