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Privacy Policy

Last updated October 8, 2026

This policy explains what California Expat collects when you use californiaexpat.com, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We have tried to write it in plain language.

California Expat's mailing address is 4695 Chabot Drive, Suite 200, Pleasanton, CA 94588, United States. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean California Expat.

What you give us

  • Email signups. Your email address when you ask for a free guide, join the Letter, or get a tool result by email.
  • Your account. Your name, email address, and password when you create an account, plus a profile photo and notification settings if you add them.
  • Purchases. Your name and email address when you buy a course, a guide, or Insider. Payments are handled by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.
  • Messages. Your name, email address, and message when you use the contact form. If you ask for an introduction to a health insurance broker, we keep your email and the note you write, which may include your age or health situation, so we can pass it on with your permission.
  • Tools. Most tools run entirely in your browser and send us nothing. The exceptions: if you ask for a result by email, we keep your email address. The Relationship Pyramid couples link stores both partners' answers so you can compare them.
  • Courses and community. Your lesson progress, certificates, saved videos, and any comments you post.
  • Referrals. If you refer people, the payout details you give us, such as a PayPal email or a bank name and the last 4 digits of the account. Payouts are made through Stripe.
  • Live sessions. If you join a live cohort call, your name, email, and profile photo are passed to our video call provider so you can join.

What we collect automatically

  • Google Analytics records which pages you visit, which buttons you click, and general information about your device and location (country or city level). We do not send it your name or email.
  • Microsoft Clarity records how visitors scroll, click, and move around pages, including session recordings and heatmaps, so we can see where the site is confusing and fix it.
  • Google reCAPTCHA checks that forms are filled in by people, not bots. When you submit a form it sends Google information about your browser and your IP address.
  • Where you came from. If you arrive from a link with campaign tags (for example from a video or an email), we remember those tags for 90 days and attach them to your signup or purchase, so we know which links work.
  • Email activity. Our email services record whether emails are delivered, opened, and clicked.
  • Our servers log basic technical information, such as IP addresses, to keep the site running and secure. The contact form also records your IP address and browser type to stop spam.

How we use it

  • To send what you asked for: the guide, the tool result, your course, your receipt.
  • To run your account, your courses, and your membership.
  • To send the Letter and other emails you signed up for.
  • To answer your messages.
  • To pay referral commissions.
  • To understand which pages, tools, and emails help people, and to improve the site.
  • To keep the site secure and stop spam and fraud.

Emails

When you ask for a free guide or a tool result, or create an account, a box to also get the Letter is ticked for you. You can untick it before you send the form. Everyone who buys a course, a guide, or Insider is added to the Letter.

To send emails that fit what you are interested in, we note which guides you downloaded, which tools you used, and what you bought, and group your email address accordingly.

Every email has an unsubscribe link, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Unsubscribing from the Letter does not stop receipts or messages about something you bought.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. We share it only with the services that run the site for us, and only what each one needs:

  • Vercel hosts the website.
  • Supabase stores accounts and site data.
  • Stripe handles payments, subscriptions, and referral payouts.
  • MailerLite sends the Letter and other emails.
  • Resend sends account, purchase, and tool emails.
  • Google provides Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA.
  • Microsoft provides Clarity.
  • 8x8 provides the video calls for live cohort sessions.
  • YouTube and Vimeo play some course videos. When a video plays, they may set their own cookies.
  • DigitalOcean and Bunny may store and deliver course files.

If you ask for a broker introduction, we pass your details to the broker only after you ask us to. We may also share information if the law requires it, or to protect our rights or someone's safety.

Cookies and similar technology

  • Sign-in cookies keep you logged in.
  • A newsletter cookie remembers your email address for up to a year after you sign up, so we do not ask you again.
  • A campaign cookie remembers the link tags you arrived with, for 90 days.
  • Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity set their own cookies to count visits and recognise returning visitors.
  • Your browser also stores small settings for you, such as videos you saved or that you closed the bar at the bottom of the page.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block sign-in cookies, you will not be able to log in.

How long we keep it

We keep your account and purchase records for as long as you have an account and for as long as we need them for tax and accounting. We keep email signups until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete them. Analytics data is kept according to Google's and Microsoft's retention settings.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. You can also object to how we use it. To do any of these, send us a message through the contact page. We will reply within 30 days. There is no fee.

California residents have these rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, and the right not to be treated differently for using them. We do not sell or share personal information for targeted advertising.

If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you have the rights above under the GDPR, and you can complain to your local data protection authority. We use your information to provide what you ask for, because you agreed, or because we have a legitimate interest in running and improving the site.

Security

We use reputable services, encrypted connections, and access controls to protect your information. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot promise that information will never be lost or misused. If something goes wrong that affects you, we will tell you as the law requires.

Children

This site is for adults. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you think a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Where your information is stored

Our service providers store and process information in the United States and other countries. If you are outside the United States, your information may be moved there, where privacy laws can differ from yours.

Changes to this policy

When we change this policy, we update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will tell you by email or on the site.

Contact

For any privacy question or request, send us a message through the contact page, or write to California Expat, 4695 Chabot Drive, Suite 200, Pleasanton, CA 94588, United States.

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