Who we are
This website, The Golden Standard (the "Site"), is operated by Jack and Linda Harper ("we", "us"). You can reach us about privacy at info@goldenstandard.gold.
Information we collect
Information collected automatically
When you visit the Site, our hosting provider and analytics tools automatically receive standard technical information, such as:
- Your IP address and approximate location (city or region)
- Browser type, device type and operating system
- Pages you view, how long you stay, and the page or ad that referred you
- Clicks on links, including links to the companies we recommend
Information you give us
If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you choose to include in your message. We use it only to reply.
Information we don't collect
We don't collect Social Security numbers, account numbers, retirement balances or payment details, and we don't run forms that ask for them.
Cookies and tracking tools
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We and our partners use them, along with similar technologies such as pixels, for:
- Analytics: to understand which pages are useful, how visitors find us and which of our ads they came from. We run our own analytics on our own server: it uses first-party cookies with a random visitor ID, records the pages you view, how long and how far you read, which ad or site referred you and whether you click through to a partner, and filters out automated traffic. We store a scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address, not the address itself, and we don't sell this data or share it outside our hosting provider.
- Advertising measurement: to see whether our ads lead to visits and to show relevant ads to people who have visited the Site. We may use the Meta Pixel and Google Ads conversion tracking and remarketing. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we don't load the Meta Pixel.
- Affiliate tracking: so our partners can tell that a visitor came from our Site. This is how we're paid; see our affiliate disclosure.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. You can also adjust ad preferences in your Meta and Google account settings, or use industry opt-out tools offered by the Digital Advertising Alliance and the Network Advertising Initiative. Blocking cookies won't stop the Site from working.
How we use information
- To operate, secure and improve the Site
- To measure which content and ads are effective
- To receive commission from affiliate partners
- To answer messages you send us
- To comply with legal obligations
When information is shared
We share information only with:
- Service providers who host the Site or provide analytics and advertising tools, under their own terms.
- Affiliate partners, who receive referral data when you click a link to them.
- Authorities, when the law requires it or to protect our rights.
We don't sell personal information for money. Some state laws treat sharing data with advertising partners for targeted ads as a "sale" or "sharing"; you can opt out as described below.
Third-party websites
Our links take you to other companies' websites, including gold IRA companies. When you request a kit, fill in a form or call them, they collect your information under their own privacy policies. We don't control what they do with it, so please read their policies.
Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Ask what personal information we hold about you
- Ask us to correct or delete it
- Opt out of targeted advertising or the "sale" or "sharing" of your information
- Not be treated differently for exercising these rights
To make a request, email info@goldenstandard.gold. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on it. Where your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we'll treat it as an opt-out request where the law requires.
If you're in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we rely on your consent for non-essential cookies and on our legitimate interests to run and secure the Site. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
How long we keep information
Analytics and advertising tools keep data for the periods set in their own settings. We keep emails only as long as needed to respond and for reasonable record-keeping.
Security
We use reasonable measures to protect the Site, but no website or internet transmission is completely secure.
Children
The Site is meant for adults planning for retirement. It isn't directed at anyone under 18, and we don't knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
If we update this policy, we'll change the effective date at the top. Significant changes will be noted on this page.
Contact
Questions about privacy: info@goldenstandard.gold or our contact page.