Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2, 2026

Magical Snowball ("we," "us," or "our") operates magicalsnowball.com and the Magical Snowball personal finance application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App or website.

We are committed to protecting your privacy, especially financial data. This App is currently in beta and primarily for personal use by the developer (Russell Turner). If you are testing or using it, this policy applies to you.

1. Information We Collect

We collect minimal information necessary to provide the service:

• Financial Data via Plaid: When you connect accounts using Plaid Link, we receive account balances, transaction history, account numbers (masked), and other financial details you authorize. This data is fetched directly from your financial institutions via Plaid and is used only within the App.
• Usage Data: Basic technical info like IP address, browser type, device info, and App interactions (e.g., pages visited) for debugging and improvements.
• No Additional Personal Data: We do not collect names, emails, phone numbers, or other identifiers unless you voluntarily provide them (e.g., in feedback).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information solely to:

• Provide and improve the App's features (e.g., display transactions, track spending, visualize compound growth/snowball effect).
• Calculate personal insights like budgets, trends, and projections.
• Ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug issues.
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your data, use it for advertising, or share it for marketing purposes.

3. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share data only as necessary:

• Plaid: Financial data is processed through Plaid's secure API. See Plaid's End User Privacy Policy for details on their practices.
• Hosting/Cloud Providers: Data may be stored on secure servers (e.g., Vercel, AWS) with encryption at rest and in transit.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, subpoena, or to protect rights/safety.

No other sharing occurs without your explicit consent.

4. Data Storage and Security

Financial data from Plaid is stored encrypted (at rest and in transit using TLS 1.2+). We implement reasonable security measures, but no system is 100% secure. As a personal beta tool, access is limited to the developer.

5. Data Retention

We retain data only as long as needed for App functionality or legal requirements. You can request deletion by contacting us (see below). In beta, data may be cleared periodically.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your data.
• Withdraw consent for Plaid connections (revoke via Plaid Portal or App settings).

Contact us at russbits+privacy [at] gmail.com (or your preferred email) with requests. We respond within a reasonable time.

7. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect data from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy. Changes will be posted here with an updated date. Continued use constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact Us

For questions: Russell Turner
Website: magicalsnowball.com

Thank you for using Magical Snowball. Your trust matters.