Last updated: May 22, 2026
Overview
Budget Realist (budgetrealist.com) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information. By using this site, you agree to the practices described here.
Who We Are
Budget Realist is an independently operated personal finance publication. Our website address is https://budgetrealist.com. Content on this site is researched and produced with AI assistance. Rachel Odom is a pen name used as the editorial voice of this publication.
Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
- Automatically: When you visit the site, we and our third-party partners (including Google) may collect your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time on site, and referring URL. This is standard web analytics data.
- Via comments: If you submit a comment, we collect your name, email address, and IP address for spam detection purposes.
- Via contact forms: If you contact us through a form, we collect your name, email address, and message content.
We do not collect payment information. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
Cookies
This site uses cookies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us and our partners understand how you use the site.
Types of cookies used on this site:
- Necessary cookies: Required for the site to function. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. This data is aggregated and anonymous. You can opt out via Google’s opt-out tool.
- Advertising cookies: We participate in Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ads Settings.
Google AdSense
This site displays advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites. You may opt out of personalized ads by visiting About Ads or adjusting your settings at Google Ads Settings.
For more information on how Google uses data when you use our site, see: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
Affiliate Links
Budget Realist participates in affiliate programs. This means some links on this site may earn us a commission if you click through and make a purchase or sign up for a service, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial content or recommendations. All affiliate relationships are disclosed in the posts that contain them.
Current or planned affiliate partnerships include programs operated by financial services companies including but not limited to Ally Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, SoFi, NerdWallet, and YNAB.
AI-Assisted Content
Content on this site is researched and written with the assistance of AI tools. All statistics and factual claims are verified against primary sources before publication. The editorial voice (Rachel Odom) is a pen name and does not represent a specific individual’s personal financial history.
Third-Party Links
This site links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any site you navigate to from here.
Data Retention
Comment data is retained indefinitely for spam prevention and moderation purposes. Contact form submissions are retained for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry. Analytics data is retained per Google Analytics default settings.
Your Rights
If you have submitted information to this site (via comments or contact forms), you may request a copy of that data or ask us to delete it by contacting us through the contact form at budgetrealist.com/contact.
Children’s Privacy
This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy can be sent through the contact form at budgetrealist.com/contact.