Privacy Policy
Effective October 19, 2026
The short version
- We collect what we need to track your car's equity: your vehicle details, your loan payoff, and your email.
- We use it to show you what your car is worth against what you owe, and to send your monthly report.
- We never sell your personal information, and we don't share it with anyone for their own marketing.
- If you connect your lender through Plaid, we only receive your auto loan details, and we store the connection encrypted.
- You can ask us to delete your data at any time by emailing michael@automotiveintelligence.io.
Who we are
Equity Pulse is operated by Automotive Intelligence ("we", "us"). It helps car owners track their vehicle like an asset: what it's worth against what they owe, updated every month. This policy explains what information we collect through getequitypulse.com and our monthly emails, and what we do with it.
What we collect
Information you give us
- Vehicle details: your VIN, mileage, ZIP code, and your answers about condition (tires, body or hail damage, mechanical issues, interior).
- Loan details you enter: what you still owe, your monthly payment, how many payments are left, and in some cases what you paid for the vehicle.
- Contact information: your email address, so we can send your monthly report.
- If you choose "Continue with Google": Google shares your name, email address, and Google account ID with us, so you don't have to type your email and can sign back in later. We don't receive your Google password or anything else from your Google account. Google's sign-in script loads only on the step where you choose it, and Google's handling of that is covered by the Google Privacy Policy.
- Preferences: the look you choose (Banker, Driver, or Coach) and your light or dark setting.
Information from your lender, through Plaid (only if you choose to connect)
If you choose "Connect my lender," we use Plaid Inc. ("Plaid") to retrieve your auto loan information. We request only Plaid's liabilities data, and from it we use your auto loan: the account name, current balance, payoff amount, interest rate, next payment amount, and maturity date. We do not receive or store your bank login username or password; you enter those directly with Plaid, not with us.
Information collected automatically
- Browser storage: we save your chosen look and a random anonymous ID in your browser's local storage. The ID lets us count which looks people prefer. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking.
- Sign-in cookie: after you sign up or sign in, we set one cookie that keeps you signed in to your account on that browser for up to 90 days. It contains only a signed reference to your account, can't be read by other sites, and is never used for advertising.
- Technical logs: our hosting provider keeps standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type, and the pages requested) for security and reliability.
How we use it
- To estimate your vehicle's value and compare it to your loan payoff, shown as a range across different types of buyers.
- To send your monthly equity report, including what changed since last month and when you're projected to have positive equity.
- To write the plain-language summary in your report. We use an AI model for this; it works only from the figures we've measured and does not create values of its own.
- To keep the service secure, fix problems, and improve how it works.
- To respond when you reply to an email or contact us.
We never sell or share your data
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with third parties for their own marketing or advertising, and we do not use it for cross-site advertising.
We share information only in these limited cases:
- Service providers that run Equity Pulse for us, under agreements that limit them to providing their service:
- Vercel (hosting) and Neon (database)
- Plaid (lender connection, only if you choose to connect)
- Vehicle data providers, which receive your VIN, mileage, and location (ZIP code or state) to return market values. These may include NHTSA, VinAudit, CarsXE, and MarketCheck.
- Anthropic, which receives your vehicle and equity figures (not your name or email address) to write your report summary
- Klaviyo, to deliver your reports and handle unsubscribes
- Google, only if you choose "Continue with Google"
- When you ask us to. If you reply to a report asking for an appraisal or about trading in, we pass your request to the sales consultant named in your report so they can respond.
- When the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety, or security of our users, the public, or Equity Pulse.
- If the business changes hands, as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale, in which case this policy continues to apply to your information.
How Plaid data is handled
- Connecting your lender is optional. You can always type in your payoff instead.
- Plaid gives us an access token that lets us refresh your loan details. We encrypt that token with AES-256 before storing it, and all data travels over encrypted HTTPS connections.
- We use your loan data only to calculate and report your equity. We never use it for advertising, and we never sell it.
- You can disconnect at any time by emailing us. When you do, we revoke the connection with Plaid and delete the stored token.
- Plaid's handling of your information is governed by the Plaid End User Privacy Policy.
How long we keep it
- We keep your vehicle, loan, and report history while you're subscribed, so each monthly report can show what changed.
- If you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your account, we delete your personal information and revoke any Plaid connection within 30 days.
- Server logs are kept only as long as needed for security and troubleshooting.
- We may keep information longer only where the law requires it, and we may keep anonymous totals that can't identify you.
Your choices and rights
- Unsubscribe from monthly reports with the link in any email.
- Access, correct, or delete your information by emailing michael@automotiveintelligence.io. We'll respond within 30 days.
- Clear browser storage at any time to remove your saved look and anonymous ID.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under state privacy laws. We honor those requests through the same email address.
Security
We use encrypted connections, encrypt lender access tokens at rest, and limit access to the people and providers who need it to run the service. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will notify you as required by law if a breach affects it.
Children
Equity Pulse is for adults who own or finance a vehicle. It is not directed to anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we'll update the effective date above and let subscribers know by email before the changes take effect.
Contact us
Questions, requests, or concerns: michael@automotiveintelligence.io