Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 12, 2026
This policy explains what information Stock Buddy (“we”, “us”) collects at heystockbuddy.com, how we use it, and the choices you have. Stock Buddy is a free tool for looking up stock quotes, keeping a watchlist and portfolio, setting price alerts, sharing ideas, and making stock picks. We aim to collect as little as possible.
The short version
- You can browse quotes, charts, and financials without an account.
- If you sign in, we store your email, name, watchlist, portfolio holdings, price alerts, and preferences so they sync across your devices.
- Anything you post on the Ideas board or pick in Callin It is public, shown under a pseudonymous username rather than your name or email.
- We use Google Analytics and basic in-house metrics to understand usage.
- We do not sell your personal information, and we don't show ads.
- Stock Buddy is not a broker and does not provide financial advice.
Information we collect
| Category | What / when |
|---|---|
| Account details | If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo URL. If you register with email/password, we store your email, an optional name, and your password in hashed form (we never store your actual password). |
| Your watchlist | The list of ticker symbols you save and the order you keep them in, tied to your account so it syncs across devices. |
| Portfolio holdings | If you use the Portfolio tab: the names of your portfolios and, for each holding, the ticker symbol, number of shares, and average cost you enter. This is financial information about you; we store it only to show you your positions, value, and returns. We never receive brokerage credentials and never connect to a brokerage. |
| Price alerts | For each alert you set: the ticker, your target price, and the upper and/or lower thresholds. We check prices periodically and email you when a threshold is crossed. |
| Ideas and comments | If you post on the Ideas board: the text of your ideas and comments, the ideas and comments you like, and when you posted. These are public and attributed to your username. |
| Callin It picks | If you make a pick: the ticker, direction (up or down), pick length, the price when you made it, and the outcome. Picks are public on the leaderboard and on your profile, attributed to your username, along with statistics such as your hit rate. |
| Username | A pseudonymous username (for example "SwiftPuma15") is generated for your account the first time you use a public feature. It is what other users see; your name and email are never shown publicly. |
| Preferences | Settings such as your default tab, display currency for the portfolio (USD or CAD), and light/dark theme. |
| Usage metrics | To operate and improve the service, we record login counts and dates, which stocks are looked up (per account and in aggregate), how many days you're active, and a one-time “how you found us” source (e.g., a referring site or campaign tag) captured when you sign up. |
| Analytics | We use Google Analytics 4, which sets cookies and collects standard analytics data such as pages viewed, approximate location, device/browser type, and referring links. |
| Technical data | Standard server logs from our host, and a session cookie/token to keep you signed in. |
How we use it
- To provide the service — showing quotes and charts, and syncing your watchlist, portfolio, alerts, and preferences.
- To email you a price alert you set, and to notify you when someone likes or comments on your idea.
- To run the Ideas board and Callin It, including showing your posts and picks publicly under your username and computing leaderboard results.
- Occasionally, to email account holders about the service itself, such as a new feature or a request for feedback. These come from the site operator and are infrequent; reply to any of them to ask us to stop.
- To keep you signed in across sessions and devices.
- To understand how the site is used so we can improve it.
- To send account-related email you request, such as a password reset.
- To notify the site operator when a new account is created (this notification includes the new user's name/email and how they found the site).
Cookies and similar storage
- Essential: a secure, HttpOnly session cookie (and a matching token in your browser's local storage) that keeps you signed in. Removing it signs you out.
- Analytics: Google Analytics cookies. You can block these with your browser settings or a content blocker without affecting core functionality.
Who we share it with
We don't sell your data. We use a small number of service providers that process data on our behalf:
- Netlify — website hosting and storage of your account, watchlist, portfolio, alerts, ideas, and picks.
- Google — Sign-In (if you use it) and Google Analytics.
- Resend — sending email: password resets, price alerts, Ideas notifications, occasional service announcements, and new-signup notifications to the operator.
- Financial Modeling Prep — our market-data provider. Quote requests are made from our servers; the provider receives the ticker symbols requested, not your account details.
We may also disclose information if required by law.
Data retention
We keep your account information, watchlist, portfolio holdings, alerts, and preferences for as long as your account exists. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your account record, watchlist, portfolios, alerts, usage metrics, and your public ideas, comments, likes, and picks. Aggregate, non-identifying statistics (e.g., total lookups of a ticker) may be retained.
You can also remove individual items yourself at any time: delete a holding or a whole portfolio, remove a stock from your watchlist (which deletes its alert), or delete your own ideas and comments. Callin It picks become permanent 30 minutes after you make them so the contest stays fair, but they are removed if your account is deleted.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS. Passwords are stored hashed with a per-user salt, and session cookies are marked Secure and HttpOnly. No method of storage or transmission is 100% secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect your information.
Your choices and rights
- Access or delete your account and data — email us and we'll take care of it.
- Keep financial details private — the Portfolio tab is optional. Nothing in it is ever shown to other users, and you can use the watchlist and every other feature without entering holdings.
- Sign out at any time to end your session on a device.
- Opt out of analytics using your browser's privacy settings or a tracker blocker.
Depending on where you live (for example, under GDPR or CCPA), you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, or port your data. Contact us to exercise them.
Children
Stock Buddy isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them.
International users
Stock Buddy is operated from the United States, and your information is processed there and by our providers. By using the site you consent to this processing.
Not financial advice
Market data is provided for informational purposes only and may be delayed or inaccurate. Stock Buddy does not provide investment advice and is not a broker-dealer.
Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by the “Last updated” date above.
Contact
Questions or requests: support@heystockbuddy.com
This policy is provided for transparency and is not legal advice.