Privacy Policy

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised Policy on this page with a new effective date. Changes become effective when posted. By continuing to use the Site after changes are posted, you accept the revised Policy.

The Services are intended only for individuals who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent.

1. Categories of Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information when you use our Services.

1.1 Information You Voluntarily Provide

This includes contact information (such as your name, email address, phone number, or any other information you choose to provide) when you contact us, subscribe to updates, or submit a form on our Site — for example, to receive a free guide or sign up for program update alerts. When you submit a form, we also create a timestamped consent data record documenting the exact disclosure language you saw and agreed to at the time of submission (see Section 1.8).

1.2 Communications

We receive information you provide through our Services (e.g., feedback, questions, or resource requests) and any communications between you and us, such as emails or messages submitted through our contact form. We do not record calls.

1.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Services, we may automatically collect certain internet information, such as IP addresses, browser type, internet service provider, referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data. This information is collected through web technologies including cookies, web beacons, JavaScript, and other similar technologies (collectively, “Web Technologies”).

1.4 Online User Activity

We use third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to measure traffic and usage trends. These tools may capture:

• Usage details — date, time, length of visits, pages accessed, frequency, and referring addresses
• Device information — IP address, device type, unique device identifier, operating system, and browser type
• Location information — approximate location based on IP address
• Session information — page visits, time spent per page, and interactions with our Site

1.5 Account Information

If you create a user account on our Site (voluntarily, as part of our resource-tracking tools), we collect the information you provide during registration, including your email address, chosen username, and password (stored in encrypted form). We also collect activity data associated with your account, such as which guides you have downloaded, saved, or marked with a status. This information is stored on our servers and used solely to provide personalized features within the Site.

1.6 Push Notification Data

If you choose to subscribe to browser-based push notifications — for example, to receive alerts when new guides or program updates are published — we collect your browser’s push notification token (a unique identifier issued by your browser/device). We use this token solely to deliver those notifications. We do not share push notification tokens with third-party advertisers. You may withdraw consent and unsubscribe at any time (see Section 5.5 below).

1.7 Third-Party Sources

We may receive information about you from third parties, such as advertising partners or analytics providers, consistent with their own privacy policies.

1.8 Consent Records (Third-Party Verification)

When you submit a form on our Site, we use a third-party consent verification service, ExpressConsent (expressconsent.com), to create a sealed consent data record (“CDR”) that documents:

• The exact form content and disclosure language presented to you at the time of submission
• Your checkbox interaction and the specific button you clicked
• The date, time, and IP address of your submission
• A browser-level screenshot of what you saw at the moment you submitted

This record is maintained for legal and regulatory compliance purposes, including documentation of your prior express written consent for telemarketing and other contact. The CDR identifier and a verified copy of the consent record may be shared with the marketing partners to whom your inquiry is referred, so those partners can independently verify the consent you provided. ExpressConsent’s own privacy practices are governed by their privacy policy, available at their website.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Essential Purposes

We may use information we collect as necessary for the following essential purposes:

• To comply with applicable legal requirements, industry standards, contractual obligations, and our policies
• To detect, prevent, or investigate fraud and suspicious or illegal activity
• To enforce our Terms & Conditions and other legal terms
• To evaluate, negotiate, or conduct a merger, sale, or other transfer of all or any portion of our business or assets (“Business Transactions”), in which your personal information may be among the assets transferred
• To protect the rights, privacy, safety, and property of our users and ourselves
• To pursue available remedies or limit damages

2.2 Service & User Experience Purposes

We may additionally use your information to:

• Deliver free guides and resources you have requested or subscribed to
• Send program update alerts, new guide announcements, or educational content you have opted into
• Contact you by phone (including via automated telephone dialing systems, pre-recorded or artificial voice messages, and ringless voicemail technology), SMS/text message, and email, consistent with any prior express written consent you have provided
• Provide personalized content through our website or email based on the programs you have expressed interest in
• Notify you about changes to our content or Services
• Operate and improve the functionality of our Site
• Conduct testing, research, analysis, and improvement of our Services
• Monitor metrics such as visitor counts, traffic sources, and demographic patterns

2.3 Analytics & Advertising Purposes

Information collected via Web Technologies is used to understand our audience, improve the user experience, monitor site performance, and enhance security. It may also be used for interest-based advertising to help us keep our guides and resources free.

3. How We Disclose Your Information

We may disclose personal information, for the purposes noted above, to the following categories of entities:

• Legal affiliates under our control or common control with us
• Service providers and contractors who provide technology, hosting, infrastructure, or email delivery services
• Advertising and marketing partners who may market products, services, or assistance-related resources that may be relevant to you, and who may receive a copy of your consent data record for their own legal and compliance documentation
• Consent verification service providers (including ExpressConsent) who create, store, and transmit sealed consent data records on our behalf
• Data analytics providers who help us analyze traffic and usage of our Site
• External parties (including government agencies) as required to comply with applicable legal requirements, regulatory demands, court orders, or law enforcement
• External parties in the event of any evaluation, negotiation, or completion of any Business Transaction

We do not sell personal information to data brokers. We may share information with advertising partners for targeted advertising purposes as further described in Section 5. We do not share your personal information with government benefit agencies, as we have no affiliation with them and no ability to submit or influence benefit applications on your behalf.

4. How We Store Your Information

By using our Services, you consent to the transfer and use of your personal information anywhere our Services or service providers maintain facilities, consistent with this Privacy Policy. We retain personal information for as long as necessary for business purposes, our data retention policy, and applicable legal requirements.

Consent data records (CDRs) created at the time of form submission are retained for as long as necessary to satisfy legal and regulatory compliance requirements. Copies of CDRs shared with marketing partners may be retained by those partners independently, subject to their own retention policies.

Although we implement commercially reasonable administrative, physical, and technical security measures designed to protect your personal information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee that your information will never be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.

Information you send to us electronically may not be fully secure during transmission. We recommend you not use unsecured channels to communicate sensitive or confidential personal information.

5. Your Privacy Choices

5.1 Privacy Rights

Residents of certain states may have the following rights with respect to their personal information under applicable state privacy laws. To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@assistanceguides.com.

• Right to Access — You may request access to the personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Correct — You may request correction of inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Delete — You may request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Appeal — If we decline your request, you may submit an appeal by emailing support@assistanceguides.com.
• Right to Non-Discrimination — You have the right to be free from discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

To protect your information, we may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

5.2 Right to Opt Out of Sale / Sharing

We may share your personal information with certain third parties for advertising purposes, which may constitute a “sale” or “sharing” under applicable state privacy laws. You can opt out at any time by emailing support@assistanceguides.com with the subject line “Do Not Sell or Share My Information.”

5.3 Cookies

We use cookies — including Google Analytics — to analyze traffic and participate in interest-based advertising. You can limit data shared via tracking cookies by:

• Rejecting Cookies — Most web browsers allow you to reject or delete cookies, though doing so may affect your browsing experience on our Site.
• Browser Tools — You may use browser settings or privacy-focused browser extensions to block third-party tracking.
• Global Privacy Control — We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where technically feasible.

5.4 Emails

You can opt out of receiving promotional or educational emails from us at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email we send. You may need to submit a separate opt-out request for each email address you have provided to us.

5.5 Push Notifications

If you have subscribed to browser push notifications, you may unsubscribe at any time using any of the following methods:

• Browser Settings — Click the lock icon in your browser’s address bar, go to Site Settings, and revoke notification permissions for AssistanceGuides.com.
• Device Settings — On mobile devices, manage notification permissions in your device’s application or notification settings.
• Email Request — Email support@assistanceguides.com and we will remove your push token from our system within 30 days.

Revoking push notification permission does not affect your ability to access any guide or other content on the Site.

5.6 User Account Data

If you have created a user account, you may request deletion of your account and all associated activity data by emailing support@assistanceguides.com with the subject line “Delete My Account.” We will process your request within 30 days.

6. Advertiser & Affiliate Disclosure

AssistanceGuides.com is an advertiser-supported website. Our guides and resources are provided free of charge; to sustain this, some content on the Site is provided or promoted by companies that may compensate us when you click a link or take an action (such as submitting an inquiry). This compensation may influence which resources are highlighted or how they are presented, but it does not affect the accuracy of the information in our guides.

In accordance with U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines (16 C.F.R. Part 255), we disclose that:

• Some links on this Site may be affiliate or sponsored links. We may earn a referral fee if you click a link and take an action with a featured provider.
• This compensation comes at no additional cost to you.
• We do not guarantee approval, eligibility, or any specific outcome from any program or resource featured on this Site.
• Featured resources are not ranked solely on merit; advertiser relationships may influence placement or prominence.

We are not a lender, broker, financial advisor, benefits administrator, or government agency. Always review the full terms of any program or financial product directly with the provider before applying.

7. Third-Party Links

Our Site contains links to third-party websites, including official government agency sites (such as benefits.gov, fns.usda.gov, and hud.gov), nonprofit organizations, and other external resources. These third-party sites are not subject to this Privacy Policy, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices or content. Your interactions on any third-party site are governed by that site’s own rules and policies.

Linking to a government or nonprofit website does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or administrative relationship with that agency or organization. AssistanceGuides.com has no ability to access, influence, or communicate with government systems on your behalf.

8. Additional Information for California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended, “CCPA”). The table below describes the categories of personal information we collect, the sources, the purposes for which it is used, and with whom it may be shared.

8.1 Retention

The length of time we retain personal information depends on: (i) legal and regulatory retention requirements; (ii) the time needed to fulfill the business purpose for which it was collected; and (iii) whether you have exercised your right to request deletion.

8.2 CCPA Rights

California residents have the right to access, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information. You may also designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. To exercise your rights, email us at support@assistanceguides.com.

8.3 Shine the Light

California residents may request information about whether we have disclosed personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes by emailing support@assistanceguides.com.

9. How to Contact Us

Please direct any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our Services to:

AssistanceGuides.com
United States
Email: support@assistanceguides.com

Please note: We are an independent educational website and are not able to assist with benefit applications, eligibility determinations, or appeals. For help with a specific government program, please contact that agency directly.

10. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy was last revised and is effective as of July 27, 2026.