Last updated: October 7, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains which cookies and similar technologies middlemoneyguy.com uses, why, and how you can control them. It is part of our Privacy Policy.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. Some are needed for a site to work or stay secure; others help measure how a site is used.
The short version
- We use Google Analytics cookies to measure how the site is used.
- Our hosting provider, Cloudflare, may set a security cookie to tell real visitors from bots.
- We do not use advertising cookies today, and we don’t sell data.
- The calculators run in your browser and don’t store the numbers you type.
- If you’re in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, analytics cookies are off by default.
Cookies we use
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors so we can count them | Up to 2 years |
| _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics | Keeps track of a visit (session) | Up to 2 years |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Security: helps block bots and attacks (strictly necessary) | 30 minutes |
Google Analytics only runs on middlemoneyguy.com. In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland it runs in “consent mode” with analytics storage denied, so it does not set the cookies above and sends Google only anonymous, cookieless signals.
Videos
Video thumbnails are loaded from YouTube’s image servers. Clicking a video takes you to YouTube. On some articles you can play a video on the page; that player uses YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com) and loads only when you press play. Once you play it, YouTube (Google) may set its own cookies under Google’s Privacy Policy.
Emails
The Middle Memo emails may contain a small tracking pixel and tracked links so we can see whether an email was opened or a link was clicked. This is described in our Privacy Policy, and you can block it by turning off automatic image loading in your email app.
Advertising in the future
If we add Google AdSense, Google and its partners may use advertising cookies. Visitors in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland will be asked for consent first, and we will update this policy before that happens.
How to control cookies
- Your browser: every major browser lets you block or delete cookies in its settings. Blocking cookies won’t break the calculators or articles.
- Google Analytics: install Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
- Personalized ads (Google): manage at adssettings.google.com.
Contact
Questions about cookies: privacy@middlemoneyguy.com