This Privacy Policy explains what information Business Loans Companies collects when you visit businessloanscompanies.com, how we use it, who we share it with and the choices you have. We wrote it in plain language because you should not need a lawyer to understand how a comparison website treats your data.

1. Who we are

Business Loans Companies (“we”, “us” or “our”) is an independent publisher that compares business loan companies, business lending products and alternative financing options for small businesses in the United States.

We are not a lender, loan broker or financial adviser. We do not accept loan applications, we do not review your creditworthiness and we do not make or arrange loans. When you choose to apply for funding, you do so directly with a third party lender on that lender’s own website, and that lender’s privacy policy governs what happens to the information you give it.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

Most of our site can be used without telling us anything about yourself. We only receive personal information when you choose to send it, for example when you:

email us or use a contact form to ask a question or report a problem;
subscribe to updates, if we offer that option in the future;
send feedback about a lender, an article or the accessibility of the site.

This usually includes your name, email address and whatever you write in your message. Please do not send us bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, tax returns or other sensitive financial records. We do not need them and we will not ask for them.

Information from our comparison tools

Tools such as the Funding Match on our homepage work inside your browser. The choices you make there, such as the purpose of the funding, the amount, your time in business and how soon you need the money, are used on your screen to suggest a type of loan. We do not ask for your name or contact details to use these tools, and we do not store your answers on our servers in a way that identifies you.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our servers and the services we use record certain technical details when you visit. This can include:

your IP address and the approximate location it suggests, such as your state or city;
your browser type, device type, operating system and screen size;
the pages you view, the links you click, the time you spend on a page and the website that referred you;
a random visitor identifier stored in a cookie so we can recognize a returning browser and understand which pages lead readers to lenders.

We use this information in a form that describes how the site is used. We do not use it to work out who you are by name.

3. How we use information

We use the information described above to:

run the website, keep it secure and fix technical problems;
understand which guides, comparisons and tools are useful so we can improve them;
measure when a reader clicks through to a lender or partner, which is how we are paid and how we keep the site free;
reply to messages and requests you send us;
detect fraud, abuse, automated traffic and attempts to misuse our referral links;
meet our legal obligations and enforce our Terms and Conditions.

We do not sell lists of our readers, and we do not use your information to make any decision about you that has legal or similarly significant effects.

We share information only in the following situations:

Lenders and partners you choose to visit. When you click a link to a lender, the link may carry a referral code so the lender knows the visit came from us. The lender may also set its own cookies once you arrive on its website. We do not send the lender your name, email address or the answers you gave our tools.
Service providers. We use trusted companies for hosting, website analytics, security, email and similar services. They process information on our behalf and may only use it to provide those services.
Legal reasons. We may disclose information if we believe in good faith that the law requires it, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our readers, our partners or ourselves.
Business changes. If the website or the business that runs it is sold, merged or reorganized, information may transfer to the new owner, who will remain bound by commitments at least as protective as this policy.

5. Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working, to remember basic preferences, to understand traffic and to record referrals to lenders. Our Cookie Policy lists the types we use and explains how to control them.

6. Your choices

Cookies. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The site will still work, although we will not be able to measure referrals from your browser.
Global Privacy Control. Where the law requires it, we treat a Global Privacy Control signal sent by your browser as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for advertising purposes.
Emails. If we ever send you marketing email, every message will include a way to unsubscribe.
Requests. You can ask us about the information we hold about you by contacting us using the details below.

7. Rights for residents of certain states

Residents of California and several other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas and Oregon, have rights under their state privacy laws. Depending on where you live, these may include the right to:

know what personal information we have collected about you and how we use it;
get a copy of that information;
ask us to correct or delete it;
opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and of targeted advertising;
not be treated differently for using any of these rights.

We do not sell personal information for money. Some state laws treat certain advertising and referral cookies as a “sale” or “sharing” of information. You can opt out of those by blocking cookies, by turning on Global Privacy Control or by contacting us.

To make a request, send us a message through our contact page with the subject “Privacy request”. We will confirm we received it, may ask for information to verify your identity, and will respond within the time the law allows. An authorized agent may submit a request for you with written permission. If we decline a request, you may appeal by replying to our decision.

8. How long we keep information

We keep messages you send us for as long as needed to answer them and for a reasonable period afterward in case you follow up. Analytics and referral data are kept for as long as they are useful for measuring and improving the site, and are then deleted or reduced to totals that do not identify anyone. We may keep information longer when the law requires it.

9. How we protect information

The site is served over an encrypted HTTPS connection, access to our systems is limited to people who need it, and we choose service providers with sensible security practices. No website can promise perfect security, so please only send us the information we actually need.

10. Children

This website is written for business owners and is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Lender and partner websites

Our pages link to lenders, financing companies and other websites that we do not control. Once you leave our site, the other company’s privacy policy and terms apply. Read them before you submit an application, because that is where your financial information is collected.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our site, our partners or the law changes. The date at the top of the page shows when it last changed. If a change is significant, we will make that clear on this page.