eCential Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how this app, eCential, collects, uses, and protects the information you provide. By using the App, you consent to the practices described here.

2. Information We Collect

2.1. Information You Provide Directly

We collect the following data when you use the App:

• Account information: email address, password (stored only by Firebase Authentication, never by us).

• Budget data: income, pay schedule, spending categories, goals, emergency fund targets.

• Financial activity: transactions you enter manually, spending reports, calculated summaries.

• Preferences: settings such as pay frequency, notifications, UI preferences.

2.2. Automatically Collected Information

Device information: type of device, operating system version, and basic diagnostic information.

eCential does not pull banking data, connect to financial institutions, or access transaction history outside what you manually input.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data solely to:

• Create and manage your account

• Generate budgets, reports, and suggestions

• Improve financial insights and user experience

• Deliver personalized recommendations

• Provide customer support

• Maintain service functionality and security

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

4. How Your Data is Stored

All data is stored securely using:

• Firebase Authentication (for login credentials)

• Firebase Firestore (for budgets, spending data, and app-generated reports)

Firestore automatically encrypts data in transit and at rest.

You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials.

5. How Your Data is Shared

We may share limited information only in the following situations:

5.1. Service Providers

We use Firebase services to operate the App. These providers access data only to support functionality.

5.2. Legal Requirements

We may disclose data if required by law, regulation, or valid legal request.

5.3. Aggregated or Anonymous Insights

We may use aggregated, non-identifiable data to improve app features or analytics.

We do not share personal financial data with advertisers, marketers, or data brokers.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain user data as long as your account is active.
You may request deletion of your:

• Account

• Budget and financial data

via in-app settings or by contacting us directly.

When your account is deleted, all associated Firestore data is permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

7. Security Practices

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted storage

• Secure authentication

• Limited access controls

• Regular audits of database structure

However, no system can guarantee 100% protection. You understand that transmission of data through the internet carries unavoidable risks.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights such as:

• Accessing your data

• Requesting correction

• Requesting deletion

• Exporting your personal data

Contact us to exercise these rights.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. If significant changes occur, we will notify you via the email you provided.

10. Contact Information

If you have questions or requests, contact:

Email: jerrydu524@gmail.com

Phone:  216-466-2536
Developer: Jerry Du