Privacy Policy

The Alpha Edge Test is operated by McLaughlin Capital Investments LLC, a U.S. limited liability company. For the limited information described in this policy, MCI is the party responsible for deciding how and why that information is processed (a "controller" under laws that use the term). The Alpha Edge Test is an independent, method-only statistical check of whether a forecasting model beats a fair, hard-to-beat naive benchmark on the client's own out-of-sample data, using standard published scoring rules (such as CRPS, pinball/quantile loss, calibration/PIT, and Forecast Value Added). The output is a plain-English PASS / FAIL / INCONCLUSIVE verdict and report. It is not investment, financial, or insurance advice, an audit or assurance engagement, an actuarial or expert opinion, a forecast, or a trading signal, and it creates no fiduciary relationship. MCI is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or commodity trading advisor, manages no money, and guarantees no result, profit, or "edge". If you have any privacy question, you can reach us at info@alphaedgetest.com.

The free Alpha Edge Test runs entirely in your own web browser, on your own device. When you use it, the data you load (your forecasts, your actuals, any model output you check) is processed locally to compute the score. It is not uploaded to us, transmitted to any server, or stored by us in any form. We do not receive it, we cannot see it, and we collect no personal data or model data from the free test. The app installs as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and works offline, which means it can do its job with no network connection at all. For your convenience the app may save data locally in your browser's on-device storage so you don't lose your place, but that local data stays on your device and never leaves it. You control it: you can clear it at any time using your browser's normal controls. Note that loading the website itself (for example, to open the app) still involves ordinary technical server logs handled by our hosting provider, as described below; that is separate from the test data, which never leaves your device.

Because the free test transmits nothing, we only receive information in a few narrow situations:

• If you contact us (for example, by emailing info@alphaedgetest.com): your email address, your name if you provide it, and whatever you choose to put in your message.
• If you subscribe to a paid plan (Pro or Team): the paid test runs in your own browser on your own device, exactly like the free test. Paying only unlocks in-browser export, batching, and deeper analysis. No forecast, actuals, or model data is ever transmitted to us. We receive only Stripe's billing confirmation plus anything you email us.
• If you pay us: your payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. We never see or store full card numbers. Stripe collects and processes your payment details (such as card information and billing details) directly under its own terms and privacy policy. We typically receive only limited confirmation and billing information from Stripe, such as that a payment succeeded and the subscription status.
• Automatically, as standard server logs: when you visit the website, our hosting and infrastructure providers process ordinary technical log data (such as IP address, browser/device information, and request information) as part of operating the site securely.

We do not ask for, and the free test does not give us, any model data or personal data beyond what is listed above.

We use the limited information we receive only for clear, expected purposes:

• To run the paid test you subscribe to: the paid test runs in your own browser on data that never leaves your device; paying simply unlocks in-browser export, batching, and deeper analysis. We do not receive that data, so we cannot sell it or use it to train or improve unrelated products.
• To respond to you when you contact us, and to provide support.
• To take payment and manage your subscription (handled through Stripe, including auto-renewal and cancellation, pausing, or management via the Stripe-hosted customer portal).
• To operate, secure, and troubleshoot the website and service, using standard server logs.
• To meet legal, tax, and recordkeeping obligations, and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Where the EU/UK GDPR applies, our legal bases are: performance of a contract (to provide a paid engagement you request and handle billing); our legitimate interests (to respond to enquiries, secure and operate the service, and keep reasonable business records), balanced against your rights; legal obligation (for tax and accounting records); and your consent where we ask for it. Reports we produce are indicative analyses for your own internal use and are not intended for third-party reliance.

We keep this simple: we use only essential, functional on-device storage, and we do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking or analytics cookies. The PWA's local storage stays on your device and is there to make the app work (including offline) and to remember your in-progress test for your convenience. It is not a tracking tool and is not sent to us. You remain in control: clearing your browser's site data or storage will remove it. Because there is no third-party tracking and no advertising network involved, there is no cross-site profiling of you through this service. Separately, our infrastructure providers may set strictly necessary technical cookies or process server logs needed to deliver and secure the site; these are not used to track you across other websites or for advertising.

We do not sell your personal data. We never receive your model or forecast data in the first place. It stays on your device. And we do not share your data for anyone else's advertising. We share data only with a small set of service providers who process it on our behalf, under contract, solely to provide their service to us:

• Stripe, Inc.: payment processing for paid services. Stripe processes your payment data under its own terms and privacy policy.
• Netlify: website hosting, which processes standard server/access logs as our processor.
• GoDaddy: domain registration and DNS.
• Microsoft 365: email, used when you contact us or we correspond about an engagement.

These providers act as processors (except Stripe, which processes payment data under its own terms and may act as an independent controller for that data) and may process standard technical data such as IP address and request information. We may also disclose information if required by law, legal process, or a government request, or where we believe in good faith it is necessary to protect our rights, safety, or property or those of others, or to enforce our terms. If MCI is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy. We will not otherwise hand your data to third parties.

We keep information only as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected, and then we delete or anonymize it.

• Free test data: we hold none. It never reaches us, so there is nothing for us to retain.
• Paid features (export, batch, deeper analysis): these also run in your browser. Your forecasts and actuals never reach us, so there is nothing for us to retain. We keep only billing status (via Stripe) and any correspondence you send.
• Correspondence: we keep emails for as long as needed to handle your request and maintain reasonable business records.
• Payment records: billing and transaction records are retained as required for accounting and tax (commonly several years); full card details are held by Stripe, not us.
• Server logs: technical logs handled by our infrastructure providers are kept for limited periods under those providers' practices, then rotated or deleted.

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures appropriate to the limited data we handle. The most important protection is structural: the free test is built so your data never leaves your device, which removes that risk for that part of the service. Paid features run on your device too. Your test data never leaves your browser, so the same structural protection covers the whole service. We rely on reputable providers (Stripe for payments; Netlify, GoDaddy, and Microsoft 365 for infrastructure) that maintain their own security programs, and we delete or anonymize data when it is no longer needed. No method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to keep your data safe and to keep the amount we hold small.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the EU/UK GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the CPRA (CCPA/CPRA). We will honor applicable rights for those entitled to them, in plain English:

• Access / know: ask what personal data we hold about you and get a copy.
• Correction: ask us to fix data that is wrong or out of date.
• Deletion: ask us to delete your data (subject to records we must keep by law).
• Portability: ask for a copy of data you gave us in a usable format.
• Objection / restriction: ask us to stop or limit certain processing.
• Withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, withdraw it at any time (without affecting prior processing).
• No sale / no sharing / no targeted advertising: there is nothing to opt out of here, because we do not sell or "share" personal data (as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA) and we do not use it for targeted advertising.
• No discrimination / no retaliation: we will not treat you worse for exercising any right.

To exercise a right, email info@alphaedgetest.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting, and we will respond within the timeframes the applicable law requires. You may use an authorized agent where the law allows. EU/UK users also have the right to complain to their local data protection authority, and California users may appeal a declined request by replying to our response. Because we do not hold any free-test data, there is generally nothing for us to access, correct, or delete from that part of the service.

The Alpha Edge Test is a professional tool intended for businesses and adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. The service is intended only for users aged 18 or older, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18 (or under 16 where a higher threshold applies). If you believe a minor has provided us personal data, contact us at info@alphaedgetest.com and we will delete it.

We are based in the United States, and our service providers (including Stripe, Netlify, GoDaddy, and Microsoft 365) may process data in the United States or other countries. If you access the service from outside the United States, any data you choose to send us (for example, when you contact us or engage us for a paid service) will be processed in the U.S. and possibly elsewhere, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we and our providers rely on appropriate safeguards (such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses and equivalent UK mechanisms) for international transfers, and you may request more information about these safeguards using the contact details below. The free in-browser test does not transfer your data anywhere, because it stays on your device.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example, if our service or our providers change, or to reflect legal developments. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top and post the updated version on alphaedgetest.com. If the changes are significant, we will take reasonable steps to make them clear. Your continued use of the service after an update means you accept the revised policy, except where applicable law requires your affirmative consent, in which case we will seek it.

If you have any question about this policy, about your data, or want to exercise a privacy right, contact us at:

• Email: info@alphaedgetest.com
• Operator: McLaughlin Capital Investments LLC

To the extent permitted by applicable data protection law, this Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Nothing in this policy limits any non-waivable rights you have under the mandatory data protection laws of your own country or state.