Arboreal Inc. ("we," "our," or "us") operates Money Garden, a personal finance application that uses visual metaphors to help creative professionals understand and manage their financial data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use Money Garden (the "Service").
By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described here.
Important: Money Garden connects to your bank accounts through
Plaid Inc. We strongly encourage you to also review
Plaid's Privacy Policy to understand how Plaid handles your financial data.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you create an account or use the Service, you may provide:
- Name and email address
- Username and password
- Financial goals, budget categories, and notes you enter manually
- Feedback and communications you send us
1.2 Financial Data Collected Through Plaid
When you connect a bank account, Money Garden uses Plaid to retrieve the following data directly from your financial institutions:
- Account balances (checking, savings, investment, credit, loan accounts)
- Transaction history (description, amount, date, merchant category)
- Account identifiers (account name, type, last four digits)
- Institution name and routing information
We do not store your bank login credentials. Plaid handles all authentication directly with your financial institution. Your username, password, and multi-factor authentication codes are never transmitted to or stored by us.
1.3 Usage and Technical Data
We automatically collect certain technical information when you use the Service:
- Device type, operating system, and browser type
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Pages visited, features used, and time spent in the app
- Error logs and performance data
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and maintain the Service
- Display your financial data within your chosen visual theme (Garden, Space, Mint, RPG)
- Calculate net worth, savings rates, and financial summaries
- Sync updated account balances and transactions from your linked institutions
- Send you service-related emails (account confirmations, updates, security notices)
- Respond to your questions and provide customer support
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
- Improve and develop new features of the Service
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal or financial data to third parties. We do not use your financial data to serve you advertisements.
3. Our Relationship With Plaid
Money Garden uses Plaid to connect to your financial institutions. When you link a bank account, you will interact with Plaid's interface ("Plaid Link"), which is operated entirely by Plaid.
- Plaid acts as an independent data processor when you authenticate with your bank
- We receive financial data from Plaid via API and store it on our servers to power the Service
- We request only the minimum data necessary: balances, transactions, and account identifiers
- We do not request or store your full account numbers or Social Security number
By connecting a bank account, you also agree to Plaid's End User Privacy Policy.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal or financial information. We may share your information only in these limited circumstances:
4.1 Service Providers
- Plaid Inc. — bank account connectivity and financial data retrieval
- Hosting providers — secure cloud infrastructure for the Service
- Analytics providers — aggregated, anonymized usage data only
- Payment processors — subscription billing (they do not receive your financial account data)
4.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.
4.3 Business Transfers
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
5. Data Retention
- Account information is retained until you request account deletion
- Financial transaction data is retained for up to 24 months to support historical reporting
- Bank connection tokens are refreshed automatically — we never store your bank credentials
- When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days
6. Data Security
- All data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.2 or higher
- Financial data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption
- Bank credentials are never stored by us — Plaid handles all credential management
- We conduct regular security reviews of our systems and practices
No method of electronic transmission is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at hello@mymoneygarden.com.
7. Your Rights and Choices
7.1 Access and Correction
You may access, update, or correct your account information at any time by logging into the Service or contacting us.
7.2 Disconnecting Bank Accounts
You can disconnect any linked bank account at any time within the app. Previously retrieved transaction data will be deleted within 30 days unless you request immediate deletion.
7.3 Account Deletion
Email hello@mymoneygarden.com with the subject line "Account Deletion Request." We will process your request within 30 days.
7.4 Data Portability
You may request a copy of your personal and financial data in a machine-readable format by contacting us.
7.5 Revoking Plaid Access
You can revoke our access to your financial data through Plaid's privacy portal at any time, in addition to disconnecting accounts within the app.
7.6 Marketing Communications
You may opt out of promotional emails by clicking "unsubscribe" in any marketing email. You will still receive essential service-related emails.
8. Additional Rights for Certain Users
8.1 California Residents (CCPA)
California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and be free from discrimination for exercising privacy rights. Contact us to exercise these rights — we will respond within 45 days.
8.2 European Users (GDPR)
If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, our legal bases for processing include contract performance, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and consent. You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, and port your data.
9. Children's Privacy
Money Garden is not directed to children under 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
- Essential cookies — required for authentication and session management
- Analytics cookies — to understand how users interact with the Service (aggregated only)
- Preference cookies — to remember your chosen theme and display settings
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent the Service from functioning correctly.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
When we update this policy, we will post the revised version with an updated effective date, send an email notification for material changes, and provide at least 30 days notice before material changes take effect.