This Cookie Policy explains the small pieces of information our website saves in your browser, why we save them, how long they last and how you can control them. The short version: we do not set third-party advertising or analytics cookies by default, and what we do store stays on your device.
What cookies and similar technologies are
Cookies are small text files that a website asks your browser to store. They are sent back to the website with later requests, which lets the website recognise your browser. Cookies set by the website you are visiting are called first-party cookies; cookies set by other domains (for example, advertising networks or analytics services embedded in a page) are called third-party cookies, and these are commonly used to track people across different websites.
Websites can also use other browser technologies that work in a similar way:
- Local storage lets a website save information in your browser that stays there after you close the tab or restart your device, until it is deleted by you or by the website. Unlike cookies, local storage is not automatically sent to the website's server with each page request.
- Session storage works like local storage, but the information only lasts for your current browser tab. It is cleared when you close that tab.
Privacy laws and good practice treat these technologies in much the same way as cookies, so in this policy we use "cookies" as a convenient shorthand for all of them, and we list each one individually.
Our approach
We have designed hobartloans.com to collect as little as possible:
- No third-party trackers by default. Our website does not set third-party advertising or analytics cookies by default, and it does not use social media tracking pixels.
- Everything is self-hosted. Our fonts, scripts and icons are served from our own website rather than from external services such as font libraries or content delivery networks. That means simply loading one of our pages does not send your IP address or browsing information to those third parties.
- Browser storage, not tracking cookies. The items our website saves are stored in your browser's local storage and session storage. They make features work for you, such as remembering your cookie choice or the articles you bookmark. They are not sent to us and are not used to identify you or follow you around the web.
- Your choice comes first. Optional features only save information when you agree, through our cookie banner.
Separately, like almost every website, our hosting provider may keep standard server logs (IP address, browser user agent, pages requested and timestamps) for a limited period for security purposes. Server logs are not cookies and are not stored in your browser; they are described in our Privacy Policy.
Exactly what we store
The table below lists every item our website stores in your browser. If this list changes, we will update this page.
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
hl_cookie_consent | Local storage | Remembers the choice you made in our cookie banner (for example, "Accept all", "Necessary only" or your custom settings) so we do not ask you on every page and so we respect your choice | Until you clear your browser's site data or change your choice | Strictly necessary |
hl_form_name | Session storage | Holds the first name you entered in our contact form so the thank-you page can greet you by name after you submit it | Cleared automatically when you close the browser tab | Strictly necessary |
hl_bookmarks | Local storage | Remembers the articles you have chosen to save so you can find them again on your next visit | Until you remove the bookmarks or clear your browser's site data | Preferences |
hl_checklist_<name> | Local storage | Remembers which items you have ticked on a particular interactive checklist (the part after the underscore identifies the checklist), so your progress is kept | Until you untick the items or clear your browser's site data | Preferences |
hl_calc | Local storage | Remembers the figures you last entered into our loan calculator so they are still there when you come back | Until you clear your browser's site data | Preferences |
| None at present | Not applicable | Placeholder category for privacy-friendly website analytics. Analytics are not currently enabled and nothing is stored in this category | Not applicable | Analytics (placeholder) |
All of these items are first-party: they are created by our own website and can only be read by our website in your browser. The information in them is not sent to our server or to anyone else.
What the categories mean
- Strictly necessary: needed for the website to work as you would expect, or to remember the privacy choice you have made. These do not require consent because the website cannot properly provide what you asked for without them. They cannot be switched off in our settings, but you can delete them using your browser (see below).
- Preferences: make the website more convenient by remembering things you have chosen to save, such as bookmarks, checklist progress and calculator inputs. They are only used if you choose "Accept all" or switch "Preferences" on in Settings.
- Analytics: would help us understand how the website is used in aggregate. This category is a placeholder. Analytics are not currently enabled, and the toggle has no effect today. If we ever enable analytics, we will use a privacy-friendly tool, it will only run after you consent, and we will update this policy and our Privacy Policy first.
Managing your consent on our website
When you first visit our website, a cookie banner asks for your choice. It offers three options:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Accept all | Allows strictly necessary items and all optional categories, so bookmarks, checklist progress and calculator memory are saved. Because analytics are not currently enabled, no analytics data is collected even if you accept all |
| Necessary only | Allows only strictly necessary items. Optional features will not save information between visits |
| Settings | Lets you switch the optional categories on or off individually: "Analytics" (currently unused) and "Preferences" (bookmarks, checklist progress and calculator memory) |
You can change your mind at any time by selecting the "Cookie settings" link in the footer of any page. This reopens the settings so you can update your choice.
If you switch Preferences off, the website will stop saving new bookmarks, checklist ticks and calculator inputs. Items that were already saved stay in your browser until you clear them, which you can do using the browser instructions below. Clearing site data also removes your consent choice, so you will see the banner again on your next visit.
Controlling storage through your browser
Most browsers let you view and delete cookies and site data for individual websites, block cookies, or clear everything when you close the browser. Deleting site data for hobartloans.com removes all the items listed above. Blocking all site data may stop some features of our website, and many other websites, from working properly.
Browser menus change between versions and devices, so the steps below are a general guide. If the wording on your device differs, search your browser's help pages for "clear site data" or "cookies and site data".
Google Chrome
- Desktop: open Settings, go to Privacy and security, then Site settings (or Third-party cookies) and look for the option to view permissions and data stored across sites. Search for hobartloans.com and delete its data.
- Quicker option: while on our website, click the icon to the left of the address bar, open Site settings or Cookies and site data, and choose to clear or delete the data.
- Android: open Chrome's menu, then Settings, Site settings, All sites, select hobartloans.com and clear its data.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Settings, select Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data and choose Manage Data. Search for hobartloans.com, select it and remove it.
- Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection settings on the same page let you choose how strictly cookies and trackers are blocked.
Apple Safari
- Mac: open Safari's Settings (or Preferences), select Privacy, then Manage Website Data. Search for hobartloans.com and remove it.
- iPhone and iPad: open the device's Settings app, go to Safari (under Apps on newer versions), then Advanced and Website Data. Find hobartloans.com and delete it.
Microsoft Edge
- Open Settings, select Cookies and site permissions (or Privacy, search, and services), then Manage and delete cookies and site data and See all cookies and site data. Search for hobartloans.com and delete it.
Private browsing
If you use a private or incognito window, local storage and session storage are usually discarded when you close the window, so nothing from our website will persist between sessions.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a signal that some browsers and extensions send to tell websites you do not want your personal information sold or shared. We honour GPC: if your browser sends a GPC signal, our website treats it as if you had chosen "Necessary only", so optional categories stay off. You can still use the "Cookie settings" link to switch on Preferences if you want features such as bookmarks to be remembered.
Do Not Track (DNT) is an older browser setting. There is no agreed standard for how websites should respond to it, and many browsers have phased it out. Because our website does not track you across other websites and does not set third-party advertising or analytics cookies by default, there is no cross-site tracking for DNT to switch off.
Third-party websites
Our pages contain links to other websites, such as government regulators, lenders and our advertisers. When you follow a link, the other website may set its own cookies and use its own technologies under its own policies. We do not control those websites, so please check their cookie and privacy policies.
If our hosting provider ever needs to set a strictly necessary cookie for security or reliability purposes, or if we add any new item to your browser storage, we will list it in the table above.
Changes to this policy
We will update this policy whenever we change what our website stores in your browser, for example if we add a feature or enable privacy-friendly analytics. We will publish the updated policy on this page with a new "last updated" date. Where a change introduces a new optional category, we will ask for your consent again through the cookie banner before it applies.
Contact us
If you have questions about this policy or how our website uses browser storage, email [email protected] with the subject line "Privacy". For more on how we handle personal information, including your rights to access and correction and how to make a complaint, see our Privacy Policy. Our Terms and Conditions also apply to your use of the website.
