This Data Retention & Deletion Policy explains how long SaveCash retains your data and how you can request deletion. Our retention practices balance your privacy rights, regulatory compliance requirements, business operational needs, and security obligations.

1. Data Retention Periods

1.1 Active Account Data

While your account is active, we retain data necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

• Account profile and identity information: Retained for duration of account plus regulatory requirements
• Transaction history and financial data: 7 years after account closure (IRS and AML requirements)
• Communication records: 2 years
• Marketing preferences and consents: Until you opt out or withdraw consent
• Security logs and audit trails: 2-7 years depending on data type

1.2 Regulatory Retention Requirements

Certain data must be retained for extended periods to comply with financial regulations:

• Bank Secrecy Act (BSA): Transaction records and SARs retained for 5 years
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Financial records retained for 7 years
• SEC & FINRA: Securities-related records retained for 6 years
• State Money Transmitter Laws: Varies by state; typically 5-7 years
• AML/CTF Regulations: Customer identification records retained for 5 years after account closure
• GDPR: Retention based on legitimate business need or legal requirement

1.3 Suspended or Closed Accounts

When you close your account or it is suspended:

• Identity and profile data: Retained for 5-7 years after account closure for regulatory compliance
• Transaction data: Retained for 7 years after last transaction (IRS and AML requirements)
• Financial records: Retained for 7 years after account closure
• Dispute and complaint records: Retained for 2 years after resolution
• Security event logs: Retained for 2 years after account closure

1.4 Marketing and Analytics Data

We retain marketing and analytics data for shorter periods:

• Marketing preferences: Until opt-out or 3 years of inactivity
• Website analytics: 26 months
• Cookie data: Per cookie policy (typically 1-2 years)
• Marketing campaign data: 2 years after campaign end

2. Right to Deletion

2.1 When You Can Request Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal data in the following circumstances:

• The data is no longer necessary for the original purpose
• You withdraw consent (where processing was based on consent)
• You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
• The data was processed unlawfully
• Deletion is required to comply with a legal obligation

2.2 Exceptions to Deletion Rights

We may decline deletion requests when:

• Legal compliance: Retention required by law (tax, AML, banking regulations)
• Ongoing legal proceedings: Data relevant to current or anticipated litigation
• Risk management: Data necessary for fraud prevention, security, or risk assessment
• Public interest: Retention serves important public policy goals
• Exercise of legal claims: Data needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights
• Anonymous data: Data has been anonymized and cannot be linked to you

2.3 How to Request Deletion

To request data deletion:

• Submit a request through your account dashboard settings
• Email privacy.savecash@gmail.com with subject line: "Data Deletion Request"
• Include your full name, email, and account verification details
• Specify what data you want deleted (if not requesting full deletion)
• We will respond within 30 days (GDPR) or 45 days (CCPA)

3. Deletion Process

3.1 What We Delete

When deletion is possible, we permanently remove:

• Personal identification information
• Account preferences and settings
• Contact information
• Marketing data and analytics
• Communications and support tickets
• User-generated content

3.2 What We Retain

Even after deletion requests, we may retain:

• Transaction records required by IRS (7 years)
• AML/KYC compliance records (5 years after account closure)
• Security logs and audit trails
• Anonymized, aggregated analytics data
• Data subject to legal holds or disputes

3.3 Technical Deletion Methods

We ensure secure deletion through:

• Logical deletion from production databases
• Secure data wiping of backup systems during retention periods
• Cryptographic erasure where applicable
• Destruction of physical media containing deleted data

4. International Data Transfers

If you reside outside the United States, your data may be transferred, stored, and processed in the U.S. or other jurisdictions. We maintain appropriate safeguards (Standard Contractual Clauses, Privacy Shield successors) to ensure your data receives adequate protection consistent with your jurisdiction's laws.

5. Automated Decision-Making Deletion

If you delete your account, we will also delete:

• AI/ML training data derived from your account (where technically feasible)
• Personalized recommendations and profile information
• Automated decision-making histories

6. Third-Party Data Sharing

When we delete your data, we also request deletion from third-party service providers who process data on our behalf. However, third parties may maintain your data according to their own retention policies or legal requirements.

7. Account Closure

When you close your SaveCash account:

• Account access is immediately suspended
• Recurring transactions and subscriptions are cancelled
• Pending withdrawals and settlements are processed
• You can export your data before closure
• Regulatory retention periods begin from closure date
• We may retain your email for account recovery purposes for 12 months

8. Children's Data

SaveCash does not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If we learn we have inadvertently collected such data, we will delete it immediately upon discovery.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Data Retention & Deletion Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes by email or through our platform. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact Information

For questions about data retention or deletion requests: