Australian Life Costs ("we", "us", "our") operates the website australianlifecosts.com.au (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit the Site. It is written to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and to address obligations applicable to visitors located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and California where relevant.
We do not ask you to register, log in, or provide personal details to use any calculator on this Site. Every calculation runs in your browser; we do not see your inputs or results. We do collect limited anonymous usage data through Google Analytics, and we display advertisements through Google AdSense. You can opt out of personalised advertising at any time using the links in this policy.
We do not directly collect personal information. We do not operate user accounts, lead-capture forms, or newsletter sign-ups. We do not require any input that identifies you.
The Site uses third-party services that collect anonymous technical and behavioural data on our behalf:
The Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies in three categories:
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect the display of advertisements but will not affect any calculator's ability to compute results.
This Site uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this Site or other sites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on those visits.
Users may opt out of personalised advertising in the following ways:
For information on how Google uses data from sites that use its services, see "How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services".
If you visit the Site from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent legislation apply. Our lawful basis for processing the limited data described above is legitimate interests — specifically, understanding aggregate site usage and funding the Site through advertising. You may object to this processing at any time by using the opt-out methods listed above or by ceasing to use the Site.
Under GDPR you have the right to access, correct, restrict, or delete personal data we hold about you. Because we do not collect personal information directly, in most cases there will be no data for us to action. For data held by our third-party providers (Google Analytics, Google AdSense), please contact those providers directly using the links above.
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act may apply. We do not sell personal information. The opt-out mechanisms described above also satisfy CCPA "Do Not Sell" rights.
Anonymous analytics data is used solely to improve the Site — understanding which calculators are useful, identifying technical issues, and prioritising new features. We do not sell data, share it with marketers, or use it for any commercial purpose beyond improving the Site and the advertisements shown on it.
Google Analytics data is retained according to Google's retention settings (currently 14 months for user-level data). Aggregate, non-identifying reports may be retained indefinitely. Cookies expire according to the lifetimes set by each provider — typically up to 24 months for advertising cookies and up to 24 months for analytics cookies.
Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988, GDPR, and equivalent legislation, you have the right to:
In Australia, complaints can be made to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. For EEA visitors, contact your national data protection authority. To exercise any of these rights with respect to data held by us directly, contact us via the email below — though as noted, in most cases we hold no personal data about individual visitors.
Australian Life Costs does not accept sponsored content, paid calculator placements, paid editorial, or financial product promotions. Advertisements displayed by Google AdSense are served automatically by Google's systems and do not represent endorsements by Australian Life Costs. We do not have visibility into which specific advertisers will appear on the Site.
This Site is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through this Site, please contact us so we can investigate.
Calculators and articles link to external sources including the ATO, APRA, ASFA, Services Australia, state revenue offices, MoneySmart, and others. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Each operates under its own privacy policy.
The Site is delivered over HTTPS. Cloudflare provides additional protection at the network edge. Because we do not collect or store personal information, the surface for data breaches is minimal — but no internet transmission is ever entirely secure.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as services or regulations change. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to [email protected]. We aim to respond within 14 days.
Australian Life Costs does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and is not authorised to provide personal financial advice. All calculators produce general estimates only. Before making financial decisions, consult a licensed financial adviser. Find a licensed adviser via ASIC MoneySmart →