PRIVACY POLICY
Effective Date: September 14, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect information obtained through our website, products, services, applications, communications, and other business activities (collectively, the "Services").
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HelocRates.us is a consumer-facing website operated by Bark Technologies, LLC dba Bark Tech Partners (the “Company”). For purposes of this Privacy Policy, “HelocRates.us,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to the HelocRates.us service and the Company operating it. We value your privacy and are committed to providing transparency and meaningful choices regarding personal information collected through HelocRates.us and related services.
Our goal is to be transparent about our data practices while providing you with meaningful choices regarding your personal information.
By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
1. Our Commitment to Privacy
Protecting personal information is fundamental to maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, vendors, and website visitors.
We collect only the information reasonably necessary to operate our business, provide requested services, improve our products, maintain security, comply with legal obligations, and deliver a better user experience.
We are committed to implementing reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
2. Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:
Any future HelocRates.us products or services unless covered by a separate privacy notice.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites, products, or services that maintain their own privacy policies.
3. Information We Collect
Depending upon how you interact with HelocRates.us, we may collect the following categories of information.
Personal Information
Examples include:
Technical Information
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:
IP address
Browser type
Operating system
Device identifiers
Screen resolution
Language preferences
Referring website
Pages viewed
Session activity
Clickstream data
Date and time of visits
Marketing & Advertising Information
We may collect information relating to marketing activity, including:
Communications
If you contact HelocRates.us, we may retain records of:
Business Information
For customers, vendors, or business partners, we may collect information relating to:
Information You Choose to Provide
You may voluntarily provide additional information through forms, uploaded documents, surveys, consultations, meetings, or communications with our team.
4. How We Collect Information
Information may be collected through a variety of methods, including:
Website forms
Cookies
Browser technologies
Analytics tools
Marketing pixels
CRM platforms
API integrations
Advertising platforms
Email communications
Telephone conversations
Virtual meetings
Business relationships
Publicly available sources
Information provided by our partners
Information you voluntarily submit
5. How We Use Information
We may use information we collect to:
Provide requested services
Respond to inquiries
Operate our business
Improve our website
Personalize user experiences
Deliver marketing communications where permitted
Analyze website performance
Improve advertising effectiveness
Measure campaign performance
Develop new products and services
Improve software functionality
Maintain security
Detect fraud
Prevent unauthorized activity
Comply with legal obligations
Enforce our agreements
Protect our rights and property
Conduct internal research and analytics
Support customer service
Facilitate business operations
We will use personal information only for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
6. Marketing Technologies & Analytics
To understand how our Services are used and to improve the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, HelocRates.us may use a variety of technologies, including:
Web analytics platforms
Tag management systems
Marketing pixels
Conversion tracking technologies
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Call tracking solutions
Marketing automation platforms
Attribution platforms
Advertising platforms
Session replay tools
Heat mapping technologies
Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools used for analytics or operational support
These technologies help us measure engagement, understand user behavior, improve our Services, and optimize marketing performance.
The specific technologies we use may change over time as our business evolves. We will update this Privacy Policy as appropriate when our practices materially change.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
HelocRates.us uses cookies and similar technologies to improve the functionality of our Services, understand how visitors interact with our website, enhance security, personalize user experiences, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.
These technologies may include:
Cookies may be used to:
Remember user preferences
Maintain website functionality
Analyze website performance
Measure advertising effectiveness
Detect security incidents
Improve customer experiences
Support fraud prevention
Personalize content where appropriate
Most web browsers allow you to control or disable cookies through browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of portions of our Services.
8. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Technologies
As part of our commitment to innovation, HelocRates.us may utilize artificial intelligence ("AI"), machine learning, automation, predictive analytics, and similar technologies to improve our business operations and customer experience.
These technologies may assist with:
Marketing optimization
Campaign reporting
Customer communications
Analytics
Fraud detection
Website functionality
Software development
Operational efficiency
Customer support
Product improvement
Data analysis
Where appropriate, AI-assisted processes are intended to support—not replace—human judgment.
We continually evaluate emerging technologies to ensure they are implemented responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws and industry best practices.
9. How We Share Information
We may disclose, sell, or share personal information as those terms are defined under applicable state privacy laws, including when you ask us to help identify or connect you with participating lenders, brokers, home-service providers, financial service providers, advertising partners, or other businesses that may offer products or services relevant to your request. We may receive monetary or other valuable consideration in connection with certain lead-generation, referral, advertising, or marketing arrangements.
Depending on your request, our business relationships, and applicable law, recipients may include:
Service providers
Technology vendors
Cloud hosting providers
Analytics providers
Marketing platforms
Advertising partners
Customer relationship management (CRM) providers
Payment processors
Professional advisors
Government authorities when required by law
Business partners with your authorization
Successors in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets
We require service providers who process personal information on our behalf to protect that information and use it only for authorized business purposes.
10. Service Providers
We work with carefully selected third-party service providers to help us operate our business.
These providers may assist with:
Communications
Payment processing
Customer support
Software development
Professional consulting
Service providers receive only the information reasonably necessary to perform their services.
11. Business Transfers
If HelocRates.us or its operator is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.
Any successor entity will remain responsible for honoring applicable privacy commitments unless otherwise disclosed.
12. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
Provide requested services
Maintain business records
Comply with legal obligations
Resolve disputes
Enforce agreements
Improve products and services
Protect our legitimate business interests
Retention periods vary depending upon the nature of the information and applicable legal requirements.
When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of it.
13. Data Security
We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
These safeguards may include:
While we strive to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
14. Children's Privacy
Our Services are intended for business users and individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under thirteen (13) years of age.
If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child, we will take reasonable steps to delete such information in accordance with applicable law.
15. International Data Transfers
Although HelocRates.us primarily operates business within the United States, information may be processed or stored in jurisdictions outside your state or country of residence through our service providers.
Where applicable, we take reasonable measures designed to protect personal information during such transfers in accordance with applicable law.
16. U.S. State Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and whether an applicable state privacy law applies to HelocRates.us, you may have rights concerning your personal information. These rights are subject to legal exceptions and may include the rights described below.
Confirm whether we process your personal information and access that information.
Correct inaccuracies in your personal information.
Delete personal information, subject to applicable exceptions.
Obtain a portable copy of personal information you previously provided to us, where required.
Opt out of the sale of personal information.
Opt out of the sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising, where applicable.
Opt out of certain profiling or automated processing in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects, where applicable.
Limit certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information where applicable.
Appeal a decision we make regarding a privacy-rights request where applicable.
Use an authorized agent to submit a request where permitted by law.
Receive equal service and not be unlawfully discriminated against for exercising privacy rights.
California Residents — CCPA/CPRA
If you are a California resident and the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the “CCPA”), applies to HelocRates.us, you may have the right to know/access, delete, correct, obtain information about categories and sources of personal information and the purposes for which it is used or disclosed, opt out of sale or sharing, limit certain uses or disclosures of sensitive personal information, and be free from unlawful discrimination for exercising CCPA rights.
Categories of personal information we may collect include identifiers and contact information; internet or other electronic network activity; commercial, marketing, advertising, and attribution information; approximate location information derived from IP address or ZIP code; professional or employment-related information you provide; financial or home-financing information you provide; inferences derived from information you submit; and other information you voluntarily provide. We collect and use these categories for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including responding to your request, matching you with potential providers, operating and improving the site, fraud prevention, analytics, advertising, compliance, and business operations.
HelocRates.us may sell or share personal information, as those terms are defined by the CCPA, when information is provided to participating providers, lead buyers, advertising partners, or other third parties in connection with lead generation, referrals, advertising, or cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16 years of age.
California consumers may opt out of sale or sharing by using the “Your Privacy Choices” or “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in the website footer when available, or by emailing compliance@barktechpartners.com with the subject line “Privacy Opt-Out.” Where required, we will honor qualifying browser-based opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, for the browser or device sending the signal.
If HelocRates.us uses or discloses sensitive personal information for purposes that trigger a statutory right to limit, California consumers may exercise that right through the “Your Privacy Choices” mechanism or by emailing compliance@barktechpartners.com. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about consumers except as permitted by law.
California Notice at Collection
At or before collection, HelocRates.us may collect the categories described above. We use them to provide the services you request, evaluate and present potential home-financing or related options, connect you with participating providers, operate and secure the site, prevent fraud, measure and improve advertising and site performance, comply with law, and conduct the other purposes described in this Policy. Some categories may be sold or shared as described above. We retain each category only for as long as reasonably necessary for the disclosed purpose, legal obligations, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, enforcement of agreements, and legitimate business needs. The criteria used to determine retention include the nature and sensitivity of the information, the purpose for which it was collected, contractual and legal requirements, and applicable limitation periods.
Residents of Other U.S. States
Residents of states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws—including, as applicable, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and other states whose privacy laws become applicable to HelocRates.us—may have some or all of the rights described in this section. The exact rights, definitions, exceptions, response periods, and appeal procedures vary by state and by whether the law applies to HelocRates.us or the particular processing activity.
Where applicable, you may opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, and certain profiling by using the “Your Privacy Choices” mechanism or by emailing compliance@barktechpartners.com with the subject line “Privacy Opt-Out.” Where required by applicable law, we will recognize qualifying universal opt-out mechanisms or preference signals.
17. How to Exercise Your Privacy Rights
You may submit a privacy request by emailing compliance@barktechpartners.com. Please use a subject line that identifies the request, such as “Privacy Request,” “Access Request,” “Deletion Request,” “Correction Request,” “Privacy Opt-Out,” or “Privacy Appeal.” In your message, provide enough information for us to understand the request and reasonably verify that it relates to you. Do not send Social Security numbers, financial-account passwords, or other unnecessary sensitive information.
Where a website “Your Privacy Choices” or “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” control is available, you may also use that control to submit an opt-out request. We will not require you to create an account solely to exercise an opt-out right.
We may take reasonable steps to verify access, correction, deletion, or portability requests before responding. Verification requirements will depend on the nature of the request and the sensitivity of the information involved. We may deny or limit a request where permitted by law and will provide an explanation when required.
Authorized agents may submit requests where permitted by law. We may request proof of the agent’s authority and, where permitted, may ask the consumer to verify their identity or confirm the authorization directly.
If applicable state law provides a right to appeal and we deny your request, you may appeal by emailing compliance@barktechpartners.com with the subject line “Privacy Appeal” and identifying the prior request. We will respond within the period required by applicable law and, where required, provide information about how to contact the appropriate state regulator or attorney general.
We will respond to verified requests within the time required by applicable law. Exercising a privacy right will not result in unlawful discrimination, retaliation, or denial of services.
18. Do Not Track and Opt-Out Preference Signals
Some web browsers transmit "Do Not Track" ("DNT") signals.
Because there is no universally accepted standard for traditional “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals, we do not respond to DNT signals unless required by law. This is separate from legally recognized opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, which we will honor where required by applicable law.
19. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, technology, legal requirements, or other operational needs.
The Effective Date at the beginning of this Privacy Policy indicates when it was last revised.
Your continued use of our Services following any updates constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised Privacy Policy.
20. Contact Us
Questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices may be directed to:
