Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how Paper and Thatch uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our website. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them. In the context of our focus on comparing mortgage prepayment strategies versus investment returns in the Edmonton market, we use these tools to ensure our financial modeling tools and educational resources function efficiently.

1. Regulatory Framework: PIPEDA and PIPA

As a business operating in Edmonton, Alberta, Paper and Thatch complies with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the provincial Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of Alberta. Under these regulations, cookies that collect information capable of identifying an individual are considered personal information. We are committed to transparency regarding how data is harvested and processed.

While Canada does not have a specific "Cookie Law" identical to the EU's ePrivacy Directive, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) requires meaningful consent for the use of tracking technologies. By using our site, you acknowledge our use of cookies as described herein.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners in order to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information. Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, Paper and Thatch) are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies."

3. Categories of Cookies We Use

We categorize our cookies into three main groups to help you understand their purpose:

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under PIPA Alberta, we process non-essential cookies based on your implied or express consent. When you first visit our site, you are presented with a notification. By continuing to navigate our resources on mortgage math and investment benchmarks, you consent to our use of these technologies. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.

5. How to Control Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie rights by setting your preferences in the Cookie Consent Manager. The Cookie Consent Manager allows you to select which categories of cookies you accept or reject.

You can also set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website (like certain financial calculators) may be restricted.

6. Third-Party Web Beacons and Pixels

In addition to cookies, we may use other, similar technologies, like web beacons (sometimes called "tracking pixels" or "clear gifs"). These are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enable us to recognize when someone has visited our website or opened an e-mail including them. This allows us, for example, to monitor the traffic patterns of users from one page within our website to another, such as moving from Mortgage Interest Calculation Manual to Investment Returns and Risk Metrics.

7. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please therefore re-visit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.