1. Introduction
Merkapital ("we", "us", or "our") operates the quantitative portfolio intelligence platform at https://merkapitalresearch.com/. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Platform. Because we operate in the financial services and technology space, we take the protection of your personal information seriously and adhere to practices appropriate for users who may rely on our outputs for investment research.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
- Account information: When you create an account or sign in via email (magic link) or Google OAuth, we collect your email address and, if provided via Google, your name and profile picture.
- Watchlist data: If you use the watchlist feature, symbol selections may be stored locally in your browser (localStorage) and, where applicable, associated with your account for persistence.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Usage data: We may collect information about how you interact with the Platform, including pages visited, features used, and general usage patterns.
- Log data: Our infrastructure (e.g., Vercel) may log IP addresses, browser type, device type, and request timestamps for security and operational purposes.
- Session data: We use session cookies and tokens to maintain your authenticated session. Session data is stored server-side and in cookies to enable sign-in persistence.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and maintain the Platform
- Authenticate your identity and manage your account
- Save and restore your preferences (e.g., watchlist)
- Improve the Platform, including performance and usability
- Respond to your inquiries and support requests
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents
4. Third-Party Services & Data Sharing
We use third-party services that may receive or process your information:
- Authentication: NextAuth.js with Google OAuth and email magic links. Google's OAuth service receives your email and profile when you sign in with Google. See Google's Privacy Policy for how they handle your data.
- Hosting & infrastructure: Vercel (hosting), Neon (PostgreSQL database). These providers process your data to operate the Platform and may have access to account data and session information.
- Market data: Alpha Vantage provides fundamental and analyst data. We do not send your personal information to Alpha Vantage; we only request market data from them.
- AI/Block analysis: The Block Analyzer feature may use OpenAI's API to analyze block trade data. Trade data sent for analysis does not include your personal information.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED): We fetch US Treasury yield data for benchmarking. No personal data is sent to FRED.
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with service providers who act on our behalf and are obligated to protect it, or when required by law or to protect our rights.
5. Cookies & Local Storage
We use cookies and similar technologies for:
- Authentication: Session cookies to keep you signed in across page loads.
- Preferences: LocalStorage may store your watchlist symbols so you can return to them without re-entering.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may limit your ability to sign in or use certain features.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account data (email, name, profile) for as long as your account is active. Session data is stored for the duration of your session and may expire after a period of inactivity (e.g., 30 days). We may retain certain data longer as required by law or for legitimate business purposes such as fraud prevention or dispute resolution.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), secure storage of credentials, and access controls. We use industry-standard hosting and database providers. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
- Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Opt-out: Opt out of certain uses or withdraw consent where applicable
To exercise these rights, contact us using the contact information provided on the Platform. If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
9. Financial Services Considerations
Merkapital provides quantitative research tools—not investment advice, brokerage, or advisory services. We do not collect financial account numbers, transaction history, or detailed financial profiles beyond what you voluntarily provide. We do not share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We do not use your data for purposes unrelated to providing and improving the Platform.
10. Children
The Platform is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us and we will remove it promptly.
11. International Transfers
Our servers and service providers may be located in the United States or other jurisdictions. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in those jurisdictions. By using the Platform, you consent to such transfer.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on the Platform and update the "Last updated" date. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform or by email where appropriate. Your continued use of the Platform after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact
For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at the contact information provided on the Platform.