Privacy Policy

The short version. We collect the information you give us (like your email, application answers, and what you tell us on calls), plus standard technical data about how you use the site. We use it to run Acquisition Ace, send you what you signed up for, and market our program, including through advertising tools like the Meta and Google pixels. We don't sell your information for money, but some advertising tools count as "selling" or "sharing" under certain state laws, and you can opt out of that at any time. We use AI tools to help us work, and we do not use your personal information to train AI models. You have real rights over your data, and this policy explains all of them.

This Privacy Policy explains how Acquisition Ace ("Acquisition Ace," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you visit acquisitionace.io, use our free tools and calculators, subscribe to our newsletter, apply to or participate in our programs, book or attend calls with us, join our community, or otherwise interact with us (together, the "Services").

By using the Services, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

Our Services are operated from and directed to the United States. If you use the Services from outside the United States, see "International visitors" below.

1. Information we collect

Information you give us directly

• Contact and identity information. Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address (if you provide it), for example when you subscribe to the newsletter, download a resource, book a call, or contact us.
• Application and program information. When you apply to our program or attend a strategy call, you may share information about your professional background, goals, timeline, income, savings, access to capital, credit profile, and business-buying plans. Share only what you're comfortable sharing; we ask for this to understand whether and how we can help you.
• Payment information. If you purchase a program, payments are processed by third-party payment processors (such as Stripe or similar). We receive confirmation of your payment and limited billing details, but we do not store full card numbers on our systems.
• Community and coaching content. Posts, comments, questions, wins, results, photos, and other content you share in our community (hosted on Skool) or during coaching sessions and events.
• Call recordings and transcripts. Strategy calls, coaching calls, and webinars may be recorded and transcribed, including with the help of AI note-taking tools, as described in Section 4. You will be told before or at the start of any recorded call, and by staying on a call after notice you consent to the recording. Where the law requires, we obtain your consent explicitly.
• Testimonials and case studies. If you choose to share your story or results with us, we collect what you submit (which may include photos, video, deal details, and financial figures). Use of testimonials in marketing is governed by our Terms of Service and, for featured members, a separate written release.
• Calculator and tool inputs. Numbers you enter into our free tools (for example, deal price, down payment, revenue, or debt-service figures). Where tools work without an account, we do not link these inputs to your identity unless you also give us your contact information (for example, to receive results by email).
• Communications. Emails, texts, form submissions, chat messages, survey responses, and anything else you send us.

Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data. IP address, browser and device type, operating system, pages viewed, links clicked, referring pages, approximate (city-level) location derived from IP address, and time spent on the site.
• Cookies and similar technologies. Cookies, pixels, tags, and software development kits, as described in Section 5, including analytics tools, advertising pixels, and tools that help us understand how visitors use pages (which may record interactions such as scrolling and clicks).
• Email engagement. Our email platform tells us whether emails were delivered, opened, or clicked, so we can send you less of what you ignore and more of what you use.

Information from other sources

• Service providers and platforms. Scheduling tools, community platform (Skool), webinar tools, payment processors, and advertising platforms may share information with us about your interactions with our content.
• Publicly available and business information. For example, if you tell us about a business you bought, we may review public information about it in order to feature or verify your story, with your involvement.

We do not ask for, and ask that you never send us, Social Security numbers, government ID numbers, full financial account credentials, health information, or other highly sensitive data through the website, forms, chat, or email.

2. Sensitive personal information

We do not intentionally collect "sensitive personal information" as defined by state privacy laws (such as government identifiers, precise geolocation, biometric data, or health data). Financial details you voluntarily share in an application or on a call (for example, your available capital) are used only to evaluate fit for and deliver our program, to communicate with you, and for security and legal compliance, not for any other purpose, and never sold. We do not use sensitive information to infer characteristics about you.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information to:

• Provide the Services, deliver the newsletter, tools, content, programs, community access, coaching, and events you request;
• Review and respond to applications, prepare for and follow up on calls, and manage your participation in the program;
• Process payments, manage accounts, and provide customer support;
• Send marketing and educational communications you have signed up for (you can unsubscribe at any time);
• Advertise our Services, including measuring ad performance and reaching people similar to our members (see Sections 5 and 6, and your opt-out rights in Section 9);
• Improve the Services, understand what content and tools are useful, fix problems, and develop new offerings;
• Personalize your experience, such as remembering preferences and showing relevant content;
• Protect the Services and our community, security, fraud prevention, abuse prevention, and enforcing our Terms of Service;
• Comply with legal obligations, and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We collect and use only what is reasonably necessary for these purposes, and we do not use your personal information for materially different purposes without telling you (and, where required, getting your consent).

4. How we use AI, and how we don't

We use artificial intelligence tools to help us work efficiently. In the spirit of transparency, here is exactly what that means:

• AI meeting notes and transcription. Calls with us (for example, strategy calls or coaching sessions) may be recorded and transcribed by AI note-taking tools so we can focus on the conversation instead of note-taking. You will always be notified before or at the start of a recorded call, and if you prefer not to be recorded, just say so and we will accommodate you.
• AI-assisted content and support. We may use AI tools to help draft emails, content, and support responses, and we may use AI chat assistants on the site. If a chat assistant is automated, it will be identified as such. We supervise how these tools are used, but like all AI, they can occasionally be inaccurate, important answers should be confirmed with a human on our team.
• AI-assisted tools and images. Some of our free calculators and tools are built with the help of AI, and some illustrations and images on the site may be AI-generated. Unless an image is identified as a real member or team member, it does not depict a real person, business, or transaction. Calculator outputs are educational estimates only, see our Terms of Service for details.
• No AI training on your personal information. We do not use your personal information to train generative AI models, and we do not sell or license your personal information (including call recordings, transcripts, community posts, or application answers) to anyone for AI training. We select AI vendors whose terms restrict them from using our data to train their models, and we configure no-training settings where offered. Personal data is not used by us or (to our knowledge, per their contractual commitments) by our vendors to train large language models.
• No automated decisions without humans. We do not use AI or other automated systems to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you (such as automatically accepting or rejecting a program application) without meaningful human review. Real people on our team review applications and make those decisions.

5. Cookies, pixels, and analytics

We and our partners use cookies and similar technologies in these categories:

• Essential. Required to make the site work, page delivery, security, remembering choices like a dismissed banner. These can't be switched off.
• Analytics. Help us count visits and understand how pages are used, in aggregate, for example, Google Analytics. You can learn how Google uses data at google.com/policies/privacy/partners and opt out via the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
• Advertising. Pixels and tags from advertising platforms, including the Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Pixel and Google Ads tags, and similar tools from other ad platforms we may use, that help us measure ad results, show ads to people who visited our site, and reach new audiences. These providers may collect information directly from your browser or device under their own privacy policies and may combine it with other information they hold about you.
• Site experience. Tools that help us see how pages perform (for example, heatmaps or session analytics) so we can improve layout and content.
• Email pixels. Small images in our emails that tell us whether an email was opened or clicked.

Your controls: you can manage cookies through our cookie preference tools (where shown), your browser settings, and the opt-out choices in Section 9. Blocking some cookies may affect how the site works.

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Our site does not respond to legacy "Do Not Track" browser signals, because no common standard was ever adopted for them. We do honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC): if your browser or extension sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of the "sale"/"sharing" of your personal information and targeted advertising for that browser, as described in Section 9.

6. Advertising, "selling," and "sharing"

We do not sell your personal information for money, and we never will. However, like most websites that advertise online, we use advertising cookies and pixels that pass certain information (such as identifiers, device data, and pages viewed) to advertising platforms like Meta and Google. Under some state privacy laws, including California's, this counts as "selling" or "sharing" personal information for targeted (cross-context behavioral) advertising.

So, to be precise:

• Categories involved: identifiers (such as cookie IDs and IP address), internet activity (pages viewed, actions on our site), and, for matched audiences, hashed contact information.
• Recipients: advertising platforms and networks (for example, Meta and Google).
• Purpose: measuring and improving our advertising and showing you and similar audiences relevant ads.
• Your opt-out: you can opt out at any time via the "Your Privacy Choices" / "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in our website footer, via our cookie preference tools, or by using a browser with Global Privacy Control enabled. See Section 9.

We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of anyone under 18, and we do not use targeted advertising directed at minors.

7. Who we share information with

We share personal information only as described here:

• Service providers who process data on our behalf under contracts that restrict their use of it, in categories including: website hosting and content delivery; analytics; email and marketing platforms; customer relationship management (CRM) tools; scheduling and booking tools; form and survey tools; payment processors; webinar and video platforms; AI transcription and productivity tools (Section 4); and customer support tools.
• Community platform (Skool). Our community is hosted on Skool. When you join, Skool processes your data under its own privacy policy, and your profile and posts are visible to other members. Please review Skool's privacy policy; we encourage you to share in the community only what you're comfortable with other members seeing.
• Advertising platforms, as described in Section 6, which may act as independent businesses rather than our service providers.
• Professional advisors lawyers, accountants, auditors, and insurers, under confidentiality obligations.
• Legal and safety. If required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, the safety of our members or the public, or to detect and prevent fraud or abuse.
• Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of all or part of our business, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy's commitments.

We never sell your personal information for money, and we never share it with unrelated third parties for their own marketing. Some states (for example, Oregon and Minnesota) give you the right to request a list of the specific third parties that have received your personal data; you can make that request using the methods in Section 9.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, and then delete, anonymize, or archive it as required by law. Our general retention practices:

Where exact periods aren't listed, we determine retention based on: the nature and sensitivity of the data, why we collected it, legal requirements, and whether we're dealing with an active relationship, dispute, or legal obligation.

9. Your privacy rights

We extend the rights below to all users, regardless of which state (or country) you live in. Depending on where you live, some of these are also your legal rights under state privacy laws (including in California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Delaware, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, Minnesota, Maryland, Indiana, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and other states as their laws take effect):

• Right to know / access. Confirm whether we process your personal information and receive a copy of it, including the categories collected, sources, purposes, and categories of recipients.
• Right to correct. Fix inaccurate personal information.
• Right to delete. Ask us to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to portability. Receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Right to opt out of "sale"/"sharing" and targeted advertising. See Section 6. Use the "Your Privacy Choices" link in our footer, our cookie preference tools, or a Global Privacy Control-enabled browser, we honor GPC signals as a valid opt-out for that browser without making you jump through extra hoops.
• Right to opt out of profiling. We do not use automated profiling to make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects about you (Section 4); if that ever changes, you will have the right to opt out.
• Right to limit sensitive data use. We only use sensitive information as described in Section 2; you may ask us to confirm or limit this.
• Right to no retaliation. We will never discriminate or retaliate against you for exercising your rights.

How to exercise your rights. Email hello@acquisitionace.io with the subject "Privacy Request," or use our contact form. Tell us which right you're exercising and the email address or phone number you've used with us. You can also designate an authorized agent to act for you; we will require proof of the agent's authority.

Verification. To protect you, we verify requests by matching the information you provide against what we hold (for example, confirming control of the email address on file). We won't require you to create an account to exercise rights, and opting out of sale/sharing requires no verification at all.

Timing. We respond within 45 days, and may extend by another 45 days for complex requests (we'll tell you if so).

Appeals. If we decline your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision (or emailing hello@acquisitionace.io with subject "Appeal") within a reasonable time. We will respond to appeals within 60 days (45 days for Colorado residents) with a written explanation of what we did or didn't do and why. If your appeal is denied, you may contact your state Attorney General to submit a complaint, most state AG offices accept complaints online.

10. Additional information for California residents

This section supplements the rest of the policy for California residents (CCPA/CPRA).

Categories of personal information collected in the preceding 12 months (with sources and recipients as described in Sections 1 and 7): identifiers (name, email, phone, IP address, online identifiers); customer records (contact and billing details); commercial information (purchases, program participation); internet or other electronic network activity (site usage, interactions with our emails and ads); approximate geolocation (city-level from IP); audio/visual information (call recordings, submitted photos and video); professional and employment-related information (background shared in applications); inferences (for example, interests based on content engaged with); and, to the extent you volunteer it in applications or calls, financial readiness information.

Sold or shared: identifiers and internet activity are "shared" (and may be "sold" as broadly defined) with advertising platforms for cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in Section 6. Disclosed for business purposes: all categories above, to the service-provider categories in Section 7. We have no actual knowledge of selling or sharing the personal information of consumers under 16.

Your California rights are as listed in Section 9 (know/access, delete, correct, opt out of sale/sharing, limit sensitive PI, portability, non-discrimination). Exercise them via the "Your Privacy Choices" footer link or hello@acquisitionace.io.

Notice at collection. The categories, purposes, retention criteria, and opt-out rights described in Sections 1, 3, 6, 8, and 9 constitute our notice at collection.

Financial incentives. If we offer content, tools, or discounts in exchange for contact information (for example, a free resource delivered by email), the value to you is the resource itself, and the value to us is the ability to send you relevant education and offers, which we estimate in good faith to be reasonably related to the cost of providing the resource. You can opt in by signing up and withdraw at any time by unsubscribing or requesting deletion.

Do Not Track / GPC: see Section 5.

11. Nevada residents

Nevada residents may opt out of the future sale of covered information as defined by Nevada law. We do not sell covered information for money, but you may submit an opt-out request to hello@acquisitionace.io.

12. Children's privacy

The Services are intended for adults and are directed to people 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly sell, share, or use for targeted advertising the personal information of minors. If you believe a child or teen has provided us personal information, contact us at hello@acquisitionace.io and we will delete it.

13. Email, text, and phone communications

• Email. Marketing emails include a working unsubscribe link and our postal address. Unsubscribes are honored promptly (and always within 10 business days). Transactional and account-related emails (like receipts) continue even after you unsubscribe from marketing.
• Texts and calls. If you give us your phone number, for example, when booking a call, we may call or text you about your booking and, only with your consent, about our Services. Reply STOP to any text to opt out; you may also revoke consent by any reasonable means, and we honor revocations within 10 business days. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to marketing texts is never a condition of purchase.
• Call recording. See Section 4, calls may be recorded and transcribed with notice, and we accommodate anyone who prefers not to be recorded.

14. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data we handle, including access controls, encryption in transit, vendor diligence, and staff practices. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security; if a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and regulators as required by applicable law.

15. International visitors

The Services are operated from the United States and are directed to people located in the United States our subject matter (buying US businesses with SBA financing) is inherently US-focused, and we do not target our Services to the European Union, United Kingdom, or other regions. If you access the Services from outside the US, you understand that your information is transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those of your country. If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland and interact with us anyway: we process personal data on the bases of consent, contract, legitimate interests, and legal obligation; you may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability, withdrawal of consent, and complaint to your local supervisory authority; and you can exercise them via hello@acquisitionace.io.

16. Third-party links and platforms

The Services link to third-party sites and platforms (for example, Skool, Trustpilot, YouTube, social media, lender resources). Those parties operate under their own privacy policies, which we don't control and encourage you to read.

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top, and for material changes we will provide prominent notice, such as a site banner or an email, before the changes take effect. Changes are prospective, not retroactive.

18. Contact us

Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy:

• Email: hello@acquisitionace.io
• Mail: Acquisition Ace
• Web: Contact form