About

Welcome to Factcheck.nl.

Crunching numbers shouldn't cost you valuable time. That's why I'm building this webapp that transforms financial scenarios into straightforward comparisons. From major life decisions like student debt management to everyday choices like smarter shopping, each tool is designed to give you clarity and confidence in your choices.

I am a solo developer with a history in journalism and data engineering. Building and maintaining these tools takes significant resources, which is why I've created different support tiers on Patreon from ad-free browsing to premium calculator access and the opportunity to help shape what gets built next. Your support directly funds new features and keeps the platform growing for everyone who needs better decision-making tools and I would love to have you on this journey with me. Check out +premium here.

Privacy and data usage

This site is privacy forward. Your data is not collected or stored. Only your local storage is used to store the data and it is not accessible to me. When you submit a form, the data is processed on the server but none of it is stored.

The same goes for your Patreon details. When you log in through Patreon, I request the bare minimum of information I need to verify your membership tier. This site does not store your Patreon details. However, Patreon does store your data. From there I can access some of your details like your name and email address. This is done so that in case of a problem with Patreon, I can take the details of the community with me to another provider. To make one thing clear: None of those details are used to enrich or store any of the data you submit on any of the tools on this site.

The data you submit on this site is not shared or stored. It is only used to process the calculations and is deleted after the calculation is completed. However your browser does store the data on your pc, just so you can continue where you left off if you come back to the site. I have no access to this data.

As you probably noticed, I do not want to collect data from you other than what is strictly necessary to provide the service and assure the quality of the service.

Why this focus on privacy?

I am a strong believer in privacy. I believe that data should be stored locally on your own device and not be shared with anyone. Just because you need to use the internet, does not mean you have to give up your privacy. I think there is a place for ethical and private tooling on the internet. Now, everything is a compromise so I am not perfect. So is this website. For example: Using Patreon is a compromise of sorts. But at least it is a compromise that benefits both you and me.

What about usage data?

I use a privacy configured Matomo instance to track usage data. This is a privacy friendly analytics tool that does not track you across websites. It is configured to only track the bare minimum of data. That particular data is something I need to see what tools are popular and might warrant expansion. To be detailed: It does not use cookies and masks your complete IP address. As I mentioned before, there are compromises in making a website like this, but I try to be open about those compromises and I am always mindful that I make the most privacy friendly choices I can.

What about cookies?

I love chocolatechip cookies. But you probably mean the browser kind. The site ONLY uses essential session cookies to ensure the website functions properly. No tracking cookies are used.

Why are there ads on the site?

Ads are a way to cover the costs for servers and for development. Given the nature of this site, I cannot put Google Adsense or anything like it on here. These providers do not exactly adhere to the best privacy practices.

Why are there premium features?

I offer premium features to cover the costs of running the server and for development. I am a developer and even though I do not want to go overboard on commercializing this site, I do need food, water and a roof of some sort to keep developing this site. The relationship you have with me here is relatively direct. There isn't a big company behind this site and that means that the costs need to be covered by ads and, well... you. I understand that 'free' is pretty much how the internet is run these days, but that is not sustainable for this page.

How can I support you?

Please consider supporting me on Patreon. I offer a few tiers of support. From ad-free browsing to premium tool access and the opportunity to help shape what gets built next. Your support directly funds new features and keeps the platform growing for everyone who needs better decision-making tools and I would love to have you on this journey with me. Check out +premium here.

Is this website financial advice?

No. Financial advice is strictly regulated (as it should be) and if you want personal advice, please seek out a (good!) licensed financial advisor. This website is merely a tool to help you gain more insight into your financial situation and make better decisions.

Is your app vibe coded?

This app is not vibe coded. However I use AI in a limited way to reduce workload and improve the quality of the app.

Errors, mistakes and bugs.

I put the utmost of care into this site. However as I am human, mistakes will happen. If you find an error, please be so kind as to let me know so I can fix it. Please use this form to do so.

What if I have feedback or a suggestion?

Please use this form to do so.