Personal finance, one stage at a time

Know exactly which financial stage you're in — and what to do next.

FiscalStep is a personal finance app built around a simple idea: financial progress happens in stages, not all at once. It guides you through paying down debt, building an emergency fund, starting to invest, and reaching financial independence — with real numbers from your own accounts, not generic advice.

Read our privacy practices Contact us

The Financial Freedom Scale

Four stages, unlocked in order. FiscalStep tells you which one you're in today, and exactly what moves you to the next.

Dependence

Get out of high-interest debt and gain control over your money before moving forward.

Stability

Build a starter emergency fund — six months of expenses — so a surprise cost never becomes new debt.

Security & Investing

Open a retirement account, set a monthly contribution, and follow a portfolio suited to your timeline.

Independence

Grow investments and passive income until they cover your living expenses for good.

Everything the plan needs, connected to your real accounts

Debt payoff planner

Every debt, ordered by interest rate, with a monthly payment plan that pays the least in total interest — whether entered by hand or synced from a connected credit card.

Emergency fund tracking

A clear six-month target, filled in automatically once you connect a savings account, or updated manually — your choice.

Retirement guidance

Age-based projections, a suggested portfolio mix, and a contribution recommendation that adjusts as your numbers change.

Independence projection

A real target balance and an estimated date you'll reach it, built from your own income, spending, and investments — not a rule of thumb alone.

How your data is handled

FiscalStep connects to your accounts through Plaid. Here's exactly what that means in practice.

What we access

Account balances and liability details (credit cards, student loans) that you explicitly choose to connect through Plaid. We never see or ask for your bank username or password — Plaid handles that connection directly.

Where it's stored

Account data lives in an authenticated, access-controlled database, scoped so each person can only ever read or write their own records. A local copy on your device is encrypted before it's stored, so it isn't sitting in plain text.

What we never do

We don't sell financial data, share it with advertisers, or use it for anything beyond showing it back to you inside the app. Plaid credentials and access tokens are never sent to or stored on your device.

Your control

Disconnect any linked account at any time from Settings. Resetting your data permanently deletes your profile, debts, and connected-account records.

FiscalStep provides budgeting and planning information for personal use. It is not a registered investment adviser and nothing in the app is individualized financial, tax, or legal advice.

Read the full Privacy Policy ↓

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how FiscalStep ("FiscalStep," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the FiscalStep mobile application and website (together, the "Service"). It applies to all users of the Service.

FiscalStep is operated by an individual developer and is not currently operated through a registered business entity. References to "FiscalStep" in this Policy refer to the Service and its developer.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account information you provide

When you create a FiscalStep account, we collect:

Email address and password (your password is processed by our authentication provider and is never stored by FiscalStep in plain text or otherwise accessible to us)
First name
Date of birth (used to calculate age-based retirement projections; never displayed elsewhere in the app)
Desired retirement age
Financial goals you select (e.g., pay off debt, build savings, invest for retirement)

1.2 Financial information you provide directly

To power FiscalStep's budgeting and planning features, we collect financial information you choose to enter, including:

Monthly income and spending
Debts you enter manually (name, balance, interest rate, minimum payment)
Emergency fund / savings balances
Retirement and investment information (e.g., whether you have a Roth IRA, a selected brokerage, current retirement balance, monthly contribution amount, risk tolerance)
Independence-stage information (monthly expenses, estimated passive/investment income)

1.3 Financial information from connected accounts (via Plaid)

If you choose to connect a financial account, FiscalStep uses Plaid Inc. ("Plaid") to enable that connection. When you connect an account, we may receive and store:

Basic account information (account name, type, and the last few digits of the account number)
Account balances
For supported credit card and loan accounts you connect: balance, interest rate (APR), minimum payment, due date, credit limit, and statement balance, where available from your institution

FiscalStep does not currently access transaction history, investment/brokerage account holdings, or market data through Plaid. We only request the minimum account and liability information described above.

FiscalStep never receives or stores your online banking username or password. When you connect an account, you authenticate directly with your financial institution through Plaid's interface — FiscalStep does not see or have access to those credentials at any point.

1.4 What Plaid may process separately

Plaid acts as an independent service provider and data processor. Plaid may collect, use, and retain information in accordance with its own privacy policy, available at plaid.com/legal. FiscalStep does not control, and is not responsible for, Plaid's own data collection or processing practices. Plaid does not endorse, sponsor, or recommend FiscalStep.

1.5 Device, diagnostic, analytics, and usage information

FiscalStep does not currently use a dedicated analytics or crash-reporting service. Our infrastructure providers (described in Section 3) may automatically log limited technical information (such as request timestamps and error codes) as a standard part of operating and securing servers. This information is used only for debugging, security, and reliability purposes, and is not used for advertising or sold to third parties.

Developer note: if analytics, crash reporting, or advertising SDKs are added in the future, this section must be updated before release to accurately describe what is collected.

2. How We Use Information

We use the information described above to:

Create and maintain your account
Operate FiscalStep's core features: tracking your progress through the Financial Freedom Scale, debt payoff planning, emergency fund tracking, retirement projections, and independence tracking
Sync and display data from financial accounts you choose to connect
Maintain the security and integrity of the Service
Communicate with you about your account (e.g., password reset emails)
Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your financial information to sell you third-party financial products, and we do not use your information for targeted advertising.

3. How Information Is Shared

We do not sell your personal or financial information. We share information only as follows:

Service providers necessary to operate FiscalStep. We use Supabase (database, authentication, and hosting infrastructure) to store account and financial data, and Plaid to enable connections to financial institutions. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually and technically restricted from accessing data outside what is necessary to provide their service to us.
Legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of FiscalStep, our users, or the public, or to detect or prevent fraud.
Business transfers. If FiscalStep is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or similar transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Plaid's Role as a Third-Party Financial Data Provider

Plaid is an independent third-party service that enables FiscalStep to connect to your financial institution and retrieve the account information described in Section 1.3. Plaid is not affiliated with FiscalStep beyond this service relationship, and using Plaid through FiscalStep does not mean Plaid endorses or is responsible for FiscalStep. Your use of Plaid's services is also subject to Plaid's own end-user privacy policy and terms, available at plaid.com/legal.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information, including:

Database access controls that restrict each user's data to that user alone
Encryption of financial data cached on your device
Storing Plaid access credentials only on secure backend infrastructure, never on your device or in the mobile app
Restricting and rate-limiting access to backend systems that handle financial data

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security, and you use the Service at your own risk.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account remains active, or as needed to provide the Service to you. We may retain certain information for a limited additional period where necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

Developer note: a specific, documented retention schedule (e.g., "X days after deletion") has not yet been established and should be defined and reviewed before public launch.

7. Account Deletion and Disconnecting Financial Accounts

Disconnecting a financial account: You can disconnect any connected financial account at any time from Settings. This revokes FiscalStep's access to that account through Plaid and deletes our cached copy of that account's data.
Deleting your financial data: The "Reset all data" option in Settings permanently deletes your profile, debts, and connected-account records, both on your device and from our servers.
Deleting your account entirely: At this time, fully deleting your underlying login account (as opposed to your financial data) is not yet available as a self-service option in the app. To request full account deletion, contact us at the email address below, and we will process your request.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate information (most information can be edited directly in the app)
Request deletion of your information (see Section 7)
Request a copy of your information in a portable format

To exercise these rights, contact us at the email address below.

9. U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of certain U.S. states (such as California, under the California Consumer Privacy Act/California Privacy Rights Act) may have additional rights regarding their personal information, including the right to know what information is collected, the right to delete it, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. FiscalStep does not sell personal information and does not use it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Developer note: state privacy laws change frequently and vary by state. This section should be reviewed by an attorney to confirm it addresses all states in which FiscalStep has users, and updated as new state laws take effect.

10. Children's Privacy

FiscalStep is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a user under 18, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Third-Party Services and Links

FiscalStep may display informational links to third-party financial institutions (for example, when suggesting high-yield savings accounts or brokerages) for educational purposes. These are independent third parties, and their own privacy policies govern any interaction you have with their websites or services. FiscalStep is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of third-party sites.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:

FiscalStep Contact: fiscalstep@outlook.com

Developer / Legal Review Note

This Privacy Policy was drafted to accurately describe FiscalStep's actual, current data practices, based on information provided by the app's developer. It is a starting point, not a substitute for legal advice, and is not a guarantee of legal compliance. Before FiscalStep launches publicly, this document should be reviewed by a qualified U.S. attorney with experience in fintech, consumer privacy, and data security law, with particular attention to: multi-state privacy law coverage (Section 9), data retention specifics (Section 6), and account deletion procedures (Section 7).

Terms of Service

Effective Date: August 19, 2026

Please read these Terms of Service ("Terms") carefully before using FiscalStep. These Terms form a legal agreement between you and FiscalStep ("FiscalStep," "we," "us," or "our") governing your use of the FiscalStep mobile application and website (together, the "Service").

FiscalStep is currently operated by an individual developer and is not operated through a registered business entity. References to "FiscalStep" in these Terms refer to the Service and its developer.

1. Acceptance of the Terms

By creating an account or otherwise using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a legally binding contract to use FiscalStep. The Service is intended for use by individuals residing in the United States. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements.

3. Description of Service

FiscalStep is a financial wellness, tracking, informational, and educational tool. It helps users track their progress through a four-stage financial framework, track debts and savings, view financial information, view general educational content, and optionally connect financial accounts through Plaid.

FiscalStep is not a bank. FiscalStep is not a brokerage. FiscalStep is not an accounting firm. FiscalStep is not a law firm. Unless and until FiscalStep becomes appropriately registered or licensed, FiscalStep is not a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer, and nothing in the Service should be construed as a representation that it is.

4. User Accounts

You must create an account to use most features of FiscalStep. You agree to:

Provide accurate information when creating your account
Keep your login credentials confidential and secure
Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account
Be responsible for all activity that occurs under your account

You may use Face ID or other device biometrics, where supported, as a convenience for unlocking the app on a device where you have already signed in; this does not replace your account password.

5. User Responsibilities

You agree to use the Service only for its intended purpose, to provide accurate financial information, and to comply with all applicable laws in connection with your use of the Service.

6. Permitted and Prohibited Uses

You may use FiscalStep for personal, non-commercial financial tracking and planning. You agree not to:

Access or attempt to access another user's account or data
Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Service, except to the extent such restriction is prohibited by applicable law
Use the Service to violate any law or the rights of any third party
Interfere with or disrupt the Service, including through excessive automated requests
Use the Service to connect financial accounts you are not authorized to access

7. Intellectual Property

FiscalStep and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by FiscalStep and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Content provided by third parties (such as data made available through Plaid, or information about third-party financial institutions) remains the property of its respective owners.

8. Third-Party Services

FiscalStep integrates with third-party services to provide certain features. Your use of those integrations is also subject to the applicable third party's own terms.

8.1 Plaid Integration

FiscalStep uses Plaid to allow you to connect supported financial accounts. When you connect an account, you authorize FiscalStep to access certain account information (described in our Privacy Policy) through Plaid on an ongoing basis, until you disconnect the account or revoke access. Your use of Plaid's services is subject to Plaid's own end-user terms and privacy policy, available at plaid.com/legal. Plaid does not endorse, sponsor, or guarantee FiscalStep, and FiscalStep is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or performance of Plaid's services.

9. Subscription and Payment Terms

FiscalStep does not currently charge for access to the Service. If FiscalStep introduces paid subscriptions or premium features in the future, additional terms specific to that offering will be presented to you at the time, and this section will be updated accordingly.

10. Cancellation and Refunds

FiscalStep is currently free to use, and there are no subscriptions to cancel. If paid features are introduced in the future through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, cancellations and refunds for those purchases will be subject to the applicable app store's policies, in addition to any terms FiscalStep provides at that time.

11. Account Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms, engaged in fraudulent or unlawful activity, or created risk or legal exposure for FiscalStep or other users. You may stop using the Service and delete your data at any time as described in our Privacy Policy.

12. Service Modifications

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with or without notice. We are not liable to you or any third party for any such modification, suspension, or discontinuation.

13. Availability and Outages

We do not guarantee that the Service will be available at all times or free from interruption. The Service depends on third-party infrastructure and services (including Plaid and our hosting and database providers), and outages or issues with those services may affect FiscalStep's availability in ways outside our control.

14. Errors and Inaccurate Information

FiscalStep displays financial information based on data you enter and, where applicable, data received from Plaid and your connected financial institutions. We do not guarantee that account balances, debt information, or other financial data displayed through the Service is complete, accurate, current, or error-free. This information may be delayed, incomplete, unavailable, or inaccurate due to factors outside our control, including issues at your financial institution or with Plaid.

You are responsible for independently verifying important financial information against your official bank, credit card, or brokerage statements before relying on it. Account balances and information displayed through FiscalStep should not be treated as your official financial records.

15. Financial Disclaimers

FiscalStep is intended primarily as a financial wellness, tracking, informational, and educational tool. By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree that:

Information provided through FiscalStep is for general informational and educational purposes only and should not automatically be treated as individualized investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice.
You should consider consulting appropriately qualified professionals (such as a licensed financial advisor, accountant, or attorney) before making significant financial decisions.
You remain solely responsible for your own financial decisions and their outcomes.
FiscalStep does not guarantee any financial outcome, including that you will eliminate debt, increase savings, achieve any particular investment return, or reach financial independence.
Historical investment performance does not guarantee future results. Stock charts, rankings, historical returns, market information, and similar information, where shown, must not be interpreted as guarantees of future performance.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.
Third-party financial information (including information from Plaid and connected institutions) may be delayed, incomplete, unavailable, or inaccurate.

16. Warranty Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THE SERVICE IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE.

17. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, FISCALSTEP AND ITS DEVELOPER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SERVICE, INCLUDING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS MADE IN RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THE SERVICE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, FISCALSTEP'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO FISCALSTEP IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

18. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless FiscalStep and its developer from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

19. Governing Law

Placeholder: These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. This is a placeholder pending confirmation of the appropriate governing law and should be reviewed by an attorney before launch.

20. Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises between you and FiscalStep, we encourage you to first contact us at the email address below so we can attempt to resolve it informally.

Developer note: these Terms do not currently include a binding arbitration clause or class-action waiver. These are common provisions in fintech and consumer app terms that can significantly affect your legal rights and FiscalStep's litigation exposure, and the decision to include them should be made only after review by a qualified attorney, based on your business needs and applicable state law.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

22. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and FiscalStep regarding the Service, and supersede any prior agreements.

23. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

24. Contact Us

FiscalStep Contact: fiscalstep@outlook.com

Developer / Legal Review Note

These Terms of Service were drafted to reflect FiscalStep's actual, current functionality and to limit liability to the extent reasonably possible for a pre-launch application, based on information provided by the app's developer. They are a starting point, not a substitute for legal advice, and are not a guarantee of legal enforceability. Before FiscalStep launches publicly, these Terms should be reviewed by a qualified U.S. attorney with experience in fintech, consumer protection, and securities law, with particular attention to: the dispute resolution / arbitration decision (Section 20), governing law (Section 19), enforceability of the limitation of liability (Section 17) under applicable state law, and whether FiscalStep's current functionality requires any securities or financial licensing.