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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 06.03.2026.

This Privacy Policy explains how Vitaliy Katsenelson (“I,” “me,” or “my”) collects, uses, and shares information when you visit myfavoriteclassical.com (the “Site”), subscribe to the My Favorite Classical newsletter, comment on articles, or otherwise interact with me online.

My Favorite Classical is a personal blog about classical music. It is unrelated to my work as an investment adviser and does not provide investment advice.

1. Who I am

The Site is operated by Vitaliy Katsenelson as a personal project.

Contact: Investment Management Associates, Inc. 5690 DTC Blvd, Suite 140W, Greenwood Village CO 80111-3232 Email: [email protected]

2. Information I collect

2.1 Information you give me directly

  • Newsletter subscription: your email address, and optionally your name, when you sign up for the My Favorite Classical newsletter. Subscriptions are processed and managed by Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.).
  • Comments: your name, email address, website (optional), and the content of any comment you submit on an article. Comments also automatically capture your IP address and browser user-agent string, which is standard WordPress behavior used to fight spam.
  • Contact form: any information you submit through the contact form, including your name, email address, and the content of your message.
  • Correspondence: if you email me or message me on social media, I receive whatever information you choose to share.

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, I and my service providers may automatically collect:

  • Device and browser data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, screen size, referring URL, language preference.
  • Usage data: pages visited, time on page, clicks, scroll depth, downloads, search terms used on the Site, dates and times of access. This is collected primarily through Google Analytics (Google LLC).
  • Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 6 below.

2.3 Information from third parties

  • Mailchimp engagement data: Mailchimp tells me whether and when newsletter emails are delivered, opened, and clicked, and whether they bounce or are marked as spam.
  • Social media: if you engage with my content on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), or LinkedIn, those platforms may share information with me in accordance with their own settings and policies.
  • Embedded video and audio: articles often embed YouTube videos and similar media so you can listen to the pieces I discuss. Those providers may collect information about you when the embedded content loads.

3. How I use your information

I use the information described above to:

  • Send you the newsletter and other communications you have requested.
  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its content.
  • Respond to your questions, comments, and contact requests.
  • Moderate comments and prevent spam, abuse, and fraud.
  • Understand which articles and topics readers find most valuable.
  • Comply with legal obligations.
  • Detect and prevent security incidents.

I do not sell your personal information. I do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. I do not use your information for automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

4. Legal bases (for visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland)

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, I rely on the following legal bases under the GDPR / UK GDPR:

  • Consent, for newsletter subscriptions and for non-essential cookies (including Google Analytics). I obtain this consent through the cookie consent banner displayed on the Site.
  • Legitimate interests, for operating and securing the Site, answering your inquiries, and similar core purposes. I have assessed that these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
  • Performance of a contract, where I am responding to a request you have made.
  • Legal obligation, where I am required to retain certain records.

You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal. To change your cookie choices, use the cookie preferences link in the Site footer.

For transfers of personal information from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to the United States and other countries, I rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum where applicable), and on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and its UK and Swiss extensions where my service providers are certified.

5. How I share information

I share information only as described below. I do not rent or sell personal information.

Service providers that operate the Site on my behalf, including:

  • Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.) — newsletter delivery and email engagement analytics
  • Google Analytics (Google LLC) — Site analytics
  • Akismet / Automattic — anti-spam filtering for comments
  • WordPress hosting and infrastructure providers
  • [Other vendors — confirm and add]

Each of these providers is permitted to use the data only to deliver services to me.

Legal and safety: I may disclose information when I believe in good faith that disclosure is required to comply with a legal obligation, lawful request from authorities, court order, or to protect my rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business transfers: if the Site is transferred to another operator, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections.

6. Cookies and tracking technologies

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies, including:

  • Strictly necessary cookies that enable core functionality (e.g., remembering that you have submitted a comment, recording your cookie consent choices).
  • Analytics cookies set by Google Analytics to help me understand how visitors use the Site in aggregate.
  • Functionality cookies set by embedded third-party content, including YouTube video embeds and social media widgets. These third parties set their own cookies that I do not control.

When you first visit the Site, I display a cookie consent banner asking for your permission to set non-essential cookies. Strictly necessary cookies are always set. You can change your choices at any time by clicking the “Cookie Preferences” link in the Site footer.

I honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal as an opt-out of “sale” and “sharing” under California law. I do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in any case.

7. Email newsletter and communications

If you subscribe to the newsletter, I will send you weekly emails about classical music via Mailchimp. Every email contains an unsubscribe link. You can also unsubscribe at any time by emailing me at [privacy contact email]. After you unsubscribe I keep a suppression record so I do not accidentally re-subscribe you.

8. Data retention

I keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described above:

  • Newsletter subscribers: for as long as you remain subscribed, plus a suppression record after you unsubscribe.
  • Comments: indefinitely, unless you ask me to remove them, so the article discussion remains intact.
  • Contact-form submissions: typically for up to 3 years after our last interaction, unless a longer period is required by law.
  • Google Analytics data: retained for 14 months in identifiable form (configurable in my Analytics settings).

9. Your choices and rights

General rights

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights:

  • Access the personal information I hold about you.
  • Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Delete your personal information.
  • Restrict or object to certain processing, including direct marketing.
  • Data portability, for information you have provided to me.
  • Withdraw consent at any time.
  • Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. In the EEA, that is your local supervisory authority; in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

To exercise any of these rights, email me at [privacy contact email]. I may need to verify your identity before responding. I will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law (typically 30 days under GDPR/UK GDPR, 45 days under CCPA, extendable where permitted). You may authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf.

California residents (CCPA/CPRA)

In addition to the rights listed above, California residents have the right to:

  • Know the categories and specific pieces of personal information I collect, the sources, the business purposes, and the categories of third parties with whom I share it.
  • Opt out of “sale” and “sharing” of personal information. I do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
  • Limit the use of sensitive personal information. I do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes that require an opt-out right.
  • Non-discrimination for exercising these rights.

EEA, UK, and Swiss residents

You have the additional right to withdraw consent for any processing based on consent, and the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including profiling for direct marketing.

10. International transfers

I am based in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States — including from the EEA, UK, Switzerland, or California — your information will be transferred to, processed in, and stored in the United States and other countries where my service providers operate. For transfers from the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, I rely on EU Standard Contractual Clauses, the UK International Data Transfer Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (and its UK and Swiss extensions) where applicable.

11. Security

I use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. No internet transmission or electronic storage is ever fully secure, however, so I cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Children’s privacy

The Site is intended for adults. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided me with personal information, please contact me and I will delete it.

13. Third-party links and content

The Site links to and embeds content from external sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and others. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Please review their policies separately.

14. Changes to this policy

I may update this policy from time to time. When I do, I will revise the “Last updated” date above. If changes are material, I will provide a more prominent notice — for example, by email to newsletter subscribers or a banner on the Site.

15. How to contact me

Questions, requests, or complaints about this policy or my handling of your personal information:

Email: [email protected]