The short version: Our tools run in your browser and require no account. We collect your email only if you choose to enter it. Our AI chat features send your messages to our AI provider to generate a reply, and we keep an anonymized, identity-stripped copy to improve the tools. We do not sell your data, and we never have. Please don't type Social Security numbers, full names, or claim numbers into any tool — you never need to.
Effective date: June 26, 2026
The Better Veteran ("we," "us") operates the free tools at tools.thebetterveteran.com and the newsletter and website at thebetterveteran.com. This policy explains what information those tools handle and the choices you have. By using the tools, you agree to this policy.
What we collect
- The numbers and selections you enter into a tool (ratings, pay, school choices, and similar). These are processed in your browser to calculate your results. They are not sent to us or stored on our servers unless you use one of the two features below.
- Your email address — only if you choose to enter it to have your results emailed to you or to join the free newsletter. No tool requires it.
- Messages you send to an AI chat feature (the Benefits Assistant and the C&P Exam Prep practice chat). See "AI chat features" below.
- Basic technical information that every website receives — your IP address and browser type — used by our hosting provider to deliver the site and to protect it from abuse (for example, rate-limiting automated traffic). We do not use advertising trackers, third-party analytics pixels, or cross-site cookies.
- Local preferences stored on your own device (in your browser's local storage) so the Toolbox can remember things like tools you've viewed. This stays on your device and is not transmitted to us.
How "Email My Results" works
If you enter your email to receive your results, we send your email address and a link to your results to beehiiv, our email and newsletter provider, which adds you to our subscriber list and sends the email. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any newsletter. We use your email to send your results and the newsletter — not to sell or rent to anyone.
AI chat features
Two tools include an optional AI chat: the Benefits Assistant and the C&P Exam Prep practice chat. When you send a message, it is transmitted to our AI provider, Anthropic, which generates the reply. To improve the tools, we keep a stored copy of these conversations with structured personal identifiers (such as email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers) automatically stripped out before storage, and conversations are recorded without your name attached.
The assistants are instructed never to ask you for identifying information, and this is an anonymous practice and education tool. Please do not enter your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, phone number, or VA claim number into the chat — you never need to in order to use it. The AI features are educational and are not legal, medical, tax, or financial advice, and are not an official VA determination.
Who we share information with
We share information only with the service providers that make the tools work, and only as needed to provide them:
- Netlify — website hosting and delivery.
- Anthropic — powers the AI chat features.
- beehiiv — email delivery and newsletter management.
- VA.gov — when you search for schools, your search term is sent to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' public GI Bill Comparison Tool API to return results.
- Google Fonts — serves the site's fonts.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or property of our users or the public.
Your choices and rights
- Email: unsubscribe at any time from the link at the bottom of any newsletter.
- Access or deletion: to request a copy or deletion of information associated with you, email zak@thebetterveteran.com. Because the AI chat logs are anonymized and identity-stripped, we generally cannot connect a given conversation back to you, but we will honor unsubscribe and deletion requests we can act on.
- Local data: clear your browser's local storage and cookies to remove preferences saved on your device.
Data security
The site is served over HTTPS. API keys and credentials are kept server-side and are never exposed in the browser. We strip structured personal identifiers from stored AI conversations. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect the limited information we handle.
Children
Our tools are intended for veterans, service members, and their families, and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll revise the "Effective date" above. Continued use of the tools after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Email zak@thebetterveteran.com.
The Better Veteran provides free educational tools and estimates. They are not official determinations and not legal, tax, medical, or financial advice. Always verify your specific benefits with VA.gov or an accredited VSO.