Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 6, 2026  ·  Last Updated: April 6, 2026

1. Who We Are

FirstBell is a desktop trading analysis tool published by T. Hodges Co., LLC and sold at firstbell.trade. We are the developer and publisher of the software.

Payments and subscription billing are handled by Whop. Whop collects your name, email address, and payment method to process your purchase. Whop's own privacy policy governs payment data.

2. Data We Do NOT Collect

• Your name, email address, or account information — never stored by FirstBell
• Your trade journal or portfolio positions — stored only in a local SQLite database on your machine
• Your API credentials for Schwab or any broker — stored only in your local configuration file
• Your watchlists, scan results, or alert history — local only
• Browsing behavior, analytics, or telemetry — none, ever
• IP addresses — not logged by us (webhook traffic stays local)

3. Data Stored Locally On Your Machine

FirstBell creates the following files on your computer only:

• journal.db — SQLite database with your trades, notes, and scan history. Stays on your machine.
• .license_cache — A hashed, anonymous record of your last successful license validation. No key text is stored — only a SHA-256 hash prefix.
• .trial_start (beta builds only) — Records the date you first opened the app to enforce the 7-day trial window. Local only.
• .env — Your broker API keys and configuration. Never transmitted.

4. License Validation

When license enforcement is enabled, FirstBell sends your license key and a hashed machine ID to Whop's license validation API (api.whop.com) to confirm your subscription is active. No personal data accompanies this request — only the license key and an anonymous identifier derived from your machine's hostname (SHA-256 hashed, first 32 characters).

Results are cached locally for 24 hours so validation does not run on every launch.

5. Market Data

FirstBell connects to third-party market data sources (e.g., Schwab API, Polygon.io, or Yahoo Finance depending on your configuration). We do not receive, log, or store any data from these connections. All market data is processed locally in real time.

6. TradingView Webhooks

If you configure TradingView to send price alerts to FirstBell's local webhook server (port 5050), those alerts are stored in your local journal.db on your machine. They are never forwarded to us or any third party.

7. Cookies and Tracking

The FirstBell website (firstbell.trade) does not use tracking cookies, third-party analytics scripts, or behavioral advertising. Basic web server access logs (IP address, timestamp, HTTP status) may be retained by our hosting provider for up to 30 days for security purposes.

8. GDPR / CCPA

Because FirstBell collects no personal data, there is nothing for us to access, correct, port, or delete. If you have concerns about data held by Whop in connection with your purchase, contact Whop directly at whop.com/privacy-policy.

9. Children's Privacy

FirstBell is a professional trading tool intended for adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

10. Changes to This Policy

If we materially change this policy, we will update the date above and post the new version at firstbell.trade/privacy.html. Continued use of the software constitutes acceptance.