Last updated: 3 May 2026
This page explains what cookies are, which ones we use on Pension Plain, and how to control them. It complements our Privacy Policy, which covers everything else about how we handle your information.
1. What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your device when you visit it. The next time you come back, your browser sends the cookie back to the site. Cookies have legitimate uses — remembering you’re logged in, remembering site preferences, measuring how many people read an article — and less benign ones (cross-site tracking, advertising profiles).
We use the legitimate kinds. We don’t use any cookies to build advertising profiles or track you across other sites.
2. The default: nothing happens until you choose
When you first visit Pension Plain you’ll see a cookie banner with three options: Accept all, Reject optional, or Customise. Until you choose, no analytics cookies are set, no analytics scripts load, and no third-party content runs. The site works perfectly well in this default state — only the analytics layer is gated.
You can change your mind any time using the cookie preferences button (the small cog) at the bottom-left of every page.
3. Strictly necessary cookies
These are essential for the site to work. They don’t track you, they don’t share data, and they’re set whether you consent to anything else or not — that’s how UK GDPR + PECR distinguish them from optional cookies.
| Cookie | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
pp_cookie_consent | Remembers your cookie banner choices, so you don’t see the banner on every page | 1 year |
wordpress_test_cookie | Confirms your browser supports cookies (only on admin and form interactions) | Session |
wp-settings-* | Saves UI preferences for logged-in users (admin only) | 1 year |
4. Analytics cookies (only with your consent)
If you click Accept all or toggle Analytics on, we load Google Analytics 4 to understand which articles people read, where visitors come from, and what devices they use. The data is anonymised and aggregated — Google Analytics 4 doesn’t collect IP addresses, and we don’t link analytics data back to individual subscribers.
The cookies set by Google Analytics 4:
| Cookie | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
_ga | Distinguishes unique visitors | Up to 2 years |
_ga_23670Z4GRN | Maintains GA4 session state for our specific property | Up to 2 years |
If you reject analytics — or change your mind later via the cookie preferences button — we delete the existing cookies and stop loading Google Analytics. You can also opt out of Google Analytics across every website that uses it by installing Google’s Analytics Opt-out browser add-on.
5. Third-party cookies
Third-party cookies are set by domains other than pensionplain.co.uk. The third party we currently use, with your consent, is:
- Google (via
googletagmanager.com) — sets the analytics cookies in Section 4 when you’ve consented
No other third-party cookies are set.
6. Cookies we may add in future
Advertising (Google AdSense), possibly. We may at some point display advertising on the site to support its operation. This would set additional cookies for ad measurement and frequency capping. If we do add it, we’ll update this Cookie Policy first, then ask for your consent via a new category in the cookie preferences modal. No advertising cookies are set today.
7. How to control cookies
On Pension Plain. Use the cookie preferences button (the small cog) at the bottom-left of every page. You can toggle analytics on or off, and your choice will be remembered for one year.
Through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block cookies, delete existing ones, or set rules for specific sites. Search “manage cookies” in your browser’s help section, or jump straight to:
Be aware that blocking all cookies can break parts of any site, including this one.
8. Do Not Track
Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There’s no agreed standard for how websites should respond, and most don’t. We currently don’t process DNT signals — your other settings above are the reliable way to opt out.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when we add or remove services. The “Last updated” date at the top tells you when it last changed.
10. Contact
For cookie or privacy questions, email info@pensionplain.co.uk with the subject “Cookies”.