YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT
Mortgage Brokers Assist, understands that the details you provide us with are not only private and personal but that how we collect, use, hold, exchange, and protect your information is important to you. It’s imperative that you feel secure whenever you deal with us. It’s also important that you understand how we protect your privacy, as well as how, when, and where we may use your personal information. This Privacy Policy is our commitment to you on what our policies towards your privacy are. You can be confident in the fact that we abide by and are bound by the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) for the protection of personal information.
WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
We collect personal information. Personal information means any information or opinion about you as an identified individual, or a reasonably identifiable individual, whether the information or opinion is true or not, and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not. For example, identity and contact details, marital status, and financial information.
We may also collect sensitive information for specific purposes. For example, information about your health enables the credit provider to assess an application you make for mortgage protection insurance and calculate any premiums. If we need this type of information, we will ask for your consent.
HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We will always aim to collect your personal information directly from you. If for some good reason, we are unable to do so, we may involve another organization. For example, we may need to request a credit report from a credit reporting body when you apply for a credit facility. Before doing so or before collecting the information we need, we will inform you of the type of organizations we intend to disclose your personal information. We may also collect your personal information through third parties who undertake the collection on our behalf.
WHY DO WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We collect and receive personal information from you or other business referrers to conduct our business so that we can:
Submit your application for credit to a supplier;
Identify and tell you via direct marketing communications about other products or services offered by us or a third party that may interest you (unless you tell us not to);
administer our customer relationships;
for internal purposes, including for reporting and analytical purposes;
meet our legal and regulatory reporting obligations;
establish a customer marketing program;
system development testing purposes;
any other purpose related to the above.
DIRECT MARKETING
As stated above, we may use the information we gather to provide you with targeted communications about products and services we think will be of interest to you. We may also send you details of offers or services provided by our business partners and related entities. These direct marketing offers and promotions are designed to make your life easier, not harder.
You may at any time choose not to receive these communications. Doing so will not cost you anything, and we commit to ensuring you stop receiving any unwanted communications as soon as possible. If you do not want to receive such marketing communications, please write to us at the following address:
email the Compliance Manager at compliance@mortgagebrokerassist.com.au
WHY DO WE EXCHANGE YOUR INFORMATION WITH ANOTHER ORGANISATION?
As a Mortgage Broker, we provide you with products and services through our Accredited Broker network. That means we partner with other organizations that provide and support the products and services we offer. To submit your application to a supplier for consideration, one of our Accredited Brokers will need to provide such supplier with the personal information you have provided.
As you will appreciate, in certain circumstances we may be compelled by law to disclose your personal information to various authorities. For instance, we may be required under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act to disclose details of financial transactions and we may also be compelled under tax laws to provide such information to regulators.
The organization has the same commitment as us to the protection of your personal information; AND You have consented to us doing so. By consent, we mean approval in writing, orally, or implied from your dealings with us.
DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION OVERSEAS
We may hold or process your information on servers located overseas for filtering, hosting, or storage purposes, reporting and analytical purposes, and system development testing purposes. If we do this, we make sure that such organizations have the appropriate data handling and security arrangements in place to ensure compliance with this Privacy Policy. Australia’s Privacy Act may not apply to such overseas organizations.
ACCESS TO AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
It is important for us, and for you, that the information we hold is accurate and up to date. In this, we rely on you to help us. We ask that you contact us whenever there are any changes to your personal information so that we can update our records.
The personal information we hold about you is yours to access and correct, and as such, we can provide you with general information, such as your name, address, and contact details quite easily. There is no fee for making the initial request. More detailed information may not be as easy for us to access, and if necessary, in some cases there may be an access charge to cover the time we spend locating, compiling, and explaining the information you ask for. If there is an access charge, we’ll give you an estimate upfront and confirm that you’d like us to proceed. Generally, the access charge is based on an hourly rate plus any photocopying costs or other out-of-pocket expenses. You’ll need to make the payment before we start.
The process of providing you with access to or correcting your personal information may take up to 30 working days from the date of your request. If we refuse to give you access to or correct your information, we must give you written notice setting out the reasons for the refusal and the mechanisms available for you to complain about the refusal.
SECURITY AND STORAGE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOW LONG DO WE KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU?
By law, we are required to hold certain information about you, even after you are no longer a customer. We may also hold certain information about you if it is needed for a purpose which you are aware of or reasonably expect us to hold the information. When your information is no longer needed or required to be held by law, it will be destroyed or de-identified.
HOW SAFE AND SECURE IS THE INFORMATION WE HOLD ABOUT YOU?
We will take great care to protect your personal information by storing it in a secure environment, and when the information is no longer needed for any purpose for which the information may be used or disclosed, it will be destroyed or permanently de-identified. We will also take reasonable steps to protect any personal information from misuse, loss, and unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.
ONLINE SECURITY
Our website uses encryption techniques to enhance your privacy and security when using our website.
IF YOU HAVE A PRIVACY COMPLAINT
Mortgage Broker Assist values our customers. We will always aim to be fair and responsive. If you have a complaint, including a complaint about Mortgage Brokers Assists’ compliance with the APPs, you have the right to expect that we will handle it in a friendly and professional way. When we receive a complaint, we look at it as valuable feedback that may help us to improve the services we offer and to ensure your needs are met satisfactorily and appropriately. If you wish to complain, at any time, about the handling, use, or disclosure of your personal information, or about Mortgage Broker Assists’ compliance with the APPs, just write to us.
