About this Website Policy

This website policy applies to this website, which is operated on behalf of Emergence Financial Group ACN 636 852 143 and its related bodies corporate (we, us and our).

We are committed to protecting your privacy.

This policy explains how your personal information will be treated as you access and interact with this website.

Our website privacy policy may change from time to time.

Collection and use of information

We may collect personal information from you directly or via your use of our services. We will only collect personal information which is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, our functions or activities.

How do we collect your personal information?

Where reasonable and practical we will collect your personal information directly from you when you seek credit assistance from us. Sometimes, where reasonably necessary, we may also collect your personal information from third parties such as accountants and lawyers, who are referred to in your responses to our enquiries, or we may need to request a credit report from a credit reporting body when you apply for a credit facility. We may also collect your personal information through third parties who undertake the collection on our behalf.

Personal information

When we refer to personal information we mean information from which your identity is reasonably apparent. This information may include information or an opinion about you. The personal information we hold about you may also include credit information.

The kinds of personal information we may collect about you include your name, date of birth, address, email address, phone number, account details, occupation, and any other information we made need to identify you.

If you are applying for finance we may also collect the ages and number of your dependants and cohabitants, the length of time at your current address, your employment details and proof of earnings and expenses.

The personal information we collect and hold about you may include credit information. Credit information is information which is used to assess your eligibility to be provided with finance and may include any finance that you have outstanding, your repayment history in respect of those loans, and any defaults. Usually, credit information is exchanged between credit and finance providers and credit reporting bodies.

Why we collect your personal information

We collect personal information for the purposes of assessing your application for finance and managing that finance. We may also collect your personal information for the purposes of direct marketing and managing our relationship with you. From time to time we may offer you other products and services.

To enable us to maintain a successful business relationship with you, we may disclose your personal information to other organisations that provide products or services used or marketed by us. The types of organisations to which we are likely to disclose information about you include other mortgage intermediaries, our insurance partners, lenders, valuers, lenders mortgage insurers, surveyors, accountants, credit reporting bodies, recoveries firms, debt collectors and lawyers. We may also disclose your personal information to any other organisation that may have or is considering having an interest in your finance, or in our business.

How do we collect your personal information?

Where reasonable and practical we will collect your personal information directly from you. We may also collect your personal information from credit reporting bodies, finance brokers and other people such as accountants, lawyers and referees.

Information will also be collected from the application and from the records we maintain about the products or services you receive from us. Sometimes a Lenders Mortgage Insurance ('LMI') ('Insurer') may also collect further personal information about you during the course of the LMI cover provided to the lender for your loan. The terms of this notice and the LMI insurer's Privacy Policy will apply to the collection, use and disclosure of that information.

Do we disclose your personal information?

We may need to disclose your personal information in order to offer you the products and services you have requested or any related products or services we reasonably think you may be interested in. In certain circumstances we may be required by law to disclose information about you.

In providing products and services to you it may be necessary for us to provide your personal information to other organisations with which we conduct business. This includes Australian Finance Group Pty Ltd (ACN 066 385 822) which is our Aggregator.

We may also disclose your personal information:

• to prospective funders or other intermediaries in relation to your finance requirements
• to other organisations that are involved in managing or administering your finance such as third party suppliers, printing and postal services, call centres, lenders mortgage insurers, trade insurers and credit reporting bodies
• to associated businesses that may want to market products to you
• to companies that provide information and infrastructure systems to us
• to anybody who represents you, such as lawyers, conveyancers and accountants
• to anyone, where you have provided us consent
• where we are required to do so by law, such as under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006 or in accordance with a subpoena or summons issued by a court
• to investors, agents or advisers, or any entity that has an interest in our business
• to your employer, referees or identity verification services

Prior to disclosing any of your personal information to another person or organisation, we will take all reasonable steps to satisfy ourselves that:

1. the person or organisation has a commitment to protecting your personal information at least equal to our commitment; or
2. you have consented to us making the disclosure

We use cloud storage to store personal information that we hold. The cloud storage and the IT servers may be located outside Australia.

We may disclose your personal information to overseas entities that provide support functions to us (including in USA, Canada, Malaysia, India, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Philippines).

Credit information

We may collect the following kinds of credit information and exchange this information with credit reporting bodies and other entities:

• credit liability information being information about your existing finance which includes the name of the credit provider, whether the credit provider holds an Australian Credit Licence, the type of finance, the day the finance is entered into, the terms and conditions of the finance, the maximum amount of finance available, and the day on which the finance was terminated
• repayment history information which is information about whether you meet your repayments on time
• information about the type of finance that you are applying for
• default and payment information
• court proceedings information

We exchange this credit information for the purposes of assessing your application for finance and managing that finance.

This credit information may be held by us in electronic form on our secure servers and may also be held in paper form. We may use cloud storage to store the credit information we hold about you.

When we obtain credit information from a credit reporting body about you, we may also seek publicly available information and information about any serious credit infringement that you may have committed.

Sensitive information

Sensitive information is any information about a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, membership of a political association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, sexual preferences or practices, criminal record or health information.

We will not ask you to disclose sensitive information, but if you elect to provide sensitive information it will also be captured and stored.

Information from third parties

Our website also contains links to the websites of third party providers of goods and services (Third Party websites). If you have accessed Third Party websites through our website and if those third parties collect information about you, we may also collect or have access to that information as part of our arrangements with those third parties

Where you access a Third Party website from our website, cookie information, information about your preferences or other information you have provided about yourself may be shared between us and the third party.

Advertising and tracking

When you view our advertisements on a Third Party website, the advertising company uses 'cookies' and in some cases 'web beacons' to collect information such as:

• the server your computer is logged onto;
• your browser type;
• the date and time of your visit; and
• the performance of their marketing efforts.

When you access our website after viewing one of our advertisements on a Third Party website, the advertising company collects information on how you utilise our website (eg which pages you view) and whether you complete an online application.

Cookies

We use ‘cookies’ to provide you with better and more customised service and with a more effective website.

A ‘cookie’ is a small text file placed on your computer by our web page server. A cookie can later be retrieved by our webpage servers. Cookies are frequently used on websites and you can choose if and how a cookie will be accepted by configuring your preferences and options in your internet browser.

We use cookies for different purposes such as:

• to allocate a unique number to your internet browsers;
• to customise our website for you;
• for statistical purposes;
• to identify if you have accessed a Third Party Website; and
• for security purposes.

IP addresses

Your IP address is the identifier for your computer when you are using the internet.

It may be necessary for us to collect your IP address for your interaction with various parts of our website.

Online applications

When you send a completed online application to us, we retain the information contained in that application. We are able to then use that information to provide any financial services that you require.

You can also suspend and save online applications, so you can complete and send the applications at a later time. If you suspend or save your application, the information that you have entered will be retained in our systems so that you may recover the information when you resume your application. Online applications that have been suspended or saved may be viewed by us.

Security of information

The security of your information is very important to us.

We regularly review developments in security and encryption technologies. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as totally secure.

We take all reasonable steps to protect the information in our systems from misuse, interference, loss, and any unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

If we no longer require your information, and we are legally permitted to, we will take all reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information.

We take reasonable steps to preserve the security of cookie and personal information in accordance with this policy. If your browser is suitably configured, it will advise you whether the information you are sending us will be secure (encrypted) or not secure (unencrypted).

Direct marketing

We will not use or disclose sensitive information about you for direct marketing purposes unless you have consented to that kind of use or disclosure.

We may use your personal information for direct marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive direct marketing communications from us or from other organisations, or wish to know the source of the information being used, you may submit a request to info@emergencefg.com. We will respond to your request as soon as practicable.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with how we have dealt with your personal information, or you have a complaint about our compliance with the Privacy Act, you may contact us on info@emergencefg.com so that we may resolve your concerns. We will consider your query and endeavour to respond to you promptly.

If you are dissatisfied with the response of our complaints officer you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) which can be contacted at either www.oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992; or our external dispute resolution scheme. Please contact us or see our credit guide for contact details of our external dispute resolution scheme.

Change in our privacy policy

We may modify this Privacy Policy at any time. You should review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you are updated on any changes.

You may request this privacy policy in an alternative form.

Further information

You may request further information about the way we manage your personal or credit information by contacting us.

Please contact us on 0421 372 934 if you would like further information.

This Privacy Policy was updated on 24 October 2020.