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Privacy PoliciesScott McKenzie & Associates Pty Ltd is a corporate authorised representative of Financial Force Pty Ltd AFSL 238 337.
Your privacy is important to us. This statement outlines Financial Force’s policy on how we manage the personal information we hold about our customers, clients and others. It is Financial Force’s policy to respect the confidentiality of information and the privacy of individuals. Financial Force is bound by the National Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act.
Financial Force’s Privacy Policy Statement will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and practices and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing environment. Any information we hold will be governed by the most current Financial Force Privacy Policy Statement.
Financial Force’s privacy policy is based on openness.
We are committed to being open about how we use personal information. Where our documents ask for personal information, we will generally state the purposes for its use and to whom it may be disclosed.
Why does Financial Force collect personal information?
Our business is to understand and meet our customers' needs over their lifetime for a wide range of financial and other services. To do this effectively, we need to collect certain personal information.
Our business provides many financial products and services. They include (but are not limited to):
• life and general insurance products protecting against risks • investment products to build wealth • superannuation and retirement income products to provide for retirement • banking and other services to provide deposit and credit facilities • financial planning advice and other services to help individuals understand their financial needs and make financial and investment decisions • management of investment assets such as shares, property, fixed interest and cash Financial Force Limited also maintains records of its clients and keeps them informed of Financial Force’s business activities. Collecting personal information also allows us to meet legal obligations we might have. What kind of personal information do we ask for?
Because of the nature of the products and services provided, government regulations and taxation laws, we ask for a range of personal information from our customers and clients. The type of personal information we may collect can include (but is not limited to) name, address, date of birth, contact details, income, assets and liabilities, account balances, tax and financial statements and employment details.
We obtain most of the information directly from our customers through application or other forms, and from maintaining records of information provided in the course of ongoing financial planning advice or customer service. We may also obtain information from other sources.
We may ask for other information voluntarily from time to time (eg, through market research, surveys or special offers) to enable us to improve our service or consider the wider needs of our customers or potential customers.
Some of the insurance plans and other contracts also require us to collect sensitive information. For more details, see the section 'Sensitive information is subject to greater restrictions'.
If you choose not to provide the information we need to fulfill your request for a specific product or service, we may not be able to provide you with the requested product or service.
How do we use this information and who may we disclose it to?
While we may send you marketing material from time to time that we think will be useful to you, we are conscious of the need to respect your privacy. Unless you are informed otherwise, the personal information we hold is used for establishing and managing your financial products or services, reviewing your ongoing needs, enhancing customer service and product options and giving you ongoing information or opportunities that we believe may be relevant to your financial needs and other circumstances.
We use the personal information we collect about Financial Force clients to fulfill our legal obligations and to keep our clients informed of Financial Force’s progress and the products and services that we provide to our customers. Depending on the product or service concerned and particular restrictions on sensitive information, this means that personal information may be disclosed to:
• other areas within the Financial Force group which provide financial and other services • financial planners, brokers and those who are authorised by Financial Force to review customers' needs and circumstances from time to time • service providers and specialist advisers to Financial Force who have been contracted to provide Financial Force with administrative, financial, insurance, research or other services • other insurers, credit providers, courts, tribunals and regulatory authorities as agreed or authorised by law • credit reporting or reference agencies or insurance investigators • anyone authorised by an individual, as specified by that individual or the contract Generally, we require that organisations outside the Financial Force group of companies who handle or obtain personal information as service providers to Financial Force acknowledge the confidentiality of this information, undertake to respect any individual's right to privacy and comply with the National Privacy Principles and this policy. Sensitive information is subject to greater restrictions
Some personal information we hold is 'sensitive'. Sensitive information relates to a person's racial or ethnic origin, membership of political bodies, religions or trade unions, sexual preferences or activities, criminal record, state of health and medical history.
The way we use tax file numbers and information received from a credit reporting agency about an individual is also restricted by law.
Sensitive information is usually needed for applications for death, sickness and disability insurance and to manage claims on those products. It may also be relevant to credit and other applications. It is Financial Force policy that sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purposes for which it was provided, unless the customer agrees otherwise or the use or disclosure of this information is allowed by law. Documents asking for sensitive information will explain this.
Management of personal information
Financial Force trains its employees and financial planners who handle personal information to respect the confidentiality of customer information and the privacy of individuals. Financial Force regards breaches of your privacy very seriously and will impose appropriate penalties, including dismissal.
Financial Force has appointed Privacy Officers to ensure that Financial Force’s management of personal information is in accordance with this statement and the Privacy Act.
How do we store personal information?
Safeguarding the privacy of your information is important to us, whether you interact with us personally, by phone, mail, over the internet or other electronic medium. We hold personal information in a combination of secure computer storage facilities and paper-based files and other records, and take steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
We may need to maintain records for a significant period of time. However, when we consider information is no longer needed, we will remove any details that will identify you or we will securely destroy the records.
Financial Force endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate and up-to-date. We realise that this information changes frequently with changes of address and other personal circumstances. We can generally update your customer information over the telephone or via the Financial Force website.
You have the right to check what personal information about you is held by us
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, you have the right to obtain a copy of any personal information which Financial Force holds about you and to advise Financial Force of any perceived inaccuracy. The Act does set out some exceptions to this. To make a request, you will need to complete an application form verifying your identity and specifying what information you require.
We will acknowledge your request within 14 days and respond promptly to it. We may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying the application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested. If the information sought is extensive, we will advise the likely cost in advance and can help to refine your request if required.
What if you have a complaint?
If you consider that any action of Financial Force breaches this Privacy Policy Statement or the National Privacy Principles or otherwise doesn't respect your privacy, you can make a complaint. This will be acted upon promptly.
To make a complaint, please telephone the dealer Financial Force on 07 3210 0244. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can telephone the Commonwealth Privacy Commissioner's hotline on 1300 363 992.
How to contact us
If you want to:
• make a general enquiry about Financial Force’s privacy policy • change your personal information • obtain an application form for access to your personal information then please phone Financial Force on 07 3335 6604. | ||||||||||
Scott McKenzie & Assoc. Pty. Ltd. ACN 131 914 228 trading as Scott McKenzie & Associates ABN 70 131 914 228. Gavin Derepas is a director of Scott McKenzie and Assoc. Pty Ltd., a Corporate Authorised Representative of Financial Force Pty Ltd. AFSL 238 337.  Location - SMAA Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Site Map - Admin - On Line Forms ©2012 All Rights Reserved - Scott McKenzie & Associates - ABN - 70 131 914 228 Location Address - 240 Ipswich Road, BURANDA, Brisbane QLD 4102 Australia Postal Address - PO Box 6084, BURANDA, Brisbane QLD 4102 Australia  | ||||||||||
