Privacy policy

Customer Information and Privacy

Collection and verification of customer information

"Customer information" is information about a customer. It includes personal information.

The law requires us to identify our customers. We do this by collecting and verifying information about you. We may also collect and verify information about persons who act on your behalf. The collection and verification of information helps to protect against identity theft, money-laundering and other illegal activities.

We use your customer information to manage our relationship with you provide you with the products and services that you request from affiliated providers and external providers for whom we act as agent.

The collection and verification of customer information may be carried out in different ways and we will advise you of the most acceptable methods of doing this. We may disclose your customer information in carrying out verification – e.g. we may refer to public records to verify information and documentation, or we may verify with an employer that the information you have given us is accurate.

Depending on whether you are an individual or an organisation, the information we collect will vary. For instance, if you are an individual, the type of information we may collect and verify includes your full name, date of birth and residential address. If you are commonly known by 2 or more different names, you must give us full details of your other name or names.

If you are a company, we may collect and verify information, including company incorporation and registration details, as well as details of the company's officers and its major shareholders.

If you are acting as a trustee, we may ask you for, amongst other things, information on the beneficiaries of the trust and evidence of the existence of the trust.

If you are a partnership, we may require information including evidence of the fact that the partnership exists, as well as the full name of the partnership, the names of the partners and any business name owned by the partnership.

For other organisations, the kind of information we collect and verify will depend on the type of organisation you are.

In addition, during your relationship with us, we may also ask for and collect further information about you and about your dealings with us.

You must provide us with accurate and complete information. If you do not, you may be in breach of the law and also we may not be able to provide you with products and services that best suit your needs.

Protecting customer information

We comply with the National Privacy Principles as incorporated into the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

We may disclose customer information to related corporations where required by a regulation or law. We may also disclosure information to related corporations who provide support functions in our service offering to you.

Other Disclosures

At common law, we are permitted to disclose customer information in the following circumstances:-

1. where disclosure is compelled by law; or
2. where there is a duty to the public to disclose; or
3. where our interests require disclosure; or
4. where disclosure is made with your express or implied consent.

So that we can manage our relationships, customer information may be disclosed to:

• brokers and agents who refer your business to us;
• any person acting on your behalf, including your financial advisor, solicitor, settlement agent, accountant, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian or attorney;
• financial institutions who request information from us if you seek credit from them; and
• organisations to whom we may outsource certain functions.

In all circumstances where our contractors, agents and outsourced service providers become aware of customer information, confidentiality arrangements apply. Customer information may only be used by our agents, contractors and outsourced service providers for our purposes.

We may be required to disclose customer information by law, e.g. under Court Orders or Statutory Notices pursuant to taxation or social security laws or under laws relating to sanctions, anti-money laundering or counter terrorism financing.

We may send customer information overseas if:

• that is necessary to complete a transaction, or
• we outsource certain functions overseas.

We may also be permitted, as distinct from required, to disclose information in other circumstances. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Access to your personal information

The law allows you (subject to permitted exceptions) to access your personal information. You can do this by contacting:

Customer Relations
Reply Paid 41
Sydney NSW 2001

We may charge you for providing access.