Privacy Policy

Proficient Finance Group Pty Limited · ABN 34 617 275 457 · Version 1.0 (draft) · Date to be set on publication

1. About this policy

Proficient Finance Group Pty Limited (ABN 34 617 275 457) respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, how you can get access to it, and what to do if you think we have got something wrong.

Alen Slewa is Credit Representative Number 496223 of Finsure Finance and Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 72 068 153 926), Australian Credit Licence Number 384704. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Proficient Finance Group.

We handle personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles. Where credit information is involved, Part IIIA of that Act and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code also apply, and section 6 covers that.

2. What we collect

To arrange a loan for you, we usually need:

• Who you are. Your name, date of birth, contact details, and identification documents such as a driver licence or passport.
• Your financial position. Income, employment details, assets, debts, living expenses, bank statements, tax returns, and business financials if you are self-employed.
• Your credit history. Your credit report and credit score, any defaults, and details of loans you already hold.
• The loan itself. What you want to borrow, the property or asset involved, and what you are trying to achieve.
• How you came to us. Whether you were referred, and by whom.

We may also collect sensitive information — for example health information, where a lender needs it to assess an insurance application or a request for hardship assistance. We only collect sensitive information with your consent, and only where it is genuinely needed.

3. How we collect it

Usually directly from you: in conversation, by phone or email, through the enquiry form on this website, or on an application form you complete.

Sometimes we collect information about you from other people, either with your consent or where the law allows it:

• credit reporting bodies
• lenders and former lenders
• your accountant, financial adviser or solicitor
• your employer, to confirm your employment
• valuers, insurers and other brokers involved in your transaction
• whoever referred you to us

If you give us personal information about someone else — a co-borrower, a guarantor, or a family member — please make sure they know we have it and have had a chance to read this policy.

4. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose it

We use your information to:

• work out what you can borrow, and which lenders are likely to approve it
• prepare, lodge and follow up your loan application
• meet our obligations under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, including assessing whether a loan is not unsuitable for you
• verify your identity and meet anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations
• look after your loan after settlement, including the annual rate review we offer
• answer your questions and deal with any complaint
• keep the records we are required by law to keep
• let you know about products or services that may suit you, unless you tell us not to

5. Who we share it with

• Lenders on our panel and their mortgage insurers, so they can assess your application.
• Finsure Finance and Insurance Pty Ltd, our licensee and aggregator, including the software we use to prepare and lodge applications.
• Credit reporting bodies, as set out in section 6.
• Valuers, insurers, settlement agents and solicitors involved in your transaction.
• Our service providers, including the administrative assistants who support our work and the companies that provide our email, document storage and client record systems.
• Your own representatives — your accountant, adviser or solicitor — where you have asked us to.
• Anyone else you consent to, and anyone we are required or permitted by law to disclose to.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone.

6. Credit information and credit reporting

When you ask us to arrange a loan, we may obtain a credit report about you from a credit reporting body. We may also give a credit reporting body information about you, which it may include in reports it provides to other credit providers.

Each credit reporting body has its own policy explaining how it manages credit information. You can get a copy free from its website.

You have some specific rights about credit information:

• You can ask a credit reporting body not to use your credit information to pre-screen you for direct marketing.
• If you believe you have been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud, you can ask a credit reporting body to stop using or disclosing your credit information for a period.
• You can ask us, or the credit reporting body, to correct credit information you believe is wrong.

If you ask us to correct something and the information came from somewhere else, we will consult the other organisation involved and tell you the outcome.

7. Sending information overseas

We use administrative assistants located outside Australia to support our work. They may have access to your personal information in the course of doing it.

Some of the software we use to store information may also hold it on servers outside Australia.

Before we disclose personal information overseas, we take steps that are reasonable in the circumstances to make sure the recipient handles it in a way consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

8. How we hold and protect your information

We hold most information electronically, in the systems listed in section 5. Where we hold paper records, we keep them in a secure location.

We limit access to those who need it to do their work, and we take reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We keep records for as long as the law requires us to, which for credit records is generally at least seven years after our dealings with you end. When we no longer need information and are no longer required to keep it, we destroy it or de-identify it.

9. Direct marketing

We may contact you about products or services that may suit you, including by email, phone or post.

You can ask us to stop at any time, using the contact details in section 12, and we will. We do not use or disclose your credit information for direct marketing.

10. Getting access to your information and correcting it

You can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Contact us using the details in section 12.

We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of giving you access, but never for making the request itself. In limited circumstances the law allows us to refuse access — if that happens, we will tell you why in writing.

If you think information we hold is wrong, out of date or incomplete, tell us and we will correct it, or explain why we think it is correct.

11. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code, please tell us first. Contact details are in section 12.

We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can take it further:

• Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) — our external dispute resolution scheme.
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — oaic.gov.au

12. How to contact us

Proficient Finance Group Pty Limited · ABN 34 617 275 457
Wetherill Park NSW 2164
0477 787 756 · info@pfinancegroup.com.au

13. Changes to this policy

We review this policy from time to time. The current version is always available on this website, free of charge. The version number and date at the top tell you when it last changed.