Privacy &
Consent
Who are we?
‘We’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ refer to TF Partners (ABN 43 161 906 814) and it’s related entities which hold the following authorisations and registrations:
Tax Agent with the Tax Practitioners Board (Tax Agent Number: 25381911).
Limited Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL: 486135).
Authorised Credit Representatives of Australian Credit License Number 383640.
Our commitment to protect your privacy
At TF Partners, we understand that the details you provide us are private and personal. It’s important that you feel secure whenever you deal with us. It’s also important that you understand how we protect your privacy and the manner in which we may use your details. As such our policies relating to personal information are designed to ensure that you are fully protected under Australian privacy laws.
Our commitment in respect of personal information is to abide by the Australian Privacy Principles for the protection of personal information, as set out in the Privacy Act and any other relevant law.
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.
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.
The kinds of personal information we may collect about you include your name, date of birth, address, 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. If you apply for any insurance product through us we may also collect your health information. We will only collect health information from you with your consent.
Why we collect your personal information
We collect personal information when you apply to join our network or 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. 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:
- Government bodies such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO);
- Your other representatives and advisers including from referral, such as Accountants, Lawyers, Financial Planners and Insurance Advisers;
- Direct marketing (more information provided below) and business development events. You may opt out at any time by notifying us; and
- From paid search providers including credit reporting providers and court judgment, directorship and bankruptcy searches.
Unsolicited information
In the event we collect personal information from you, or a third party, in circumstances where we have not requested or solicited that information (known as unsolicited information), and it is determined by us (in its absolute discretion) that the personal information is not required, we will destroy the information or ensure that the information is de-identified.
In the event that the unsolicited personal information collected is in relation to potential future employment with us, such as your CV, resume or candidacy related information, and it is determined by us (in its absolute discretion) that it may consider you for potential future employment, we may keep the personal information on its human resource records.
Do we disclose your personal information
We will ordinarily make the following disclosures of your personal information where it is necessary to support the delivery of the client services or other related activities:
- third party service providers utilised in connection with any administrative matters;
- service providers (including IT service providers and consultants) who assist us in providing or marketing our services;
- related entities and related bodies corporate of ours;
- third parties in connection with the sale of any part of our business;
- our contractors and agents;
- superannuation details to a fund administrator;
- Tax File Number Declaration to the Australian Taxation Office;
- where we are required by law to provide personal information so that we comply with court orders, subpoenas or other legislation that requires us to provide personal information (for example, a garnishee order).
- your superannuation company;
- the Australian Taxation Office;
- 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;
- to companies that provide information and infrastructure systems to us;
- to anybody who represents you, such as finance brokers, lawyers 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 or Laundering and Courter Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth);
- to investors, agents or advisers, or any entity that has an interest in our business; or
- 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:
- (a) the person or organisation has a commitment to protecting your personal information at least equal to our commitment, or
- (b) you have consented to us making the disclosure.
We may use cloud storage to store the personal information we hold about you. 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. By submitting your personal information to us, you expressly agree and consent to the disclosure, transfer, storing or processing of your personal information outside of Australia. In providing this consent, you understand and acknowledge that countries outside Australia do not always have the same privacy protection obligations as Australia in relation to personal information.
You may obtain more information about these entities by contacting us and if you do not agree to the disclosure of your personal information outside Australia by us, you should tell us that you do not consent.
Direct marketing
From time to time we may use your personal information to provide you with current information about finance, offers you may find of interest, changes to our organisation, or new products or services being offered by us or any company with whom we are associated.
If you do not wish to receive marketing information, you may at any time decline to receive such information by telephoning us on 02 9248 6900 or by writing to us at admin@tfpartners.com.au. If the direct marketing is by email you may also use the unsubscribe function. We will not charge you for giving effect to your request and will take all reasonable steps to meet your request at the earliest possible opportunity.
Updating your personal information
It is important to us that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. During the course of our relationship with you we may ask you to inform us if any of your personal information has changed.
If you wish to make any changes to your personal information, you may contact us. We will generally rely on you to ensure the information we hold about you is accurate or complete.
Access and correction to your personal information
We will provide you with access to the personal information we hold about you. You may request access to any of the personal information we hold about you at any time.
We may charge a fee for our costs of retrieving and supplying the information to you.
Depending on the type of request that you make we may respond to your request immediately, otherwise we usually respond to you within seven days of receiving your request. We may need to contact other entities to properly investigate your request.
There may be situations where we are not required to provide you with access to your personal information, for example, if the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings, or if your request is vexatious.
An explanation will be provided to you if we deny you access to the personal information we hold about you.
If any of the personal information we hold about you is incorrect, inaccurate or out of date you may request that we correct the information. If appropriate we will correct the personal information. At the time of the request, otherwise, we will provide an initial response to you within seven days of receiving your request. Where reasonable, and after our investigation, we will provide you with details about whether we have corrected the personal information within 30 days.
We may need to consult with other entities as part of our investigation.
If we refuse to correct personal information we will provide you with our reasons for not correcting the information.
Using government identifiers
If we collect government identifiers, such as your tax file number, we do not use or disclose this information other than required by law. We will never use a government identifier in order to identify you.
Business without identifying you
In most circumstances it will be necessary for us to identify you in order to successfully do business with you, however, where it is lawful and practicable to do so, we will offer you the opportunity of doing business with us without providing us with personal information, for example, if you make general inquiries about interest rates or current promotional offers.
Sensitive information
We will only collect sensitive information about you with your consent. Sensitive information is personal information that includes information relating to your racial or ethnic origin, political persuasion, memberships in trade or professional associations or trade unions, sexual preferences, criminal record, or health.
How safe and secure is your personal information that we hold?
We will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information by storing it in a secure environment. We may store your personal information in paper and electronic form. We will also take reasonable steps to protect any personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
All employees as part of their employment agreement are requested to sign a confidentiality agreement and are subject to stringent background checks before commencing employment to maintain the confidentiality of any sensitive client information they may have access to when carrying out their duties. Employees also agree to an Acceptable Usage Policy (which includes password policies).
Privileged access to all IT systems is controlled and monitored. User access to data and systems is carefully managed and controlled, based on the least privilege principle where applicable.
Password protection is provided as standard on all staff devices, and enrolment in a specific mobile device management system is mandatory for all mobile platforms and devices that have access to corporate systems and data.
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 our complaints officer by writing to admin@tfpartners.com.au.
We will acknowledge your complaint within seven days. We will provide you with a decision on your complaint within 30 days.
If an issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, or AFCA. AFCA provides fair and independent financial services complaint resolution that is free to consumers.
Website: www.afca.org.au
Email: info@afca.org.au
Telephone: 1800 931 678 (free call)1
In writing to: Australian Financial Complaints Authority, GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Further information
You may request further information about the way we manage your personal information by contacting us.
Change in our privacy policy
We are constantly reviewing all of our policies and attempt to keep up to date with market expectations. Technology is constantly changing, as is the law and market place practices.
As a consequence we may change this privacy policy from time to time or as the need arises.
You may request this privacy policy in an alternative form.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on 11 September 2019.