Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

At North Creek Financial Services Inc., we respect the privacy of our visitors, customers and clients and we are committed to keeping your personal information accurate, confidential, secure and private. We have adopted the following Privacy Policy to ensure that we continue to meet our commitment to your privacy.

Introduction

We provide a variety of products and services to the public. In the course of complying with the various financial regulations we are required to collect, with your consent, certain personal information about you. Our Privacy Policy is based on, and complies with, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), which includes the Ten Privacy Principles outlined in the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Privacy. For more information about this legislation, you can visit the official website of the Privacy Commission of Canada at http://www.privcom.gc.ca.

The Privacy Policy describes the ten principles that we follow to ensure that we protect your personal information when we collect, use or disclose it in the course of carrying on commercial activities in Canada.

The Ten Principles of Privacy

The following Ten Principles govern our actions as they relate to the use of your personal information:

Principle 1 – Accountability
Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes
Principle 3 – Consent
Principle 4 – Limiting Collection
Principle 5 – Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Principle 6 – Accuracy
Principle 7 – Safeguarding Personal Information
Principle 8 – Openness
Principle 9 – Accessing and Amending Your Information
Principle 10 – Addressing Mortgage Expert Complaints

Principle 1 – Accountability
We are accountable for all personal information in our possession or custody, including personal information disclosed to third parties for purposes of providing services requested by you.

Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes
We will inform you of the purposes for which we are collecting any personal information, either before, or at the time the information is collected.

Principle 3 – Consent
We will obtain consent from you before or when we collect, use or disclose your personal information.

Principle 4 – Limiting Collection
The information collected will be limited to those details necessary for the purposes we have identified that relate to managing our relationship with you. Information will be collected by fair and lawful means.

Principle 5 – Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Personal information will only be used or disclosed for the purpose for which it was collected unless you have otherwise consented, or when it is required or permitted by law.

In certain exceptional circumstances, we may have a legal duty or right to disclose personal information without your knowledge or consent with respect to matters that concern the company’s or the public’s interest.

Principle 6 – Accuracy
We will keep personal information as accurate, complete and current as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes for which it was collected. You may have this information amended where it is found to be inaccurate or incomplete.

Principle 7 – Safeguarding Personal Information
Personal information is safeguarded using measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. All personal records will be securely safeguarded to protect against theft and/or falsification of the information.

Principle 8 – Openness
We will make information available to you about the Policies and Procedures we use to manage personal information.

Principle 9 – Individual Access – Accessing and Amending Information
Upon written request, you will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal information, and will be given access to it. We will respond to such requests as efficiently as possible. If we are prohibited from providing such access, we will explain the reasons for the lack of access, except where prohibited by law.

Principle 10 – Addressing Complaints and Suggestions
You may challenge North Creek Financial Services Inc. compliance with the Privacy Policy. We have policies and procedures to receive, investigate and respond to your complaints and questions. You may also contact our Privacy Officer to express any concerns or to request access to your personal information. The contact information for this individual is provided below.

Information We Typically Collect for the Lender

  1. Name
  2. Date of Birth
  3. Address
  4. Banking Information
  5. Phone number(s)
  6. Personal Work History
  7. E-mail
  8. Social Insurance Number

How Your Information Is Used

At North Creek Financial Services Inc. we use personal information for one general purpose to provide lenders the necessary information so they can accurately and cost effectively approve your loan application;

We will only use personal information for the purposes that we have disclosed to you. If we wish to use your information for a different purpose, we will notify you and ask for your consent in advance.

When Can We Disclose Your Personal Information?

We are obligated to keep your personal information confidential except under the following circumstances:

(I) When Authorized by You
Many of the services offered by us require us to obtain personal information. We will use this information to tailor programs to meet your needs and objectives. We will always obtain consent from you first, and we will never use the information for purposes other than those we have told you. You may also withdraw your consent at any time, subject to any legal implications (which we will inform you about).

(II) When Required by Law
In some cases, such as under a court order, we may be required to disclose certain information to persons specified in the court order. We will only provide the specific information requested and only upon being satisfied that the authorities have legitimate grounds to request the information.

(III) When Permitted by Law
The legislation has provided certain situations where we are legally permitted to disclose personal information without your consent. Examples include situations involving the collection of debt in arrears, medical emergencies, or suspicion of illegal activities.

With Whom We May Share Your Information

(I) Employees

In the course of daily operations, access to sensitive personal information is limited to those Employees of our Brokerage that have a legitimate reason for accessing it. As a condition of their employment, our Employees are required to follow all applicable laws and regulations, including this Privacy Policy. Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information by one of our Employees is prohibited, and will result in disciplinary measures against the Employee who disclosed the information in an unauthorized manner.

(II) Affiliates
In order to better meet your needs, we may share some of your personal information with our affiliated companies. We will only do this with your express consent and you may withdraw this consent at any time. The procedure for withdrawing consent is outlined below under the section “Opting Out”.

(III) Third Party Suppliers
As you know, we engage and coordinate Lenders to provide you with services offered through this Brokerage who are only given the information that may needed to communicate with you directly about their products and services. Lenders are contractually bound to protect the confidentiality of your personal information, and they are prohibited from doing anything with this information that we have not authorized them to do. They are required to treat your personal information in a manner consistent with our Privacy Policy.

(IV) Sale of Business
We may transfer your personally identifiable information to a third party in connection with a sale, merger or other disposition (whether of assets, stock or otherwise) of our business.

How We Safeguard Information

North Creek Financial Services Inc. has extensive controls in place to maintain the security of its information and information systems. Clients files are stored according to the sensitivity of the information contained therein. Appropriate controls (such as restricted access) exist in our computer systems and form part of our data processing procedures. Physical access to areas where your personal information is gathered, processed or stored is secured and limited to the authorized Employees. Accessing and Amending Your Information

You have the right to access the personal information we keep in your file and you have the right to verify or amend the information if it is shown to be inaccurate. If you would like to view the personal information held in your file, please make a written request to the Privacy Officer at the address listed below. We will respond to your request as quickly as possible. To make a change to your personal information, please make a similar request in writing to the Privacy Officer.

Opting Out

In order to assist you in dealing with third party service providers, we may, with your consent, share your personal information with these and other affiliated companies. Should you not want relevant personal information shared with these companies, please contact the Privacy Officer directly.

Questions, Concerns and Complaints

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about your personal information, or about our Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer. Their contact information is available from the Principal Broker of our firm.

We collect personal information from our customers in the regular course of doing business. This brochure answers some of your most frequently asked questions, and lets you know exactly how we’re protecting the information you entrust to us.

What personal information do you collect about me?

We collect the following information about you:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Postal Code
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Date of Birth/Age
  • Gender
  • Household Income
  • Banking information
  • Credit record
  • Purchase history
  • Social insurance number
  • Driver’s license number

When you visit our web site, we also collect:

  • information about your computer, including your IP address, the type of operating system and browser you use, and your computer’s location
  • what pages you visit on our site and what links you click on
  • what other sites you’ve visited recently

How do you use this information?

The main reasons we collect personal information from you are:

  • Application forms
  • Because it is required by law
  • Credit verification

If it’s a necessary part of any of these transactions, we may disclose your information to another company. For example, when you apply for credit, we pass on your personal information to a credit reporting agency so we can complete a credit check. We also pass on your name and address to a courier company to complete a delivery.

Use of Personal Information for Secondary Reasons

We also may use your personal information for other, secondary reasons, including:

Credit verification

  • Name
  • Address
  • Postal Code
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Date of Birth/Age
  • Gender
  • Household Income
  • Banking information
  • Credit record
  • Purchase history
  • Social insurance number
  • Driver’s license number

Application forms

  • Date of Birth/Age
  • Gender
  • Household Income
  • Banking information
  • Credit record
  • Purchase history
  • Social insurance number
  • Driver’s license number

Because it is required by law

  • Name
  • Address
  • Postal Code
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address

Sharing of Personal Information with Third Parties

Sometimes, we also share your personal information with other companies, including:

  • Other:

Lenders

Ontario
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Phone: (416) 326-3333
Toll-free: 1 (800) 387-0073 (free within Ontario)
Email:  info@ipc.on.ca
Web Site:  www.ipc.on.ca