Privacy Policy

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Equity Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd abides by the National Privacy Principles established under the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act, 2001.

Information Collected

As a financial planning organisation we are subject to certain legislative and regulatory requirements that necessitate us obtaining and holding detailed information that personally identifies you and/or contains information or an opinion about you. In addition, our ability to provide you with a comprehensive financial planning and advice service is dependent on us obtaining certain personal information about you.

Failure to provide the personal information may expose you to higher risks in respect of the recommendations made to you and may affect the adequacy or appropriateness of advice we give to you.

As we are required, pursuant to the Corporations Act and Rules of Professional Conduct of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), to collect sufficient information to ensure appropriate advice can be given in respect of recommendations made to our clients, if you elect not to provide us with personal information, we may elect to terminate our retainer with you if we believe we are unable to provide you with a complete service.

We will not collect any personal information about you except when you have knowingly provided that information to us or authorised a third party to provide that information to us.

Generally, collection of your personal information will be effected in either face-to-face interviews, over the telephone or via online means. From time to time additional and/or updated personal information may be collected through one or more of those methods.

We will only collect, maintain and use personal information about you if it is necessary for us to adequately provide the services you have requested, which may include:
•    The preparation of your financial plan;
•    The provision of financial planning advice to you;
•    Making securities and investment recommendations;
•    Reviewing your financial plan;
•    Reviewing securities and investment recommendations and
•    Other activities as directed by you.

Use and Disclosure of Information Collected
We will not use or disclose personal information collected by us for any purpose other than:

The purposes for which it was provided or secondary related purposes in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure; or where you have consented to such disclosure; or where the National Privacy Principles authorise use or disclosure where required or authorised under law, in circumstances relating to public health and safety and in connection with certain operations by or on behalf of an enforcement body.

We are required under the Rules of Professional Conduct of the FPA to make certain information available for inspection by them on request to ensure ongoing compliance with mandatory professional standards. This may involve the disclosure of your personal information. We are also obliged, pursuant to the Corporations Act, to maintain certain transaction records and make those records available for inspection by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

We may use the personal information collected from you for the purpose of providing you with direct marketing material such as articles that may be of interest to you.

However, you may, by contacting us, request not to receive such information and we will give effect to that request. Please allow two weeks for your request to be actioned.

We may disclose your personal information to another financial planner during periods when this office is unmanned or closed so that you can be assured of receiving a continued service.

We may disclose your personal information to superannuation fund trustees, insurance providers and product issuers for the purpose of giving effect to your financial plan and the recommendations made by us.

In the event that we propose to sell our business we may disclose your personal information to potential purchasers for the purpose of them conducting due diligence investigations. Any such disclosure will be made in confidence and it will be a condition of that disclosure that no personal information will be used or disclosed by them. In the event that a sale of our business is effected, we may transfer your personal information to the purchaser of the business. As a client you will be advised of any such transfer.

Data Quality
Equity Financial Services will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date.

Data Security
Your personal information is generally held in your client file. Information may also be held in a computer database.

We will at all times seek to ensure that the personal information collected and held by us is protected from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. At all times your personal information is treated as confidential and any sensitive information is treated as highly confidential.

In the event that you cease to be a client of this organisation, any personal information which we hold about you will be securely maintained for a period of seven years in order to comply with legislative and professional requirements, following which time the information will be destroyed.

Access to Information Collected
You may at any time, by contacting us request access to your personal information and we may provide you with access to that information. However, there are limited circumstances in which access to an individual’s personal information will be allowed. If access to information is denied, Equity Financial Services will provide reasons for the denial. All requests for access will be acknowledged within 14 days.

Correction of Information
We will endeavour to ensure that, at all times your personal information which we hold is up to date and accurate. Therefore, you are encouraged to contact us and advise of any change in your personal circumstances that may affect your dealings with Equity Financial Services.

Website
We do not use cookies on our website. Our website contains links to other websites whose operator may or may not adhere to a privacy policy or be governed by the National Privacy Principles.

Complaints
Equity Financial Services has in place facilities to properly consider and deal with any enquiries or complaints if you believe the privacy of your personal information has been compromised. Equity Financial Services will respond to all complaints within two days and aim to have them resolved within ten days where possible. Where this is not possible, you will be contacted and advised when it is likely that your complaint will be resolved.

It is our intention to use our best endeavours to resolve any complaint to your satisfaction. However, if you are unhappy with our response, you are entitled to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner who may investigate your complaint further.

The Equity Financial Services Privacy Officer may be contacted by telephone on 03 9820 8666. Alternatively, you may also write to:

Equity Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd
Privacy Officer
Suite 1 , Level 4 450 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3004