PRIVACY POLICY
Home N Work Mortgages Inc. operates a number of websites and online services, including MortgageConsultant.com. This Privacy Policy describes how Home N Work Mortgages Inc. collects, uses, discloses, safeguards and manages personal information when you contact us through one of our websites or when we provide mortgage services to you.
We believe you should understand not only how your personal information is protected, but also what happens when you first contact us, when information may be requested, and when it may be shared as part of providing mortgage services.
What Happens When You Contact Us
Submitting an inquiry through one of our websites starts a conversation. It does not, by itself, authorize Home N Work Mortgages Inc. to obtain your credit report or submit your personal or financial information to a lender.
We normally begin with an introductory conversation to understand what you are hoping to accomplish and whether we may be able to assist.
If you decide to proceed, we will explain the nature of our relationship with you and the mortgage services we may provide. Applicable representation disclosures, service agreements, privacy consents and other required documentation will be provided at the appropriate stage before we proceed with mortgage services requiring them.
Before We Collect Detailed Personal Information
Before collecting detailed personal and financial information, we want you to understand why the information is required and how it may be used. Depending on the circumstances, information required to assess a mortgage request may include identification information, employment and income information, assets and liabilities, property and mortgage information, and credit information.
Where authorization is required to obtain a credit report, we will obtain that authorization before doing so.
We collect only information reasonably required to understand your circumstances, assess mortgage options, satisfy applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and provide the mortgage services you have requested.
Understanding Our Relationship With You
Before providing mortgage services, we will explain the nature of our relationship with you and provide the disclosures or agreements required in the jurisdiction in which the services are being provided.
Our role may vary depending upon the transaction and applicable regulatory requirements. We want you to understand whom we represent, the services we will provide, how we may be compensated, and any material conflicts or other matters requiring disclosure. Providing information to Home N Work Mortgages Inc. does not mean that your information will automatically be provided to lenders.
Reviewing Your Mortgage Needs
Once the appropriate relationship, disclosures and authorizations have been established, we may collect and review the information reasonably required to understand your financial circumstances, objectives and mortgage needs.
This may include verifying your identity and information supplied to us, reviewing credit information where authorized, discussing your mortgage objectives and considering available mortgage options. Our objective is to provide information and advice that can help you make an informed mortgage decision.
Sharing Information With Lenders and Other Parties
Personal information may be shared when reasonably necessary to provide the mortgage services you have requested and where permitted or required by law. Depending upon the transaction, this may include prospective or selected lenders, mortgage insurers, appraisers, lawyers or notaries, credit reporting agencies, service providers and other parties reasonably involved in the mortgage process.
We do not consider an initial website inquiry to be permission to broadly distribute your personal information.
Where consent or authorization is required before information is disclosed, it will be obtained in accordance with applicable requirements.
OUR PRIVACY PRINCIPLES
In addition to the process described above, Home N Work Mortgages Inc. follows established privacy principles governing the collection, use, disclosure, protection, retention and accessibility of personal information. These principles form the foundation of our privacy practices:
Principle 1 — Accountability
Home N Work Mortgages Inc. is responsible for personal information under its control and maintains policies and procedures intended to protect that information and meet applicable privacy requirements. Responsibility for privacy practices includes ensuring that personal information is handled appropriately throughout the mortgage process.
Principle 2 — Identifying Purposes
We identify the purposes for which personal information is being collected at or before the time it is collected, unless otherwise permitted or required by law.
Personal information may be collected for purposes including understanding your mortgage requirements, assessing available mortgage options, verifying information, obtaining authorized credit information, presenting a mortgage request to appropriate lenders, facilitating a mortgage transaction and meeting legal or regulatory obligations.
Principle 3 — Consent
We obtain meaningful consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information where consent is required.
The form of consent may depend upon the nature and sensitivity of the information and the circumstances in which it is collected, used or disclosed. Where specific authorization is required, including authorization to obtain credit information, we obtain that authorization before proceeding. Consent may be withdrawn where permitted by law, subject to legal, regulatory, contractual or transactional requirements and reasonable notice.
Principle 4 — Limiting Collection
We limit the collection of personal information to information reasonably required for identified purposes and applicable legal and regulatory requirements. We do not seek detailed or highly sensitive financial information merely because someone has submitted a general inquiry through one of our websites. As a mortgage request progresses, additional information may be required to properly understand and assess the client's circumstances and mortgage needs.
Principle 5 — Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Personal information is used and disclosed only for the purposes for which it was collected, for related purposes that are reasonable in the circumstances, with appropriate consent, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
Personal information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill those purposes and satisfy applicable legal, regulatory and record-retention requirements. When personal information is no longer required to be retained, it will be disposed of or anonymized in an appropriate manner.
Principle 6 — Accuracy
We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information used in making decisions or presenting a mortgage transaction is as accurate, complete and current as reasonably necessary. Clients are encouraged to advise us if information they have provided changes or if they believe information held by us requires correction.
Principle 7 — Safeguards
Home N Work Mortgages Inc. uses reasonable administrative, physical and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of personal information in our custody or control. Access to personal information is limited to persons who reasonably require it for legitimate business, mortgage-service, regulatory or legal purposes.
The nature of safeguards may evolve as technology, business practices and regulatory requirements change.
Principle 8 — Openness
We aim to be transparent about our privacy practices and about the ways in which personal information is collected, used, disclosed, retained and protected. Questions about our privacy practices may be directed to Home N Work Mortgages Inc. using the contact information provided on our websites.
Principle 9 — Individual Access
Subject to applicable law and permitted exceptions, individuals may request access to personal information held about them and may request correction of information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
We may take reasonable steps to verify the identity of a person requesting access to or correction of personal information before releasing or changing that information. We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.
Principle 10 — Challenging Compliance
Questions or concerns regarding our privacy practices may be directed to Home N Work Mortgages Inc.
We will review privacy concerns and take reasonable steps to investigate and respond appropriately.
Individuals may also have the right to contact the applicable provincial or federal privacy regulator if a privacy concern cannot be resolved directly with us.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Home N Work Mortgages Inc. treats client information as confidential. Personal and financial information is disclosed only with appropriate authority, where reasonably necessary to provide the mortgage services requested, or where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
Our responsibility to protect confidential client information does not simply end when a mortgage transaction is completed or when a client relationship ends. Information retained by Home N Work Mortgages Inc. continues to be handled in accordance with applicable confidentiality, privacy and record-retention requirements.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, the personal information we hold about you, or the way your information has been collected, used or disclosed, please contact:
Home N Work Mortgages Inc.
Gregory Stanley, Principal Broker
5094 Lochside Drive
Victoria, BC V8Y 2E9
Phone/Text: 250-889-4309
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
Privacy requirements, mortgage-services regulation and technology can change over time.
Home N Work Mortgages Inc. may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, applicable legislation, regulatory requirements or technology. The current version of this Privacy Policy will be made available through our websites.