We collect information for a number of reasons including:

• To deliver products or services to you;
• To better understand your requirements and preferences;
• To improve our service to you;
• Preparing your financial plan;
• To provide financial advice to you;
• Establish and manage your investments and accounts;

2. HOW WE COLLECT THE INFORMATION

Information is generally collected:

• When we ascertain from you the facts necessary to make a fair and reasonable assessment of their insurance or financial needs and objectives (“Fact Find”);
• When you complete an application form for insurance;
• When you complete an application form for an insurance claim;
• When you complete an application form for investments;
• When you complete an application form for superannuation
• When you complete an application form to increase their level of insurance; or
• When you complete supplementary medical or financial questionnaires.

If you are unable to provide us with your personal information, we may not be able to organise for you to receive a product or service. You can nominate an Authorised Representative to access your personal information. This authority can be revoked at any time.

Synchron may collect personal information from a third party (such as another Financial Adviser, Product Provider or Medical Practitioner) or a publicly available source but only if you have consented to the collection or it can reasonably be expected that consent has been provided by you.

2.1 - Privacy on the internet
Synchron and our Authorised Representatives may use websites to collect personal information from you. Synchron and Authorised Representatives may receive a password and a personal identification number to access details online. This information will be kept confidential and secure at all times.

3. WHAT WE COLLECT

The personal information generally collected includes:

• Name;
• Address;
• Phone number;
• Email address;
• Age details;
• Occupation;
• Financial details;
• Health Details;
• Transaction information;

4. DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

There may be cases where Synchron and our Authorised Representatives will need to disclose your personal information to third parties. This is generally to assist us in providing you with a product or service. This may include:

• Doctors, medical services or other organisation to help assist with the collection of information for an insurance application or a claim;
• Any fund (investment administrator or superannuation trustee) to which your benefit is transferred, created or rolled over;
• Your employer where it relates to your employer sponsored superannuation arrangement;
• Your personal representative or any other person who may be entitled to receive your death benefit;
• An external dispute resolution service, insurer or legal representative (where required or applicable);
• The policy owner (where you are the life insurer but not the owner);
• Exchange of information with authorised financial institutions to confirm bank account details for payment;
• Service providers that maintain, review and develop our business systems;
• Regulatory bodies (including the Australian Securities and Investment Commission) as required by law.

5. COLLECTION OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Where you apply for certain life risk products (such as life insurance, income protection insurance, trauma insurance, total and permanent disability insurance) it will be necessary for Synchron and our Authorised Representatives to collect sensitive information about your health. This information will only be collected when you give consent by completing the product’s application form. The information will be sourced by the Life Insurance company from you, your medical professional and by other medical professionals where medical tests may have been performed. Due to confidentiality, it is sometimes the case whereby Synchron or the Authorised Representative may not be made fully aware of the medical circumstances by the Life Insurance Company.

6. SALE OF AN AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE'S BUSINESS

In the event that an Authorised Representative proposes to sell their business, or if an Authorised Representative is no longer eligible to provide advice, we may disclose some of your personal and sensitive information to potential purchasers for the purpose of conducting due diligence investigations. Any such disclosures will be made in the strictest confidence and conditional that no personal information will be used or disclosed by them. In the event of a sale being effected, Synchron or our Authorised Representatives may transfer your personal information to the purchaser of the business.

7. ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION

You are able to access any personal information that is held by Synchron or our Authorised Representatives subject to limited exceptions or required by law. The following factors will be considered:

• The information is related to a commercially sensitive decision making process;
• Access would be unlawful;
• Denying access is required or authorised by or under law;
• Providing access would be likely to prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity.

To access the information, you will need to contact the Privacy Officer as detailed in this policy.

You may be charged a small fee applicable to the collection and provision of your personal information but will be notified of this fee prior to processing their request. The Synchron Privacy Officer will be able to advise you how long it will take to provide the information. Generally however, you will receive the requested information within 14 days of the request.

8. PRIVACY OFFICER

Synchron has nominated a Privacy Officer to handle any queries or issues related to Privacy. This person has been nominated at a senior level and has access to the Board.

Name: Michael Jones
Phone: 03 9328 3900
Email: m.jones@synchron.net.au
Post: PO Box 438, North Melbourne VIC 3051

We take your privacy seriously and any complaints you may have will be addressed through our complaints handling process. All complaints will be given fair consideration and we will aim to resolve them within 45 days. We encourage you to submit your complaint to the Privacy Officer (details above) either via email to post. Where it is found that we are unable to finalise the investigation of your complaint within 45 days, we will contact you to request an extension.