Mont Partners Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Arrangements

Who we are

Mont Partners, AFSL 511061, provides financial planning and related financial services in Australia.

Our contact details are PO Box 223, West Perth WA 6872, telephone 08 6222 6645, and email admin@montpartners.com.au.

Purpose of this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, hold, disclose, protect and otherwise handle personal information. It also explains how you may access or correct your personal information and how you may make a complaint about our handling of your information.

We are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, which regulate the collection, use, disclosure, security, access and correction of personal information.

What information we collect

We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide financial planning and related services, manage our adviser-client relationship, operate our business, and meet our legal, regulatory and professional obligations.

• identification and contact details, including your name, address, date of birth, nationality, marital status, family details and contact information;
• identity verification information, including documents such as a driver licence, passport or other identification documents;
• financial information, including income, expenses, assets, liabilities, superannuation, investments, insurance, savings, bank account information and financial statements;
• tax information, including your tax file number where you have separately authorised us to collect and use it;
• information about your objectives, needs, priorities, goals, risk tolerance and personal circumstances;
• sensitive information, such as health and medical information, where reasonably required for insurance or related advice; and
• information relating to companies, trusts, partnerships, beneficial owners, controllers, authorised representatives or other entities where relevant to the services provided.

We do not use government-related identifiers, such as tax file numbers, Medicare numbers or Centrelink numbers, as our own identifiers.

How we collect information

We usually collect personal information directly from you through meetings, questionnaires, forms, telephone calls, email, our website, client portals, electronic signature platforms and other communications. We may also collect information from third parties where you have authorised this or where collection is permitted or required by law, including accountants, solicitors, product providers, superannuation funds, insurers, banks, government agencies, identity verification providers and other professional advisers.

Why we collect, use and disclose information

• assess your circumstances, objectives, financial situation and needs;
• prepare, provide, implement, administer and review financial advice, related services and financial products;
• verify your identity and information, maintain records, manage our relationship with you and respond to enquiries, complaints or disputes;
• meet legal, regulatory, licensing, professional, taxation, accounting, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, sanctions and other compliance obligations;
• engage third-party service providers and professional advisers where reasonably necessary;
• manage information security, fraud prevention, risk, compliance, business administration, succession, restructuring or sale of the business; and
• send direct marketing where permitted, with the ability to opt out at any time.

If you do not provide information that is reasonably required, or if information provided is incomplete or inaccurate, we may be unable to provide appropriate advice, implement recommendations or continue certain services.

Who we disclose information to

• financial product issuers and providers, including banks, superannuation funds, investment platforms, insurers and other product providers;
• organisations involved in implementing, administering or reviewing financial products and services;
• external paraplanners, administrators, researchers, accountants, solicitors, tax advisers, mortgage or finance professionals, estate planning professionals and other professional advisers;
• technology, software, cloud storage, document management, electronic signature, identity verification, compliance, administration and other service providers;
• government agencies, regulators, courts, dispute resolution bodies and other organisations where required or authorised by law;
• organisations involved in business administration, risk management, compliance, audit, professional services, sale, transfer or restructuring of our business; and
• other organisations where you have authorised disclosure or where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

Overseas disclosure

Some of our service, technology, software, cloud storage, paraplanning, administration or other providers may be located overseas or may store or access information outside Australia. Where your personal information is disclosed overseas, we will take reasonable steps required by law to ensure the overseas recipient handles your information in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.

The countries in which overseas recipients are likely to be located may include the Philippines, India, and other countries relevant to the services we use.

Technology, AI and meeting recordings

We may use third-party technology and service providers, including client relationship management systems, secure cloud storage, document management, electronic signature platforms, identity verification services, financial modelling tools, paraplanning and administration systems, transcription tools, meeting management systems, compliance systems, data analysis tools and artificial intelligence or machine-assisted technology.

These tools may assist with administration, analysis, research, document processing, transcription, summarisation, file notes, internal task instructions, correspondence and other business functions. We remain responsible for the advice and services we provide and will use these tools in accordance with applicable legal and privacy obligations.

We may record client meetings, telephone calls, video conferences or other communications where reasonably required for advice, records, instructions, quality assurance, training, compliance, dispute resolution, security or other legitimate business purposes. We will advise you when we intend to record a meeting and seek your consent before recording. You may decline to have a meeting recorded.

Security, retention and data breaches

We store personal information electronically in systems we own or in secure cloud-based storage. Hard copy files are stored securely with access restricted to staff and service providers who require access to provide services or perform authorised business functions.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. If a data breach occurs, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable legal requirements, including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where required.

We retain personal information and documents for as long as reasonably required for the purposes for which they were collected, to provide services, to manage our relationship with you, for legitimate business purposes, or as required or authorised by law. We are generally required to retain many financial services records for at least seven years. Where information is no longer reasonably required and there is no legal or regulatory reason to retain it, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

Access, correction and complaints

You may request access to personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. We may need to verify your identity before responding. There may be circumstances where we are permitted to refuse access or correction, in which case we will provide a written explanation.

If you have a privacy complaint, please contact our Complaints Manager at admin@montpartners.com.au. We will handle privacy complaints in accordance with applicable privacy laws and our internal complaints process. You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by submitting a complaint through its online form or by contacting Privacy Complaints, GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001, phone 1300 363 992, fax 02 6123 5145.

Direct marketing

We may contact you from time to time about products, services, information, events or other matters that may be relevant to your financial needs. You may opt out of receiving direct marketing communications at any time by contacting us or by using the unsubscribe facility included in the relevant communication.