Privacy Policy

Who We Are

'We', 'us' and 'our' refer to Finance Mutual Australia Pty Ltd ABN 41 746 206 148, Australian Credit Licence 387284 and our related businesses.

Contact Details:

Address: Level 5, 333 King William Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: (08) 8216 4111
Email: mail@financemutual.com.au
Postal Address: PO Box 6277 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We understand how important it is to protect your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By providing us with your personal information, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and any other arrangements that apply between us.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated version on our website and notify you of any material changes where required by law.

What Personal Information We Collect

Personal information is information from which your identity is reasonably apparent. The types of personal information we may collect include:

Basic Information

Your name, date of birth, and contact details (address, phone, email)
Government identifiers (such as driver's licence number)
Account details and transaction history
Occupation and employment details

Financial Information

Proof of income and expenses
Bank statements and financial records
Credit history and credit reporting information
Insurance details
Investment and superannuation information

Sensitive Information

We only collect sensitive information with your explicit consent. This may include:

Health information (for insurance applications)
Information about memberships in professional associations or trade unions
Criminal record information (where required for regulatory compliance)

Website Information

When you visit our website, we may collect:

IP address and browser information
Pages visited and time spent on our site
Search terms used
Referring website information
Device and operating system information

Government Identifiers

When we collect government identifiers (such as your Tax File Number), we only use or disclose this information as required or permitted by law. We never use government identifiers as our primary means of identifying you.

How We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect your personal information in several ways:

Directly From You

Application forms and agreements
Phone conversations and meetings
Email correspondence
Our website and online forms
Surveys and feedback forms

From Third Parties

When reasonable and with appropriate authority, we may collect information from:

Credit reporting bodies
Other lenders and financial institutions
Finance brokers and intermediaries
Your representatives (accountants, lawyers, financial advisers)
Employers (for income verification)
Identity verification services
Government agencies and regulatory bodies
Online openly available

Automatically

Website cookies and tracking technologies
System logs and analytics tools

Why We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

Primary Purposes

Assessing and processing your finance applications
Providing and managing financial products and services
Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations
Identity verification and fraud prevention

Secondary Purposes

Direct marketing of relevant products and services
Market research and statistical analysis
Improving our products, services, and customer experience
Managing our relationship with you
Resolving complaints and disputes
Risk management and compliance

If you don't provide us with the personal information we need, we may not be able to provide you with our products or services.

How We Use and Disclose Your Personal Information

General Use

We use your personal information for the purposes outlined above and will only use it for other purposes with your consent or where permitted by law.

Disclosure to Third Parties

We may disclose your personal information to:

Service Providers:

Lenders, funders, and other financial institutions
Insurance providers
Legal and professional service providers
IT service providers and system administrators
Marketing and communications providers
Document management and storage providers

Professional Representatives:

Your nominated representatives (brokers, lawyers, accountants)
Our professional advisers

Regulatory and Legal:

Government agencies and regulatory bodies
Courts and tribunals
Law enforcement agencies
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing authorities

Business Purposes:

Credit reporting bodies
Debt collection agencies
Potential purchasers or investors in our business
Related companies and business partners

Overseas Disclosure

Currently, we do not regularly disclose personal information to overseas recipients. If this changes, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate protections are in place.

Third-Party Privacy

When we disclose your information to third parties, they are required to handle it in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable privacy laws.

Credit Information

We may collect, use, and disclose credit information in accordance with the Privacy Act and credit reporting legislation.

Types of Credit Information

Credit liability information (details of existing credit accounts)
Repayment history information
Default information
Court proceedings information
Personal insolvency information
Publicly available information

Credit Reporting Bodies

We may exchange credit information with credit reporting bodies including:

Equifax Australia
Experian Australia
illion (formerly Dun & Bradstreet)

Your Credit Information Rights

You have the right to:

Access your credit information held by us
Request correction of incorrect credit information
Make a complaint about our handling of your credit information
Request that we not use your information for direct marketing

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet our legal obligations.

Minimum Retention Periods

Loan applications and agreements: 7 years after account closure
Credit information: As required by credit reporting laws
Marketing preferences: Until you withdraw consent
Website analytics: 2 years
Complaint records: 7 years after resolution
Identity verification records: 7 years after relationship ends

Your Rights

You have several rights regarding your personal information:

Right to Access

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond within a reasonable time and provide access within 30 days if approved.

Right to Correction

If you believe any information we hold about you is incorrect or incomplete, you can request that we correct it. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

Right to Complain

You can make a complaint about our handling of your personal information using our complaints process outlined below.

Right to Request Deletion

In some circumstances, you may request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal and regulatory obligations.

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in the "Contact Us" section below. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Fees

We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to your information, depending on the complexity of your request. We will advise you of any fees before processing your request.

Direct Marketing

We may use your personal information to provide you with information about products and services that may interest you, including:

New loan products and rates
Insurance products
Investment opportunities
Educational content and market updates

Opting Out

You can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:

Calling us on (08) 8216 4111
Emailing us at mail@financemutual.com.au
Writing to us at Level 5, 333 King William Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Using the unsubscribe link in electronic communications

We will process your opt-out request within 5 business days at no charge to you.

Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.

Security Measures

Secure storage systems with access controls
Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest
Regular security assessments and updates
Staff training on privacy and security obligations
Controlled access to our premises and systems
Confidentiality agreements with employees and contractors

Your Responsibility

You can help protect your information by:

Keeping your login credentials secure
Not sharing personal information via unsecured channels
Notifying us immediately of any suspected security breaches
Regularly reviewing your account statements

Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will:

Take immediate steps to contain the breach
Assess the risks and impacts
Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner within 72 hours if required
Notify affected individuals as soon as practicable
Take steps to prevent similar breaches in the future

If you suspect a data breach involving your personal information, please contact us immediately.

Website Information

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and provide website analytics. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us:

Remember your preferences
Analyze website usage and performance
Provide relevant content and advertising

Types of Cookies We Use:

Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website
Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website.

Third-Party Cookies

Our website may include cookies from third-party services such as Google Analytics. These are governed by the respective third party's privacy policy.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Third-Party Services

We use various third-party services to support our business operations. These may include:

Technology Providers

Website hosting and maintenance services
Customer relationship management systems
Document management and storage services
Communication and email services

Professional Services

Legal and accounting services
Audit and compliance services
Marketing and advertising services

All third-party service providers are required to protect your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and our contractual requirements.

Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 years of age without parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

If you are under 18 and wish to apply for our services, we will require parental or guardian consent and involvement in the application process.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first:

Internal Complaints Process

Privacy Complaints

Phone: (08) 8216 4111
Email: mail@financemutual.com.au
Mail: PO Box 6277 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000

We will:

Acknowledge your complaint promptly
Investigate your complaint thoroughly
Provide you with a response within 30 days
Take appropriate action to resolve the issue

External Dispute Resolution

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)

Phone: 1800 931 678
Email: info@afca.org.au
Website: www.afca.org.au
Mail: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001

For any privacy-related questions or concerns, please contact us:

Finance Mutual Australia Pty Ltd

Address: Level 5, 333 King William Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: (08) 8216 4111
Email: mail@financemutual.com.au
Postal Address: PO Box 6277 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000

Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (ACST)

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

Changes in our business practices
Changes in technology
Changes in legal or regulatory requirements
Feedback from customers and stakeholders

When we make changes, we will:

Post the updated policy on our website
Update the "last updated" date
Notify you of material changes where required by law

We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your personal information.

Version: 2025.1