FINERGY provides marketing and communication services for financial advisers. In the delivery of our services, we are privy to, access and use data relating to our clients’ business and to our clients’ client-information.

We take the privacy and security of this information very seriously and have systems, processes and technology solutions in place to safeguard confidentiality and the security of that information.

Only authorised FINERGY employees have access to data pertaining to the marketing services we deliver on behalf of our clients. All employees are bound to strict confidentiality agreements, ongoing data security policy adherence checks, and place high importance on privacy and respect of others’ information. 

Security & Confidentiality
The following relates to data managed or accessed by FINERGY to deliver marketing services on behalf of our clients.

Third-Party Permission
Our services may include emailing and marketing to your existing clients, referral partners and prospects, which are likely to include your clients’, referral partners’ and prospects’ personal information.

This means that we need to be authorised to be able to see, review, copy or store this information. Before passing any contact information to FINERGY you should ensure that the privacy statements that your clients have acknowledged, received, read includes the following information:

• advises those you collect personal information from (for example, clients and prospects) that the information you collect will be used for marketing and communication purposes
• that this information may be accessed by Contractors or Consultants - as approved by you - who provide services to your advice business (such as marketing and communications)
• how this information is stored (i.e. in your CRM and also how it is stored if stored separately from your CRM), and
• that contacts can request this information and how to do that.

Data Management
To provide our services, FINERGY may use communication platforms such as Active Campaign, Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor or others as directed and approved by the client. At all times, the owner of the user accounts is the client. FINERGY may establish and use the account on behalf of the client, but the administration and ownership rights associated with that account lay with the client.

Data Sent to FINERGY
To set up certain services, clients may need to send FINERGY data sets that include personal information relating to their clients. This is strictly for uploading to the aforementioned communication platforms and is treated with the utmost confidentiality.

FINERGY will only accept data (as above) transmitted using the FINERGY Portal and in CSV format. The FINERGY Portal is an encrypted database and stores CSV files for a maximum of 30 days; all network and application access is protected and controlled by firewalls and the platform is monitored for uptime and performance 24/7. We actively discourage the practice of emailing data in spreadsheets If this information is sent via email, our policy is to immediately delete the email and attached data, and to advise the sender to resend using the FINERGY Portal.  

Platform Access
We have security measures in place to protect access to accounts we manage on behalf of clients. This includes password protection software and regular reviews of information held.

Data Removal / Access Removal
Information is destroyed and FINERGY access to platforms is removed when no longer required by us.

• Where data is sent to FINERGY using the Portal (as above) this is automatically
  destroyed within 30 days.
• At the conclusion of a client contract: (a) if a client opts to continue the existing marketing platforms, all admin access to platforms held by FINERGY is removed within 14 days, or (b) if a client opts to cancel any marketing platforms in place, FINERGY will execute the cancelation of these accounts within 14 days. 

Client Information
FINERGY retains the information you provide to us including your contact and business details to enable us to complete transactions and to retain adequate records for legal and accounting purposes. This information is held on our systems, which are stored at our office site and online.

Information stored within our computer systems can only be accessed by authorised FINERGY employees and those entrusted with authority and computer password sanctions.

Information about you and your business may be collected from you in the following situations by FINERGY:


• If you contact FINERGY, we may keep a record of that correspondence.

• When you submit your e-mail address in a form on our web site.
• When you engage in a service from FINERGY.

You can request your information or correct your information held by FINERGY in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, by contacting FINERGY at support@finergy.co.nz. Inaccurate information will be corrected upon receiving advice to this effect from you.

To ensure confidentiality, details of your personal and/or business information will be passed on to you only if we are satisfied that the information relates to you. If we refuse to provide you with access or correct the personal information held about you by us, then we will provide reasons for such refusal.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about our Privacy Policy or the collection, use or safe disposal or destruction of your personal information, your complaint should be directed in the first instance to us by e-mail: support@finergy.co.nz

We will investigate your complaint and attempt to resolve any breach that might have occurred in relation to the collection, use or destruction of personal information held by us about you within 14 working days. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this procedure, then you may contact the Privacy Commissioners Office.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
We respect Intellectual Property and have set high internal standards around confidentiality of our clients’ information that we become party to during any paid engagement.

FINERGY define Intellectual Property two ways:

1. All materials that are covered by copyright, registration and/or trademarks that are owned by you.

2. Any material, process, documents, or systems that have been independently developed by you or your entity.

Because our clients in the main don’t register their intellectual property, we needed to come up with a way of judging the second definition. We decided the best way is to agree that if the ‘IP’ has not:

1. Been seen by FINERGY in at least two other entities, that have no direct rights, agreements or affiliations with you or your entity; or
2. Been created by FINERGY for other clients, then we would consider it IP and treat it with the utmost confidentiality.

If you feel FINERGY has breached any of these standards, please contact us immediately as we take our clients privacy and IP seriously.

For more information or if you have any queries about the above Policy, please contact FINERGY. Our contact and office details are below:

FINERGY Ltd
0800 234 637
support@finergy.co.nz
L1, 16 Edinburgh Street
Auckland