BRONCO MORTGAGES INC. – PRIVACY POLICY & SECURITY NOTICE


Effective August 29, 2024


Bronco Mortgages Inc. is committed to ensuring your personal information is protected through all its business processes. The following policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect the personal information you provide to us when we provide products or services, or via communication we may have with you.

Bronco Mortgages Inc. and its affiliated brands and offerings (“Bronco”) Privacy and Security Notice together with any privacy related provisions included in the agreements you have with us, forms our privacy policy.

Our privacy policy applies to the collection, use, or sharing of any personal information collected by Bronco in the course of conducting its business and will continue to apply for so long as we may hold your information (including for a reasonable time after the termination of your relationship with us). By providing us with information, you are consenting to the collection, use or sharing of your information as set out in our privacy policy.

Bronco is dedicated to protecting your privacy and your personal, business and financial information. We carefully follow privacy policies and security practices in everything we do, to support our commitment to you.


1. WHAT WE COLLECT AND HOW WE MAY USE OR DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

When you apply for, open or maintain an account with us, and through the course of our relationship, we may collect, use and disclose certain information obtained from or about you. Generally, we use this information to communicate with you, confirm your identity, satisfy legal or regulatory requirements, prevent fraud, maintain security, administer your accounts, make offers to you, and ensure your suitability and eligibility for products or services, and to collect debts owed to us. Examples of how we collect, use or disclose your information include:


  • Contact information, such as your name, address, email address, social media or other electronic addresses and telephone numbers, which we may use to communicate with you;
  • Identity information, such as date of birth, nature of business or occupation. This information may be used to protect against fraud, money laundering or may be required by law for us to collect. Additionally, we may collect identification documents such as a driver’s license or other documents such as a utility bill. We use these items to verify your identity;
  • Financial information, such as income, assets, liabilities, transaction history, payment history, credit history, and account activity. We may use this information to understand your needs, determine appropriateness, suitability or eligibility for certain products and services;
  • Credit bureau Information and other information about you, that we may use, disclose and collect from credit bureaus, credit reporting agencies or other financial services databases. We may do this to prevent against fraud or to ensure your suitability and eligibility for certain products, including pre-approved products.
  • Social Insurance Number (SIN), which we use to verify and report credit or other information with the credit bureaus and credit reporting agencies. Also, we may use your SIN to confirm your identity as it allows us to keep your information separate from others, such as those with similar names. You may refuse to consent to the use of your SIN or its disclosure, except for purposes required by law, such as tax reporting.


2. OUR CANADIAN PRIVACY PRINCIPLES

We are committed to protecting your privacy and your right to control the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information, whether it is under Bronco's control, or information that has been transferred to a third party for processing, in accordance with applicable Canadian laws.

  • Accountability

We have designated a Privacy Officer who is responsible for overall privacy governance and all employees are accountable for compliance with these principles. The contact information for our Privacy Officer can be found within this notice.

  • Identifying Purposes

Before or at the time we ask you for personal information, we will identify the purposes for which it will be used or disclosed. We may ask for information about your identity, transactions, your application, financial behavior or other details particular to the product or service.


  • Consent

When you provide your personal information to Bronco, you consent to the collection, use, disclosure and retention of that information in accordance with this privacy policy and as permitted and required by law. You may withdraw your consent, subject to legal and contractual obligations, but you might not be able to proceed with your intended loan or lease with Bronco or obtain other services or products you request.


You acknowledge and agree that Bronco may obtain information about you from a credit reporting agency to process your loan application for the purposes set forth herein.


If any personal information about another individual is provided to Bronco by you, it is understood that you have obtained all required consents and authorizations to do so.


  • Limiting Collection

We only collect information needed for the purposes we have identified, or the products and services you have requested, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.


  • Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention

Unless you consent otherwise or it is required or permitted by law, your personal information will only be used or disclosed for the purposes it was collected. We retain your documentation for the longer of: (a) the duration required to provide products, services or commitments to you; and (b) our legal and regulatory requirements. This may require us to retain your information beyond the end of your relationship with us, however we will securely dispose of your personal information when we no longer need to retain it. You acknowledge that we may use third-party service providers that operate outside of Canada. As a result, your information may be securely used, stored or accessed in other countries and be subject to the laws of those countries. For example, information may be shared in response to valid demands or requests from government authorities, courts and law enforcement officials in those countries.


  • Accuracy

To ensure we are able to satisfy the purposes for which you have provided your personal information, we will list specific items of personal information. If you believe the personal information, we have retained about you is inaccurate, you may request that we review and correct any errors. We will review the request and, if appropriate, update your personal information.


  • Safeguards

We will protect your personal information with physical, technological and organizational safeguards relative to the sensitivity to the information, regardless of the format in which we hold it (physical or electronic) and even when it is being disposed. We regularly train our employees on the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of your information. For more information on our safeguards, please see Section 5 entitled “Keeping your Information Safe” below.


  • Individual Access

Subject to certain exceptions at law, upon request, we will inform you as to the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and you will be given access to that information. We will endeavour to provide this information to you within 30 calendar days, however occasionally we may need additional time and we will communicate these reasons to you. You may access the information we have retained about you by contacting our Privacy Officer at the contact information set out in Section 8 below.


Access to your personal information may be limited or denied in the following circumstances:

  • it is required or permitted by law;
  • information is related to existing or anticipated legal proceedings;
  • granting access would have an unreasonable impact on another person’s privacy; and/or
  • the request is frivolous.


If we deny you access, we will explain why.

3. TRANSFER AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may transfer and disclose personal information to third parties for purposes of evaluating eligibility for and providing the products and service you have requested and otherwise for purposes consistent with our privacy policy.  In addition, there may be times when Bronco has an obligation to disclose certain personal information to third parties. The following are examples of such transfers and disclosures:


  • to service providers and financial institutions for purposes of evaluating eligibility for the products and services you have requested;
  • when we report your transaction activity to a credit reporting agency;
  • when we are permitted or required by law to do so; for example, if a court issues a subpoena; and/or
  • when you have consented to the disclosure.


When required to disclose personal information to third parties, Bronco will ensure by contractual and other means that the information will be used only for the purposes of completing the required task.

4. DISCLOSURE OUTSIDE CANADA

Please note your information may be processed and stored by our service providers in other countries. By applying for and using our products or services, you consent to the transfer of information for the purposes set out in our privacy policy to countries outside of Canada — including the United States — which may provide for different data protection rules, including the right to access personal information by law enforcement and government agencies.

5. KEEPING YOUR INFORMATION SAFE 


  • Our Responsibilities

The protection of your personal information is of the utmost importance to us. We use many methods to ensure your information is protected, such as passwords to log on to computers, security codes on doors, firewalls and other security software, implementation of a privacy policy, and confirming third-party service providers comply with privacy laws. However, all security risks cannot be eliminated, and Bronco cannot guarantee your personal information will not be used, disclosed or deleted in ways not described in this policy.


We will never ask you for your personal passwords, personal information numbers or login information in an email. If you receive such an email:


  • Do not click on any links contained in the email or reply to it;
  • Immediately forward the e-mail to: info@broncomortgages.ca; and
  • Delete the email once reported.


Check the address of any webpages that ask you to enter personal account information. In the toolbar at the top of the page, any legitimate Bronco website will begin with “https” to indicate that the page is secure.


Look for the padlock found in the lower right corner of your screen. If the website is legitimate, by clicking on the padlock, you can view the security certificate details for the site. A fraudulent site will not have these details.


Type in our web address yourself to ensure you are transacting with our server.


Check your bank and credit card statements regularly to ensure that all transactions are legitimate.


  • Your Responsibilities

Just as you play a vital role in ensuring the security of your home and your possessions, you too share in the responsibility of ensuring that your personal information is adequately protected through responsible password management.


  • Select a password that is easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess.
  • Select security questions that only you know the answer to.
  • Keep your password and secondary challenge answers confidential — do not share.
  • Do not write your password down or store it in a file on your computer.
  • Never disclose your password to anyone for any reason.
  • Ensure no one watches you type in your password.
  • Change your password regularly. We suggest every 90-120 days.
  • Protecting your computer: Never leave your computer unattended while using our online services. Always exit applications using the logout button and close your browser if you step away from your computer. Your browser may retain information you entered in the login screen and elsewhere until you exit the browser. Clear you browsing history and cache (storing of pages) from time-to-time. This prevents secure pages and page information from being stored on your personal computer. It is also a beneficial security feature if you are accessing the site from a shared computer. Secure or erase files stored on your computer by your browser so others cannot read them. Most browsers store information in non-protected (unencrypted) files in the browser’s cache to improve performance. These files remain there until erased. They can be erased using standard computer utilities or by using your browser’s feature to “empty” the cache. It is recommended that you disable automatic password-save features in the browsers and software you use to access the Internet. It is recommended that you install and use a quality anti-virus program. As new viruses are created each and every day, be sure to update your anti-virus program often. It is recommended you update anti-virus definitions automatically. Scan all download files, programs, disks and attachments and only accept files and programs from a trusted source. It is recommended that you install and configure a personal firewall on your computer to ensure others cannot access your computer through the Internet. It is recommended that you Install new security patches as soon as your operating system and Internet browser manufacturers make them available. To ensure a safe and secure Internet session, only visit reputable sites. If you visit any questionable web site before Bronco's website(s), we recommend you close your browser and restart it before proceeding to a Bronco website.


6. COOKIES

We use “cookies” as a fundamental part of our interaction with your web browser.


A “cookie” is a small text file that’s stored on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device when you visit a website or use an app. Some cookies are deleted when you close down your browser. These are known as session cookies. Others remain on your device until they expire, or you delete them from your cache. These are known as persistent cookies and enable us to remember things about you as a returning visitor and to market to you the latest information about our products and services.


Our main website www.broncomortgages.ca (“our site”) and our affiliated, and subdomain sites use session and persistent cookies to distinguish you from other users of our site. This helps us to give you the best possible experience when you browse our site, and also allows us to improve our site. By using or browsing our websites, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.


All of this helps us to make our site better for you. For example, it means we can ensure you find what you’re looking for easily and speed up your searches.


You can block cookies within your browser by activating a setting that allows you to refuse all or some cookies. Please keep in mind that if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.


To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org. Alternatively, you can search the internet for other independent information on cookies.


7. INQUIRIES AND REQUEST FOR ACCESS

If you have questions about Bronco privacy practices, or wish to access or update your personal information, please contact Bronco by phone or email at:

Bronco Mortgages Inc.
Attn: Privacy Officer

1 (833) 956-3324

 

info@broncomortgages.ca