Privacy Notice | Lawes Financial

Introduction

About this notice

This privacy notice sets out how Lawes Financial Limited handles your personal data. Lawes Financial Limited (FCA No. 1046161) is an appointed representative of Andrew Charles Consulting Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 304904). Lawes Financial Limited is the controller of the information you provide to us and is responsible for protecting your data.

Please contact us if you have any concerns about the personal information you have provided, or if you need further assistance.

Lawes Financial Limited

12 Old Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4PW

Tel: 0207 788 7872

Email: info@lawesfinancial.com

Data use

How we use your personal information

The personal information you provide may be used for a number of different purposes, set out below.

Providing financial advice and services

We process your personal information to assess your eligibility for mortgages and other products from lenders and providers, and to make applications on your behalf. This processing is necessary for:

Entering into a contract — you have asked us to take specific steps to arrange financial products before entering into a contract with a lender or provider.
Our legitimate interests — to provide you with appropriate financial advice and to maintain our business operations.

Making applications and automated decision-making

When we submit applications to lenders or product providers on your behalf, some lenders may use automated decision-making processes — such as credit scoring — to assess your application. We will inform you when this applies to your specific case.

Legal and regulatory compliance

We process your information because we have a legal obligation to do so, including for:

Fraud prevention and anti-money laundering checks
Audit, compliance and regulatory purposes
Maintaining records as required by the Financial Conduct Authority

Ongoing service and support

We process your information based on our legitimate interests to:

Deal with any queries or concerns you may have after we have provided our service, and until any product has ended
Maintain a business register of our clients for professional standards and business continuity

Marketing communications (with your consent only)

With your explicit consent, we may contact you:

At the end of any preferential rate period on your mortgage, to discuss remortgage options
To discuss insurance or protection products in relation to your mortgage
To provide information about other relevant financial services we offer

You can opt in or out of marketing communications at any time. This will never affect the quality of service we provide to you.

Data sharing

Who we may share your information with

We will keep your information confidential at all times and will only share it in the following circumstances:

With third-party providers of product data (sourcing systems or portals) to research and identify products that meet your stated requirements and eligibility.
With credit reference agencies or fraud prevention agencies. If you apply for a loan, we will pass your details to the lender and may also pass your information to a third-party packager who will gather information on the lender's behalf.
With the insurer directly, or via a third-party portal or insurance intermediary, if you apply for insurance. We may also share your information with solicitors as part of the mortgage process.
With third-party processors to verify the integrity of documentation provided, and to comply with anti-money laundering and anti-fraud requirements.
With our regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) and third-party compliance service providers as part of our regulatory obligations.

International transfers

We primarily work with service providers based in the United Kingdom. Where we need to transfer your personal data outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

The recipient country has been deemed to provide adequate protection for personal data
We have entered into standard contractual clauses approved by the UK authorities
Other legally approved transfer mechanisms are in place

We will inform you if your data is to be transferred internationally and provide details of the safeguards in place.

Retention

How long we keep your data

3–7 yrs

Records relating to assessing your eligibility for products — retained for a minimum of three years from the date advice is given, or the product sold, and up to seven years to meet regulatory requirements.

7 yrs

Records for making applications to lenders or product providers — retained for a minimum of seven years, not exceeding the date on which the product sold would be expected to end, plus one year.

7–10 yrs

Records for fraud prevention, audit, compliance and regulatory purposes — retained for a minimum of seven years, reviewed every ten years to determine whether continued retention is necessary. Records kept for statistical analysis will be anonymised where possible.

Your rights

Your rights regarding your personal data

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

The right to be informed about how we hold and deal with your personal information.

The right of access to all personal data we hold about you.

The right to rectification of any incorrect or incomplete information.

The right to erasure where applicable, though this may be limited by our regulatory obligations.

The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.

The right to data portability to another party.

The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

Rights related to automated decision-making, including the right to human intervention.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the top of this notice. We will respond to your request within one month.

Consent

Your right to object & withdraw consent

You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data at any time where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis for processing.

Where you have given consent for us to process your information for marketing purposes, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us. Withdrawing marketing consent will not affect our ability to provide you with advice and services.

If you withdraw consent or object to processing that is necessary for us to provide our services, we may be unable to complete any service or transaction on your behalf.

Complaints

Your right to complain

If you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance using the details at the top of this notice.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Marketing

Acknowledgement & marketing preferences

By proceeding with our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this privacy notice.

You can change your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us:

Telephone: 0207 788 7872

Email: info@lawesfinancial.com

Post: 12 Old Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4PW

Important notice: You have the right to object to our processing at any time on the basis of direct marketing or any of our legitimate interests set out above. You may do this by telephone, email, or in writing using the contact details in this document.