Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 20-Feb-2024

Who are we?

“We”, “us” and “our” refers to The Lending Project, including our brokers, representatives, Australian Credit Licensee (if applicable), and related businesses as outlined in the Credit Guide provided to you.

Our commitment to protecting your privacy

We recognise the importance of safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines our commitment to protecting the personal information we hold about you and explains how we collect, use, disclose and manage that information.

We understand that any personal information collected about you will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected or as otherwise permitted or required by law. We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is handled responsibly and in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and any other applicable legislation.

What is personal information?

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

The personal information we collect may also include credit information, which is used to assess your eligibility for finance. This may include details of your existing credit facilities, repayment history, defaults, and other credit-related information exchanged between credit providers and credit reporting bodies.

What personal information do we collect?

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Residential and postal address
• Contact details (email, phone number)
• Employment details and occupation
• Financial information including income, expenses, assets and liabilities
• Account details
• Identification information

If you apply for finance, we may also collect:

• Details of dependants and cohabitants
• Length of time at your current address
• Proof of income and expenditure
• Credit history information

If you apply for insurance products through us, we may collect health information, but only with your consent.

If you use our website to submit enquiries, we may collect information such as:

• The type and amount of finance you are seeking
• Information provided via online forms
• Technical data such as IP address and browser information

Why do we collect your personal information?

We collect your personal information for purposes including:

• Assessing your application for finance
• Managing and administering your loan or financial product
• Verifying your identity
• Meeting our regulatory and compliance obligations
• Maintaining our relationship with you
• Providing you with information about products or services that may be relevant to you
• Improving our services and customer experience

From time to time, we may also use your information to inform you about additional products or services offered by us or our associated entities.

How do we collect your personal information?

Where reasonable and practicable, we collect personal information directly from you.

We may also collect information from third parties, including:

• Aggregators or broker groups
• Credit reporting bodies
• Other credit providers
• Accountants and legal advisers
• Referees or employers
• Identity verification services

Disclosure of your personal information

We may disclose your personal information:

• To prospective lenders, funders or product providers in relation to your finance application
• To service providers who assist in managing or administering your finance (including IT providers, document processors, call centres, and mailing services)
• To associated businesses that provide related services
• To your authorised representatives (such as accountants, lawyers or brokers)
• Where required or authorised by law, including under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth)
• To investors, advisers, or entities that have an interest in our business

Before disclosing your personal information, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient is committed to handling your information in a manner consistent with our privacy obligations, or that you have consented to the disclosure.

Overseas disclosure

We may disclose your personal information to related entities or third-party service providers located overseas, including cloud service and IT providers.

These overseas recipients may be located in countries including (but not limited to) the Philippines and the United States.

Your information may be stored in cloud-based systems located outside Australia. In such cases, the information may be subject to foreign laws and may not be protected by the Australian Privacy Principles.

By providing your personal information, you consent to such overseas disclosures.

Direct marketing

From time to time, we may use your personal information to provide you with information about products, services, special offers, or updates that may be of interest.

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

• Contacting us directly; or
• Using the unsubscribe function included in electronic communications.

We will process your request promptly and at no cost.

Updating your personal information

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we hold is accurate, complete and up to date.

If your details change, please notify us as soon as possible. You may request corrections to your personal information at any time.

Access and correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you at any time.

We will generally respond to access requests within seven days. In some cases, we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of retrieving and providing the information.

There may be circumstances where we are not required to provide access, such as where the information relates to legal proceedings or where the request is unreasonable or vexatious. If access is refused, we will provide reasons.

If information we hold is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, you may request correction. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

Government identifiers

If we collect government-related identifiers (such as a Tax File Number), we will only use or disclose them where required or authorised by law. We will not use such identifiers as a means of identifying you.

Sensitive information

Sensitive information includes details relating to health, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, criminal record, or sexual orientation.

We will only collect sensitive information where reasonably necessary and with your consent, or where required by law.

Security of your personal information

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

Information may be stored in both electronic and physical formats and is protected through appropriate security measures, including secure systems and access controls.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, you may contact us through our website or using the contact details below.

We will acknowledge your complaint within seven days and aim to provide a response within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) via:

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992

Changes to this policy

We regularly review our privacy practices and may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology or business practices.

The latest version will always be available upon request or via our website.