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Privacy Statement

  • TERN Financial Group, Inc. (TERN Financial) recognizes the importance of protecting individual privacy and the sensitivity and confidentiality of personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how TERN Financial manages personal information and safeguards individual privacy. “TERN Financial” includes its affiliates, related entities, employees and third party service providers.
  • Organizations are required to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). In certain situations, organizations may also be subject to provincial privacy legislation. TERN Financial is responsible for the personal information we collect, use, retain, maintain and disclose. This Privacy Policy has been developed to ensure this accountability. All reasonable precautions are taken to ensure that personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

Personal Information

  • Personal information is any information that identifies an individual, or by which an individual’s identity could be deduced. This includes, but is not limited to: residence address, age, gender, personal financial records, social insurance number, personal health information, personal references and employment records.

Collection and Use of Information

  • All consumers who purchase insurance (or consider purchasing insurance) from TERN Financial do so with the guidance and assistance of a professional, licensed and independent insurance broker. The broker collects your personal information to assess your insurance needs. The broker may recommend that you consider a number of products from different companies. In order to recommend products, the broker provides insurance companies with your personal information. The broker will explain that this exchange of personal information is necessary for insurers to assess your risk profile and provide an accurate quotation regarding the cost of the policy being considered.

    TERN Financial uses and discloses the personal information collected for various purposes:

  • to assess an application for property and casualty insurance coverage;to communicate with an insured regarding an insurance policy;

  • to confirm information provided by an insured or claimant, including verifying identity;

  • to allow contracted third parties to evaluate and settle a claim;

  • to detect and prevent fraud;

  • to offer and provide products and services to meet insured/client needs;

  • to analyze risk and business results;

  • and as may be required or authorized by law.

TERN Financial may verify the accuracy of information provided on any application for insurance. For example, TERN Financial may check claims history. Where the information is incorrect, TERN Financial may decline the application for insurance. Also, as part of the underwriting and claims handling process, TERN Financial may verify the accuracy of information provided in the application for insurance or to help identify insurance fraud. Where circumstances suggest a false or misrepresented claim or policy application, we will conduct a careful investigation that adheres to legal and other guidelines. Such verification and investigations are in the best interest of all consumers as it operates as a check on the accuracy of information, helps identify and prevent fraud and ensures that policyholders pay the appropriate premium based on the risk they represent.

When a claim arises, TERN Financial uses personal information to investigate the claim, assess damages and make the appropriate payments. If there is a lawsuit, TERN Financial may need to share personal information with its legal counsel. TERN Financial may use your personal information to conduct a satisfaction survey following a claim, to ensure we meet our high standards of insured/client service. TERN Financial may use personal information to conduct statistical studies on information pertaining to groups of policyholders to improve our understanding of claim trends, price adequacy and financial results and forecasts. TERN Financial may also use aggregate data to conduct statistical studies.

TERN Financial never sells personal information, or other information relating to you, to any organization, including charities or direct marketing groups.

Consent

Generally, the individual will be asked to provide written consent if TERN Financial collects, uses, or discloses personal information but in some circumstances, TERN Financial may accept verbal consent or determine that consent is implied through the individual’s conduct.

TERN Financial may collect or disclose personal information without knowledge or consent in certain circumstances including, but not limited to, when we are required or authorized by law to do so; in the case of an investigation when a breach of agreement or contravention of law is suspected; in order to help detect, prevent or deter fraud, money laundering, terrorist or other criminal activity; where it is necessary to establish or collect amounts owed to us; if we engage a third party to provide administrative services and the third party is bound by our Privacy Policy; or if the information is already publicly known.

Updating Your Information

Since TERN Financial uses personal information to provide services, it is important that the information be accurate and up-to-date. If any information changes, TERN Financial should be informed by the insured/client so that it can make any necessary changes.

Access to Personal Information

An insured/client may ask for access to any of their own personal information. Summary information is available on request but more detailed requests, which may require archive or other retrieval costs, may be subject to a reasonable administration fee.

TERN Financial may deny access to personal information in some circumstances including, but not limited to: when denial of access is required or authorized by law; when granting access would have an unreasonable impact on other people's privacy; when it is subject to solicitor- client privilege; when it has already been destroyed due to legal requirements or as provided for in this Privacy Policy; or to protect TERN Financial's rights and property.

If TERN Financial has information about an insured/client that the insured/client establishes is not accurate, complete and/or up-to-date, TERN Financial will take reasonable steps to correct it.

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Retention of Information

TERN Financial will retain personal information for as long as it believes necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected and to fulfill legal or business retention requirements.

Security

TERN Financial endeavours to maintain adequate physical, procedural and technical security with respect to its offices and information storage facilities so as to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure or modification of personal information.

Communication

Any questions, concerns or complaints regarding privacy, or any requests for access to view or amend personal information, may be directed to:

Paul Coleman
Privacy Officer
TERN Financial Group, Inc.
1100 avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal,
Bureau 280, Montréal (Québec) Canada H3B 2S2

A full name, address and telephone number should be attached to all inquiries. It should be noted that email is not a 100% secure medium and is generally unencrypted, and insureds using this method of delivery should be aware of this when contacting us to send personal or confidential information.

Website

Our website may contain links to other sites, which are not governed by this Privacy Policy.

Privacy Policy Amendments

TERN Financial Group, Inc. retains the right to amend this Privacy Policy from time to time.