Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

The Mortgage People (Cardiff) LTD is a mortgage broker authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference: 915009). Our registered office is at 46 High Street, Haverfordwest, Dyfed, SA61 2DA.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal data is handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect and process personal data that is necessary to provide our mortgage broking services, including:

Personal Details:

• Name, address, telephone numbers, email address
• Date of birth, marital status, number of dependents
• National Insurance number
• Identification documents (passport, driving licence)

Financial Information

• Employment details and income
• Bank statements and financial records
• Credit history and existing debts
• Assets and liabilities
• Details of your mortgage requirements

Property Information:

• Details of properties you own or wish to purchase
• Property valuations and surveys

Sensitive Personal Data:

We may process sensitive personal data where necessary, such as:

• Health information (if relevant to mortgage protection insurance)
• Information about criminal convictions (if disclosed during our checks)

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

Mortgage Advice and Arrangement:

• Assessing your mortgage requirements and affordability
• Searching for and recommending suitable mortgage products
• Submitting applications to lenders on your behalf
• Facilitating the mortgage application process

Regulatory Compliance:

• Meeting our obligations under FCA rules and guidance
• Conducting affordability assessments as required by regulation
• Maintaining records as required by law
• Anti-money laundering checks and fraud prevention

Business Operations:

• Communicating with you about your application
• Providing ongoing customer service
• Managing our business relationship with you
• Sending service-related information and updates

Marketing (with your consent):

• Sending information about our services
• Informing you of relevant mortgage products and offers

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide our mortgage broking services
• Legal Obligation: Meeting regulatory requirements and legal obligations
• Legitimate Interests: Operating our business, fraud prevention, and improving our services
• Consent: Marketing communications (where applicable)
• Vital Interests: Protecting you or others from harm (in exceptional circumstances)

5. Who We Share Your Information With

We may share your personal data with:

Mortgage Lenders:

• To submit mortgage applications and obtain decisions
• For underwriting and valuation purposes

Third-Party Service Providers:

• Solicitors and conveyancers
• Surveyors and valuers
• Insurance providers
• Credit reference agencies
• ID verification services

Regulatory Bodies:

• Financial Conduct Authority (when required)
• Financial Ombudsman Service (if you make a complaint)
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Law enforcement agencies (when legally required)

Professional Advisers:

• Our legal, accounting, and compliance advisers
• IT support providers (under strict confidentiality agreements)

We ensure all parties we share data with have appropriate security measures in place and only process your data for the specific purposes we've outlined.

6. International Transfers

Your personal data may be transferred outside the UK/EEA in limited circumstances, such as:

• When lenders or service providers use systems hosted outside the UK/EEA
• For fraud prevention and credit checking purposes

All international transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, including adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses approved by the relevant authorities.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil our business and regulatory obligations:

• Successful Applications: Minimum 6 years from the end of our relationship (FCA requirement)
• Unsuccessful Applications: Minimum 3 years from application date
• Marketing Data: Until you withdraw consent or we no longer have a legitimate interest
• Complaint Records: 6 years from complaint resolution

Some data may be retained longer if required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Access: Request copies of your personal data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your data (in certain circumstances)
• Restriction: Limit how we process your data
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Automated Decision-Making: Rights regarding automated decisions and profiling

Note: Some rights may be limited where we have regulatory obligations to retain data or continue processing for legitimate purposes.

9. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Encrypted data transmission and storage
• Access controls and user authentication
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Staff training on data protection
• Secure disposal of physical and electronic records

10. Cookies and Website Usage

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. We use:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for website functionality
• Analytics cookies: To understand how you use our website
• Marketing cookies: To deliver relevant advertising (with consent)

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Our full Cookie Policy provides more details.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any significant changes will be communicated to you via email or through our website.

13. Complaints

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your personal data, you can:

1. Contact us directly using the details below
2. Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
3. Contact the Financial Ombudsman Service for service-related complaints

14. Contact Us

For any questions about this privacy policy or to exercise your rights, contact us:

Data Protection Enquiries: The Mortgage People (Cardiff) LTD 46 High Street, Haverfordwest, Dyfed, SA61 2DA Email: enquiries@mortgagepeoplecardiff.co.uk Phone: 0800 047 8080

Regulatory Information: Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference: 915009) Company Number: 11100014