Our Commitment to You…
At Westmount, we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information — and what your rights are when it comes to the information we hold about you.
We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) set out in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2001, and we are committed to upholding them in everything we do.
What information we collect and why…
To provide you with meaningful financial advice, we need to build a clear picture of your situation. That means collecting personal information including your employment history and current circumstances, financial goals and objectives, assets, liabilities, income and expenditure, investment preferences and risk tolerance, family structure and social security eligibility, and where relevant for insurance purposes, medical history or reports.
We'll always tell you why we're collecting your information, how it may be used, and who else it might be shared with — before or at the time of collection. If you choose not to provide certain information, we'll let you know how that might affect the quality or appropriateness of the advice we're able to give you.
How we use your information…
Your personal information is used primarily to provide you with financial planning and advice services. From time to time, we may also use it to send you articles or updates we think may be of interest to you. If you'd prefer not to receive these, simply let us know by any of the contact methods listed in this policy and we'll action your request within two weeks.
Sharing your information…
We may share your personal information with third parties or external contractors who perform functions on our behalf — but only where necessary, and always subject to strict confidentiality obligations that mirror our own privacy commitments.
We may also disclose your information where required or permitted by law, or in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA).
In the event that Westmount is sold or transferred, your personal information may be disclosed to prospective purchasers for due diligence purposes, under strict confidentiality conditions. Should a sale proceed, you will be notified of any transfer of your information to the new business owner.
Keeping your information secure…
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. We retain your information only for as long as it is needed — or as required by law — and securely destroy or de-identify it when it is no longer required.
Government identifiers…
In some circumstances we are required to collect government identifiers such as your tax file number. This information will only ever be used or disclosed where required by law or with your explicit consent.
Accessing and correcting your information…
You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections where necessary. Some exceptions apply under law, and we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for locating and providing access to your records. If access is refused, we will provide a clear explanation as to why.
We rely on you to help keep your information accurate — please let us know if anything changes or if you spot any errors in what we hold.
Anonymous dealings…
Where it is lawful and practical to do so, you are welcome to deal with us anonymously.
Sensitive information…
We will not collect sensitive information — such as health or medical details — without your consent, except where required by law or for the purposes of establishing or defending a legal claim.
Privacy complaints…
If you have a concern about how your personal information has been handled, please contact us and ask to speak with our Privacy Officer. We'll acknowledge your complaint within seven days and do our best to resolve it to your satisfaction.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you're entitled to escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), who can investigate the matter further.
Rick Maggi CFP, Westmount Financial, Financial Advisor (Perth)