At Home Loans Direct, we want to make sure that we provide you with the most suitable mortgage. To help us do this, we will collect and record information about your personal and financial circumstances. This page helps to explain how we collect and use this information, and your rights under the Data Protection Act.

What Information We Collect

We will collect information about your personal circumstances and financial situation in order to provide you with a suitable mortgage and/or related insurances such as home insurance and life insurance. This may include, with your permission, a credit search or searches from a credit agency, and references from third parties such as your current or previous employers, mortgage lenders or landlords. Where a joint enquiry is received from only one applicant, you will be asked to declare that you are entitled to disclose information about the other applicant, and that you can authorise us to search, link and record information about you both at credit reference agencies. Where a credit reference search is carried out, this will be recorded on your credit record and will show up on future searches. Multiple searches can adversely affect your ability to obtain credit facilities in the future.

When We Collect Information

We will normally collect most of the information needed to apply for a mortgage when you originally contact us by phone or by completing a form on our website. In order that we can recommend the most suitable mortgage for you, it may be necessary for us to carry out a credit search. We will obtain your permission before we do the search.

If you choose to go ahead and apply for any mortgage we recommend to you, it may be necessary for us to obtain references from third parties, on behalf of the lender. This could be from persons such as your previous or current mortgage lenders and employers. You will need to supply us with your written authority so that the provider of the reference can release your information to us.

How Your Information Will Be Used

The information you provide to us will be used primarily to provide you with advice on, and arrange a suitable mortgage. It may also be used to confirm your identity or, with your permission, to provide other services that we help arrange such as insurance or solicitor’s services.

In addition, we would like to be able to keep you up to date with products and services available through Home Loans Direct.

Who We Will Share Your Information With

In the course of providing our services to you, we may share your information with potential lenders, and make it available to regulatory bodies such as the Financial Services Authority.

If we are unable to help you with any matter, we may pass your details onto a third party (e.g. another mortgage or insurance broker, or a solicitor) who may be able to assist. We will always obtain your permission for this before we pass your details on.

We may also use this information to contact you in the future regarding our products and services, unless you indicate below that you do not wish to hear from us. (see below)

Your rights

Where we hold personal data about you, you have a right to ask us for a copy of the information we are holding about you. You should address any request for this information to :-

The Data Protection Co-Ordinator
Home Loans Direct
Management House
71-73 Upper St John Street
Lichfield
WS14 9DT

Tel : 01543 303170

Once we have sufficient information to carry out your request (so that we can identify you and locate any personal data about you), we will respond to your request within 40 days.

You also have the right to have any incorrect personal data that we hold about you corrected, blocked, erased or destroyed. You must write to the Data Protection Co-Ordinator at the above address to do this.

Co-Ordinator at the above address to do this.

You can object to your information being used for marketing purposes. See the ‘Marketing’ section below for further information.

You can obtain a copy of the information held about you by a credit reference agency. You can do this by writing direct to the credit reference agency, who must reply to your request within 7 working days of receipt. There is a small fee required (normally around £2). We will provide you with the name and address of the relevant credit reference agency to write to should you require it.

Marketing

From time to time, we would like to share information with you about products and services available through Home Loans Direct. We want to make sure that this contact is agreeable to you. If you do not wish us to contact you for marketing purposes, please tick the check box at the bottom of the enquiry form when you apply for a mortgage or remortage online. You may withdraw your consent at any time by writing to the Data Protection Co-ordinator at the address given above.

Obtaining Further Information

For further information about our Data Protection Policy please contact our Data Protection Co-Ordinator using the above contact details.

You can find out more information about your rights and the Data Protection Act from the Information Commissioner’s website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Keeping The Information We Have Obtained

We may have to keep information about you for number of years so that we can meet guidelines and obligations laid down by various regulatory and industry bodies. Lenders, solicitors, and any other companies we pass your details onto will also keep your information in their own records.