1. Introduction
Finance Advisor Option ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal and financial information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our website financeadvisoroption.com, our consultation services and related communications; why we collect it; how we use, share and safeguard it; and the rights you have in relation to it.
By accessing our website or submitting an enquiry, loan application, tax document or newsletter subscription, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of it, please do not use our services.
We act as an independent financial advisory and referral service. We are not a bank, credit union or insurance carrier, and we do not make final lending or underwriting decisions.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information you provide directly
- Identity data: full name, date of birth, residential address, email address and telephone number.
- Enquiry data: the service you enquire about, your message, preferred contact time and any budget or loan amount you mention.
- Financial data: employment status, income range, existing obligations, credit score information, bank and asset details - only where required to advise you or to submit an application to a lender or insurer.
- Tax and insurance data: documents such as pay stubs, W-2 or 1099 forms, prior-year returns, existing policy details and beneficiary information.
- Marketing preferences: whether you wish to receive our newsletter and which topics interest you.
2.2 Information collected automatically
- IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system and approximate location derived from the IP address.
- Pages visited, referring website, time spent on pages and clicks, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
2.3 Information from third parties
With your written consent we may receive credit report summaries, property valuation data, insurance underwriting information or employer verification details from licensed third-party providers in order to process your request.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes only:
- To respond to your enquiry and provide the advisory service you requested.
- To compare, shortlist and submit applications to lending, tax or insurance partners on your behalf.
- To verify your identity as required by anti-fraud and "Know Your Customer" obligations.
- To maintain your client file, service records and annual review schedule.
- To send transactional communications such as application status updates and appointment reminders.
- To send our newsletter and marketing material where you have opted in.
- To improve our website, services and staff training through aggregated, non-identifying analysis.
- To comply with legal, regulatory, tax and law-enforcement obligations.
We do not use your data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without human review.
4. Sharing and Disclosure
We never sell your personal information. We share it only in the following limited circumstances:
| Recipient | Why |
|---|---|
| Lending partners, banks and credit unions | To obtain quotes and process your loan application (only with your consent). |
| Insurance carriers and brokers | To prepare quotes, bind cover and support claims. |
| Tax filing platforms and government agencies | To prepare and submit returns where you engage our tax service. |
| Service providers | Hosting, secure document storage, email delivery, CRM and analytics vendors bound by confidentiality agreements. |
| Professional advisers | Auditors, lawyers and insurers for compliance and risk management. |
| Legal authorities | Where disclosure is required by law, court order or valid regulatory request. |
Any transfer of data outside the United States is carried out with appropriate safeguards and only where legally permitted.
5. Cookies and Analytics
Our website uses strictly necessary cookies to keep the site functioning, and optional analytics cookies to understand which pages are most useful. Analytics data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Blocking non-essential cookies will not prevent you from using our website, although some analytics features may stop working.
6. Data Security
We take the security of your financial information seriously and apply administrative, technical and physical safeguards, including:
- TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
- Encrypted storage with role-based access limited to the advisor handling your file.
- Multi-factor authentication for all staff systems and secure document portals.
- Regular security reviews, staff confidentiality training and vendor due diligence.
No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security, and you remain responsible for keeping your own login credentials confidential.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to provide our services and to meet legal, tax, accounting and reporting requirements. Loan and tax records are typically retained for seven years; newsletter data is retained until you unsubscribe; general enquiry data is deleted within 24 months if it does not become a client relationship. When data is no longer required it is securely deleted or anonymised.
8. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your state of residence (including the California Consumer Privacy Act / CPRA and similar state laws), you may have the right to:
- Access - request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction - ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion - request erasure of your data where no legal retention duty applies.
- Opt out - unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email or our unsubscribe page.
- Restriction / objection - limit certain processing activities.
- Non-discrimination - we will never treat you less favourably for exercising a privacy right.
To exercise any of these rights, email info@financeadvisoroption.com or write to us at the address below. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we aim to answer within 30 days.
9. Children's Privacy
Our services are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to lender, insurer, mapping or informational websites operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. Please review their privacy policies before submitting any information.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology or our services. The revised version will be published on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Material changes will be notified by email or a prominent notice on our website.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns or requests about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:
- Finance Advisor Option
- 2317 Garfield Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405, USA
- Phone: +1 612-874-1111
- Email: info@financeadvisoroption.com