Abbrev8 Financial Planning Privacy Policy - abbrev8-com-au.preview-domain.com

Last Updated: March 30, 2025

Introduction

At Abbrev8 Financial Planning, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. We comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and its 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)

his means we handle your information in an open and transparent way, as required under Australian law

In plain language, this Privacy Policy explains:

What information we collect (e.g. your name and email)
How we use that information (for example, to schedule your financial planning appointments)
Who we share it with, if anyone (and under what circumstances)
How we store and protect your data (and keep it secure)
Your rights regarding your information (such as accessing or deleting it)
Our use of cookies or analytics on our website
How to contact us with questions or concerns about your privacy

We want you to feel confident that any personal details you share with us are kept safe and used appropriately. Please read on for more details, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Information We Collect

We only ask for information that we genuinely need to provide our services

The types of personal information we may collect include:

Contact Details: Your name and email address (collected when you book an appointment or reach out to us). We might also ask for your phone number if you provide it for appointment reminders or follow-ups. For example, if you fill out our online booking form, we will request your name and email so we can confirm your appointment and get in touch with you.
Financial Information (Clients Only): If you decide to become a client of our financial planning services, we may collect additional information about your financial situation. This could include details like your income, savings, investment goals, or other relevant financial details that help us create a tailored financial plan for you. For instance, during a consultation we might ask about your retirement goals or budget to better advise you.
Other Information You Provide: Any other personal information you voluntarily give to us. For example, if you send us a message through our contact form or email us, we will receive whatever details you include (such as the content of your message or any specific questions).
Website Usage Data: When you visit our website, certain information about your visit may be collected automatically. This can include your IP address, the date and time of your visit, and the pages you viewed. We do not use this to identify you personally, but to understand how people use our site. (More on cookies and analytics below.)

Sensitive Information: We do not actively collect sensitive information (such as your health details, ethnicity, or political opinions) through our website. In the context of financial planning, some data like your Tax File Number or health status for insurance planning might be considered sensitive. We will only collect such information if absolutely necessary for our services and with your explicit consent. If we do collect sensitive information (for example, a Tax File Number for superannuation advice), we take extra care to protect it and will only use it for the purpose it was provided.

How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information you provide only for legitimate purposes related to running our financial planning business and providing you with services you request. These uses include:

To Schedule and Manage Appointments: The primary reason we collect your name and email is to arrange the financial planning consultation you requested. We use your contact details to confirm your booking, send reminders, or reschedule if necessary. For example, we might email you a reminder a day before your appointment or send follow-up information afterwards.
To Provide Financial Planning Services: If you become a client, we use the information about your financial situation to develop and recommend a suitable financial plan for you. Your data allows us to give you personalized advice. For instance, knowing your savings goals helps us suggest appropriate investment strategies.
To Communicate with You: We may use your email or phone number to communicate about your appointments, respond to your inquiries, and provide updates or reports you ask for. We will only send you marketing emails (such as a newsletter or financial tips) if you have agreed to receive them – and you can opt out at any time.
To Improve Our Services and Website: We might use aggregate information about how users navigate our website or feedback you provide to improve our offerings. For example, understanding which pages on our site are visited most can help us make those pages more useful. Any analytics data is generally de-identified and used in a way that does not personally identify you.
To Comply with Legal Obligations: As a licensed financial service provider, we may be required by Australian law or regulations to use and retain certain information. For example, we might need to keep records of our financial advice to you for a minimum period or report certain details to regulatory bodies. We will only use your information in these ways when necessary to fulfill our legal or regulatory obligations.

We will not use your personal information for any purpose unrelated to the reasons above without your consent. In other words, we won’t suddenly use your email to send you unrelated advertisements, and we won’t use your financial details for anything other than planning your finances (unless required by law). If we ever need to use your information for a new purpose, we will seek your permission first.

Who We Share Your Information With

Your personal information is treated with strict confidentiality. We do not sell your data to third parties. We only share your information in a few specific situations, as outlined below:

Within Abbrev8: Our small team of financial professionals will access your information only on a need-to-know basis. For example, our financial planner will see the details you provided in order to prepare for your appointment, and our administrative staff may use your contact information to send you scheduling reminders. All staff are trained to keep client information private and secure as part of our professional ethics.
Service Providers (Third-Party Vendors): We use trusted third-party services to help run our business (for instance, an online booking system, email service provider, or secure cloud storage provider). These service providers may process or store your information on our behalf, but only for the purposes we specify. For example, if our website’s appointment scheduling form is powered by a third-party tool, the information you enter (name, email, preferred time) will be transmitted to that tool. We select vendors carefully to ensure they also protect your privacy. We have agreements in place with them to make sure your data isn’t used for anything other than providing services to Abbrev8. Some of these providers may be located overseas (for example, a cloud service based in the United States), so your information might be stored or processed on servers outside Australia. If that’s the case, we take steps to ensure those providers comply with privacy standards just as strict as Australian law.
With Your Consent or At Your Direction: We might share information with a third party if you specifically ask us to or give consent. For instance, if as part of your financial plan you need to consult a mortgage broker or accountant and you want us to pass along some of your details to them, we will do so only with your approval. We will make sure you understand what information will be shared and with whom, before it happens.
Legal Obligations and Protection: We may be required to disclose personal information if mandated by law or if a legal authority properly requests it (for example, under a court order, or to comply with regulatory requirements for financial advisors). We may also share information if necessary to investigate or address fraud or security issues. In rare cases, if we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Abbrev8, our clients, or others, we may share relevant information (for example, providing information to law enforcement if identity theft or fraud is suspected). This would be done only in compliance with the law.
Business Transfers: If in the future Abbrev8 Financial Planning undergoes a reorganization, merges with another business, or is acquired, your personal information may be transferred to the new ownership or entity as part of that process. If that happens, we will ensure the new owners understand that they must honor the commitments we have made in this Privacy Policy. We would notify you of any such change and your options at that time.

Outside of the situations above, no one else gets access to your personal information. We do not share your data with unrelated companies for their own marketing purposes. In short, we treat your personal data with the same care and confidentiality as we would want for our own information.

How We Store and Protect Your Information

We understand that the personal and financial information you share with us is sensitive. Abbrev8 takes reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, or unauthorized access

Here are some of the security measures we have in place to safeguard your data:

Secure Systems: Personal information you provide online (such as through our website forms) is transmitted using encryption (HTTPS). This means data is scrambled during transmission so that it cannot be easily intercepted by others. Once we receive your information, we store it in secure systems. For digital records, we use protected databases and computers with up-to-date security software (like firewalls and anti-virus protection). Only authorized team members who need to see the information (for the purposes described above) can access these systems, each with their own login credentials.
Confidentiality Practices: All Abbrev8 staff members are trained to keep client information confidential. We treat all personal details as private, and particularly sensitive information (for example, any health or financial details) is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Our team is bound by professional duties and in some cases legal obligations (such as the Financial Planners Code of Ethics) to maintain your privacy. We do not allow any unauthorized person or employee to look at your data.
Physical Security: If we maintain any physical documents (say, you hand us copies of financial statements or identification in a meeting), those are stored in a secure manner. We keep paper records in locked cabinets or offices when not in use, and we have measures to control who can access our premises. For example, our office is secured after hours and only staff have keys/access.
Data Retention Limits: We only keep your personal information for as long as it is needed. If you are a client, we may retain relevant information for the duration of our professional relationship and for some time after (for instance, to comply with record-keeping laws or in case you return for further services). We regularly review the data we hold, and if we find information that we no longer require, we will securely destroy or de-identify it. For example, if you contacted us about a service but did not end up becoming a client, we might delete your contact details after a reasonable period, so we’re not holding onto personal data unnecessarily.
Ongoing Security Practices: We continuously update our security practices to adapt to new threats and technologies. This includes keeping our software updated and periodically reviewing our procedures. If we ever suspect any data breach or security issue, we will act quickly to contain it and mitigate any potential harm. In the unlikely event of a data breach that could affect you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required under Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme (part of the Privacy Act’s requirements for serious data breaches).

While we strive to protect your information, it’s important to note that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. However, we follow industry best practices and take all reasonable measures to protect your personal data. Your trust is extremely important to us, and we work hard to earn and maintain it through our security efforts.

Your Rights and Choices

You have control over the personal information you share with us. Under Australian privacy law, individuals have rights to access and correct their personal information held by organizations

We want to make it easy for you to exercise those rights and address any concerns. Here’s what you can do:

Access Your Information: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Australian privacy law gives you a general right to access your own personal info. For example, if you want to see what contact details or notes we have on file for you, you can ask us and we will provide it (subject to any legal exceptions). We will need to verify your identity before releasing information to ensure we don’t give it to the wrong person. We will respond to access requests as promptly as we can (typically within 30 days). In rare cases, we might not be able to give you certain information if, for instance, it relates to legal proceedings or we are otherwise permitted by law to refuse. But we will explain the reason and work with you to provide an appropriate summary if full access is not possible.
Correct or Update Your Information: If you believe any information we have about you is inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete (for example, you changed your email address or noticed a typo in your name), you have the right to have it corrected. Simply contact us with the updated details, and we will fix our records. We want to make sure we have the most accurate information to serve you properly. There is no cost to request corrections. If for some reason we cannot action a change (e.g., if we disagree that the information is incorrect), we will let you know why and what you can do about it.
Withdraw Consent / Opt-Out: If at any point you change your mind about us holding or using your information, you can let us know. For instance, if you signed up for our newsletter or gave consent to receive marketing emails, you can opt out or unsubscribe at any time – there will be an “unsubscribe” link in any such email, or you can contact us directly to be removed from the list. If you scheduled an appointment but then decided not to go forward, you can ask us to delete the information you provided. We will respect your request as long as we are not required to keep the data for legal or regulatory reasons.
Deletion of Information: You can request that we delete your personal information. We will do so if we no longer need it for the purposes you gave it to us, and if we are not required by law to keep it. For example, if you were not a client and only contacted us once, we can erase your contact details on request. However, if you are or were a client, please be aware we might need to retain certain records for a minimum period (for example, financial advice files might need to be kept for several years under financial regulations). After that period, you can ask for deletion. We’ll always let you know if we cannot delete something immediately and the reason (e.g., “We’re required by law to keep this record until X date”).
Raise a Concern or Complaint: If you have any concerns about how we’ve handled your privacy or a specific request, you have the right to complain. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address the issue directly. We take privacy complaints very seriously and will work with you to resolve the matter. We’ll acknowledge your complaint and respond with the outcome or steps we’ll take. For example, if you believe we used your data in a way you didn’t expect, let us know and we will investigate and fix it if needed. If you’re not satisfied with our response, you also have the right to escalate the issue to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which is the government body that oversees privacy compliance. The Privacy Act has strict rules for how organizations must handle personal info, and if you think we’ve mishandled yours, you can lodge a complaint with the OAIC. We sincerely hope that never happens, and we’ll do everything we can to resolve any issues directly and amicably.

No Fee in Most Cases: Accessing or correcting your information is generally free of charge. We will not charge you to make a request. If, in the unusual case, fulfilling your request would involve a significant cost (for example, retrieving archived data from long-term storage), we’ll let you know the reason and you can decide whether to proceed.

Anonymity: If you have a general question about our services, you have the option not to identify yourself (for example, you can call us just to ask what services we offer without giving your name). However, for booking appointments or receiving financial advice, we will need your identifying information to assist you properly. We will always give you the option to withhold any information that is not necessary for the task at hand.

In summary, you are in control of your personal information. We are here to help you exercise your rights and will never penalize you for asking questions or making requests about your data. Your privacy and satisfaction are our priorities.

Use of Cookies and Analytics

Like many websites, Abbrev8.com.au uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and to better understand how people use our site. Here’s what that means for you:

What Are Cookies? Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit. They serve a variety of purposes, like keeping you logged in, remembering your site preferences, or collecting anonymous data about site traffic. Our site’s cookies do not contain personal details like your name or email; they typically contain an ID number or code that is meaningful only to our systems or service providers.
How We Use Cookies: We primarily use cookies to make our website function smoothly and to learn how we can improve it. For example, we may use a cookie to remember that you’ve visited our site before, so we can load it faster or display relevant content. We also use cookies for analytics – specifically, we use tools like Google Analytics to see how people find our site and which pages they visit. This helps us understand what content is useful to visitors. For instance, Google Analytics might tell us that “50 people visited the Retirement Planning page this week,” which signals interest in that topic. The information collected through analytics cookies is aggregated and does not identify you personally. It includes data like how long visitors stay on a page, what country they are in, and what kind of device they used. This data helps us improve site navigation and content. As the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website puts it, “We use cookies to analyse traffic and to improve your browsing experience on our website.” That’s exactly what we do as well.
No Third-Party Advertising Cookies: We do not use third-party advertising networks or tracking cookies that follow you across different websites for targeted advertising. In other words, you will not see ads for Abbrev8 on other sites as a result of visiting our website, and we are not profiling you for marketing purposes via cookies. Our use of cookies is limited to the operational needs of our site and understanding our audience in general.
Your Choices for Cookies: When you first visit our site, you may see a notice about cookies. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies as described here. However, you have control over cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. You can also delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. Please note that if you disable cookies, some features of our site may not work properly. For example, the appointment booking form might not remember your inputs between steps or the site might not remember your preferences. That said, you will still be able to access the core content of our website even with cookies turned off.
Analytics and Opt-Out: Google Analytics provides its own opt-out options if you don’t want to be included in our aggregated website statistics. You can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on which prevents Google Analytics from collecting data on your visits to websites. This is entirely optional – whether or not you opt out will not affect your experience on our site; it only affects whether your anonymous data is counted in our statistics.
Cookies and Personal Information: The cookies we use do not personally identify you by themselves. They help us link your device to your interactions on our site. We do not match cookie data with the personal information (like your name or email) you may have provided to us. For example, if you submit a booking form, we don’t tie that form submission to your browsing history on our site – those remain separate in our systems. Cookies are more about how the website is used broadly rather than who specifically is using it. However, if you still have concerns about cookies, you are free to disable them as mentioned above.

By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies and analytics as described. We include this section to be transparent about our online data practices. If you have any questions about our use of cookies or analytics tools, feel free to reach out to us using the contact information below.

Contact Us (Privacy Questions or Concerns)

We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your personal information. We’re here to help and address any issues.

For privacy-related inquiries, requests, or complaints, please contact our Privacy Officer at:

Email: info@abbrev8.com.au
Postal Address: Suite 1, Level 5,124 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Please note: The contact details above are provided for privacy inquiries. If you reach out by email or post, include as much detail as possible about your question or concern, and any relevant context (for example, if you are requesting access to your information, let us know what information you are seeking). This will help us respond more efficiently.

We will respond to your inquiry as soon as we can, typically within a few business days. If you are making a complaint, we may need a little more time to investigate, but we will acknowledge your complaint and let you know the expected timeline. As mentioned in the Your Rights section, we aim to resolve all complaints internally. We’ll work with you to find a fair solution. If you feel your issue isn’t resolved, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for further assistance but we’re confident we can address your concerns through our direct communication.

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Contact: If you wish to contact the OAIC, their website (www.oaic.gov.au) provides guidance on how to lodge a complaint, or you can call them at 1300 363 992. This step is generally recommended only if we haven’t been able to resolve the matter to your satisfaction.

Compliance with Australian Privacy Laws

Abbrev8 Financial Planning is committed to complying with all applicable Australian privacy laws and regulations. This includes the federal Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. In practice, this means we follow strict standards for handling your information – from collection to storage to sharing – all guided by the principle of respecting your privacy and security. The Privacy Act sets out robust rules for organizations on how to manage personal information, and we adhere to those rules in everything we do:

For example, one of the principles requires us to only collect information that is reasonably necessary for our functions, and as described above, we limit our collection to what we actually need from you. Another principle requires that we take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse or loss, which underlies all the security measures we detailed. By following these principles, we not only stay compliant with the law but also uphold the trust you place in us as a financial advisor.

Updates to This Policy: We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or our business operations. If we make significant changes, we will post a notice on our website or inform you by other means (such as email, if appropriate). The “Last Updated” date at the top will always indicate the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed of how we are protecting your information.

Thank you for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy. We hope it has clarified how we handle your personal information and our dedication to your privacy. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your privacy is important to us, and we are always here to listen and help.