Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Simply Mortgages (NW) Ltd ("we", "us", "our") takes your privacy extremely seriously. We are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of your personal data. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and store the personal information you provide to us when using our services as an independent mortgage brokerage.

2. Who We Are

We are Simply Mortgages (NW) Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 11706326.

Our registered business address is:
Meadow View, Moss Lane, Catforth, PR4 0HU

We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our Firm Reference Number (FRN) is 831644.

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we are the Data Controller. Our Data Protection Officer is Mr Steven Haley, who can be contacted at steven@simplymortgagesnw.co.uk.

3. The Information We Collect

In order to provide you with mortgage or protection advice, we must collect and process personal data about you. This may include:

• Identity Data: First name, surname, date of birth, marital status, and identification documents (e.g., passport, driving licence).
• Contact Data: Residential address, email address, and telephone numbers.
• Financial Data: Income, expenditure, bank statements, credit history, existing loans, and employment details.
• Special Category Data: Processing life insurance or income protection applications may require us to collect details regarding your health or medical history. We will always obtain your explicit consent before collecting this data.

4. How We Use Your Data

We will only use your data where we have a lawful basis to do so. The primary reasons we use your data are:

• Performance of a Contract: To assess your financial circumstances, research the market, and process your mortgage or insurance application with lenders and providers.
• Legal Obligation: To fulfill strict anti-money laundering (AML) and identity verification requirements enforced by the FCA.
• Legitimate Interests: To keep our internal records up to date, handle complaints, and defend against legal claims.

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your data. To secure your mortgage or insurance, we may need to share your personal information with:

• Mortgage lenders and insurance providers in order to process your application.
• Credit reference agencies (CRAs) to perform credit checks on behalf of lenders.
• Solicitors and conveyancers involved in your property transaction.
• Our compliance, auditing, and regulatory bodies (including the FCA and the Information Commissioner's Office) if required by law.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

Retention periods depend on the type of record and the regulatory, legal and business purposes for keeping it. There is no single FCA six-year minimum for all personal data. We assess how long records are needed for advice, complaints and legal obligations, then delete or anonymise data when retention is no longer justified. Contact us for the retention period or criteria that apply to your records.

7. Your Legal Rights

Under GDPR, you have several rights relating to your data, including:

• The Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct factually incorrect data.
• The Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data (note: FCA retention rules may override this right).
• The Right to Object: You can object to us processing your data for marketing purposes at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer, Mr Steven Haley, at steven@simplymortgagesnw.co.uk.