Privacy Policy
Westcourt is required to collect personal information from its Clients and prospective Clients in order to properly fulfill its duties. The information collected is used to verify a Client’s identity, protect against fraud, manage risk, manage a Client’s investments, permit Westcourt to communicate with a Client and as permitted or required by law. In addition, understanding a Client’s needs and wants, financial position, and family issues enables Westcourt to ensure that all investment recommendations are suitable. This is both a regulatory requirement and consistent with sound business practices. Westcourt is committed to protecting its Clients’ privacy and the confidentiality of their personal information in our possession. This Privacy Policy outlines the measures Westcourt shall undertake to fulfill these commitments.
We ask our Clients for no more personal information than is necessary.
The “Know Your Client” information forms that Clients must complete elicit only the information needed to fulfill contractual, regulatory and income tax requirements including: (i) name, (ii) address, (iii) phone numbers, (iv) email address, (v) birth date, (vi) social insurance number, (vii) asset holdings and values, (viii) investment knowledge and objectives, and (ix) spouse’s name and occupation. Westcourt’s application forms for registered retirement accounts elicit only the information needed to register these accounts with the relevant authorities including: (a) social insurance number, and (b) spouse’s or designated beneficiary’s name and birth date. For your information, Westcourt may also collect personal information about a Client from third parties or sources available to the public. Westcourt does not disclose any non-public personal information to any third party except as required by law or as outlined in this Policy.
Please note that a Client cannot withdraw his or her consent to the collection, use and disclosure of his or her personal information if Westcourt is legally required to collect, use or disclose a Client’s personal information. Further, withdrawal of consent in certain situations may also mean that Westcourt may not be able to provide a Client with the products requested.
We limit access to Clients’ personal information.
Westcourt records Clients’ personal information electronically on data servers to which only authorized persons have access, and only by means of secure passwords. Employees are authorized to have access to Clients’ personal information only on a “need to know” basis. Hardware and software security have been installed to ensure the protection of its computer systems from both internal and external sources. Westcourt maintains all confidential and material data electronically on Cloud based data centers for disaster recovery purposes. All data is encrypted and password protected. Paper copies of Clients’ personal information are kept in secure filing cabinets at our business premises that are locked when not in use.
We prevent unauthorized disclosure of Clients’ personal information.
All Westcourt employees have been explicitly instructed to keep Clients’ personal information strictly private and confidential. All employees are required to sign Westcourt’s privacy document that obliges them to respect and protect Clients’ personal information. Westcourt ensures that departing employees understand they remain contractually obliged to respect the privacy of Clients’ personal information. Should they be discarded, paper documents containing Clients’ personal information are first shredded.
We expect similar safeguards from our service providers.
Westcourt may use service providers for various services such as technology, administration, printing, marketing, legal and accounting. Such service providers are required to have a similar privacy policy or to agree to, acknowledge, and abide by Westcourt’s Privacy Policy.
We take privacy seriously.
From time to time Westcourt may make changes to this Privacy Policy. Westcourt’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) is responsible for ensuring that Westcourt adheres to its privacy policy. The CCO is responsible for instructing and overseeing Westcourt’s employees in its privacy policies and for monitoring the fulfillment of its privacy commitments. Any Client wishing to review his or her personal information in Westcourt’s possession should send a written request to this effect to Westcourt’s CCO.