ROSS, BELL & CO. IFA

This Privacy Policy explains how Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA use the personal information that we collect about you. Should you have any requests concerning your personal information, or any queries relative to these practices then you should contact Gregor Elliott at JGE@ross-bell.co.uk  Please note that all data captured will be used and held in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

When collection of information would take place

Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA may collect personal information which we receive when:

• you use our website

• you use our services

• you contact us

• you are a recipient, or potential recipient, of our services

• you are a customer

• you work for us

• you supply services to us

• you send us your CV or apply to work for us

• a recruitment consultant sends us your CV with your permission.

While you are dealing with us, we will ask you to provide us with detailed personal information relating to your existing circumstances, your financial situation and, in some cases, your health and family health history.

Information we may collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• your name, address, email address, telephone number(s) and other contact details

• information required to provide you with a service, and details of any services of ours you have used

• your company’s name, your position in the company; the company’s address, company’s email address and telephone number

• information collected through your use of our website

• information collected through direct interactions on social media

• details of any enquiry or complaint you make to Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA

• all communications to and from you by email or post.

Legal

We process personal data only where at least one of these lawful grounds for processing exists, namely:

Consent: This means you have agreed to let us process your personal data.

Legitimate Interest: This means we have a legitimate business interest to process your data and that such processing does not override your rights and freedoms.

Contract: This means we are processing your data in relation to a contract between us - e.g., an employment contract, client or supplier contract, etc.

Legal Obligation: This means that we are processing your personal data in order to enable us to comply with the law.

How will information about you be used?

We will use, and store, the information provided by you in order to:

• set up an initial meeting or give you a quotation for one of our products or services

• provide you with information on products and services that you may request from us

• enhance or improve customers’ experience of our products and services and our website

• give you access to our Personal Finance Portal

• invite you to events that you might find of relevance

• inform you of suitable job opportunities or invite you to interviews

• improve and develop our services

• protect security - e.g., to check your identity when you use our services

• carry out financial checks and for other finance related purposes such as company credit checks, collecting payment and accounting

• create and analyse sales performance statistics

• undertake marketing including email newsletters - only if you have given us explicit consent to do so

• comply with any regulatory requirements.

Who will information be shared with?

We will only disclose your personal information to third parties:

• in the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we may need to disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets

• if Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA, or substantially all of its assets, are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by it about its customers will be one of the transferred assets

• if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction

• If we work with partners who deliver business services, any such arrangement will be governed by a Data Processing Agreement ensuring that your data is only processed under our instructions and that appropriate technical and organisational measures are implemented.

Your information and rights

You have the following rights:

• To be informed about how we obtain and use your information

• To ask for a copy of the information that we hold about you

• To have your information corrected if you inform us of any incorrect details

• To request to have your information erased (the ‘Right to be Forgotten’)

• To object to the processing of your information

• To have information you provided to us returned to you, in a machine-readable format

• To withdraw, at any point, your consent to the processing of your information

• To object to any decisions based on the automated processing of your personal data

• To lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)

If you would like to use any of these rights please contact us at JGE@ross-bell.co.uk or call 01764 651750.

Retention of personal information

Your Personal Data will be retained by us either electronically or in paper format for a minimum of six years.  However, in instances whereby we have legal right to such information we will retain records indefinitely.

Accuracy of personal information

Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA will ensure that personal information is kept accurate and up to date as far as is reasonably possible.  However, we rely on customers to ensure that some of the information it holds about them is accurate and up-to-date.  We encourage customers and all data subjects (e.g., suppliers, employees, etc.) to inform us of any changes to their information.

Marketing preferences

A customer may allow Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA to provide them with information about products and services from Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA which may be of interest to them. Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA will only do this where a customer has agreed to receive such information.  You agree to receive the following marketing information from Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA:

• Information about our products and services by choosing to opt-in in marketing communications we send to you or by making a direct enquiry

• Information about our products and services by opting out of a communication where your data has been provided from a legitimate GDPR compliant business list supplier source

• Information about our products and services where you provide your details in the course of purchase or negotiations for the purchase of a product or service.

The marketing channels used above may include all means of communication (e.g., email, post, phone, SMS text message and other electronic means).  If electronic channels (i.e., email, SMS) are to be used this will be specifically stated when we collect your details.

Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA will not share personal data for any commercial or marketing purpose unrelated to its products and services without asking you first unless the law requires us to share it.  We do not rent or sell our customer lists to any third-party organisation.  Any personal information we hold about you is stored and processed under our data protection policy, which is in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and any subsequent legislation.

Changing your marketing preferences

You can change marketing preferences at any time by writing to us at Ross Bell &Co. IFA, Fraser House, Muthill Road, Crieff, PH7 4HQ, emailing us at JGE@ross-bell.co.uk or by calling 01764 651750 and we will comply with that request immediately.

If you have agreed that we can use your information for marketing purposes, we will use it for that purpose. You can change your mind at a later date by emailing us at JGE@ross-bell.co.uk

Access to personal information

Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA provides customers with access to their personal information and the opportunity to amend and update their details or preferences (including consent to receive marketing communications) in order to keep the information up-to-date and accurate.  This can be achieved by contacting us via JGE@ross-bell.co.uk  You can also write to our Data Protection Officer at Ross Bell &Co. IFA, Fraser House, Muthill Road, Crieff, PH7 4HQ.

Requesting a copy of your information

You can request details of personal information Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA holds about you, including on our websites and databases, by emailing JGE@ross-bell.co.uk or calling the Data Protection Officer on 01764 651750.

There is no fee for doing this and we intend to respond within one month.  Proof of identification is required in order to provide and protect your information.  We also require sufficient details to be able locate your information.  For example, dates and details of the websites, products or services that you have used.  An optional application form may be provided to assist us in locating the information you require.

Security and storage of information

The security and storage of your personal information is very important to us.  The personal information we collect from you is stored by us on secure servers, protected through a combination of physical and electronic access controls, firewall technology and other security measures.  We have put in place measures to guard against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.

Although we use market-standard security software to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted by you to our website; any transmission is at your own risk.  Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

Keeping your personal information secure

Ross Bell Associates Ltd t/a Ross Bell &Co. IFA is committed to keeping customers personal information secure to protect it from being inappropriately or accidentally accessed, used, shared or destroyed, and against it being lost.

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to help analyse how visitors use this site.  Google Analytics uses cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information in anonymous form.  Note the deliberate emphasis of anonymous, as no personally identifiable information is collected about you unless you explicitly submit that information on this website.

The anonymous information generated by Google Analytics cookies about your use of this website is transmitted to Google.  This information is processed to compile statistical reports on website activity for this site only.

Use of cookies

A cookie is a small piece of information sent by a web server to a web browser, which enables the server to collect information from the browser.  Find out more about cookies on www.allaboutcookies.org.

We use cookies to identify you when you visit this website and to keep track of your browsing patterns and build up a demographic profile.

Most browsers will allow you to turn off cookies.  If you want to know how to do this, please look at the menu on your browser or at the instruction on www.allaboutcookies.org.

Other sites and social media

Should our website include links to other sites we will make every effort to provide links to high quality, reputable sites but will not be responsible for their privacy practices, site content, or the services they offer.  If you follow a link from our website to another site or service, this Privacy Policy will no longer apply.  We are not responsible for the information handling practices of third part sites or services, and we encourage you to read the privacy information notices appearing on those sites or services.

Transfers of personal information outside of the UK

The data that we collect from you may be transferred to and stored at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA).  Should a legal need arise to transfer personal information about customers to third parties located outside the UK, we will ensure that information is protected to a level which meets the requirements of UK law.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may change, modify or adjust this Privacy Policy from time to time.  However, we will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy.  Any changes we make to our Privacy Policy will be found on our website privacy policy page.  Copies are available from us by post upon request.  Please contact us if you require a copy. This privacy policy was last updated in November 2023.

Contact us

We take your privacy, and protection of your personal information, very seriously.  If you have any questions, comments or queries about the way we are collecting or using your personal information, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Ross Bell &Co. IFA, Fraser House, Muthill Road, Crieff, PH7 4HQ or email us at JGE@ross-bell.co.uk

Data Protection Regulator

If you have any concerns or complaints as to how we have handled Your Personal Data you may lodge a complaint with the UK’s data protection regulator, the ICO, who can be contacted through their website at https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ or by writing to Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.