Privacy FAQ
Why do you need my personal information?
Doing business with any financial institution involves providing information about you. At Wainwright Credit Union Ltd., we pride ourselves in knowing our members so that we are able to provide you with the best products and services to meet your financial needs currently and in the future. For example, we may need some of your personal information to meet regulatory requirements or verify your identity.
How do you obtain my personal information?
We obtain personal information from you directly and from product and service arrangements you have made with or through us. With your consent, we also obtain information from credit reporting agencies, other financial institutions, or from references you have given us permission to contact. Depending on the sensitivity of the information, you can give us consent to collect, use or disclose your personal information verbally, in writing or electronically.
How do you protect my personal information?
Your information and the business you do with us are kept in strict confidence. Only authorized personnel have access to your information on a need to know basis. Our Board of Directors and employees are required to sign an oath of secrecy annually.
We collect, use and disclose personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances. Our procedures and systems are designed to protect your information from error, loss and unauthorized access. We monitor our compliance with applicable privacy legislation.
Do you share my personal information with other organizations?
In certain instances we do share your information with third party suppliers of financial services available through our credit union. For example, we share your personal information with our business partners, such as cheque printers, so they can provide you with products and services you have requested. To maintain the integrity of the credit reporting system, we share your personal information with the credit bureau. When required by law, your personal information may be shared with legal or regulatory authorities. Rest assured that under no circumstances do we sell your personal information to other parties.
How long do you keep my information on file?
We keep your personal information for as long as it is needed to provide you with services or to meet legal requirements. When your personal information is no longer needed for its identified purposes or for legal requirements, our Credit Union will destroy, erase or make anonymous by secure means your personal information.
Do you need my Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
When you become a member of the Wainwright Credit Union Ltd., you are required to open a Common Share account. This Common Share account earns interest. We are required by law to report any interest earned on this account and any interest on other income-earning accounts.
When we request your credit report, in order to make decisions as to your credit worthiness, using your SIN is the best way to ensure the information we have received actually refers to you. However, if you choose to limit the use of your SIN to income tax reporting purposes only, you will still be able to access credit and other services. Using your SIN for calling a credit report about you is a voluntary decision on your part. We are only required to retain your SIN for income tax reporting purposes.
Do I have any choices in how you use my personal information?
Yes, we do have certain opt-out options that are part of the Withdrawal of Consent to Purposes at our Credit Union. You can withdraw consent for the use of your personal information for direct or targeted marketing contact by our Credit Union or our related service providers. You can tell us you don’t want us to share information with our partners and related service providers. You can limit the use and disclosure of your personal information for third party survey research. You can withdraw consent for the use of your SIN for credit matching purposes. Contact a member service representative for more details about our opt-out options so that you can make an informed decision about any implications of opting-out.
What are my responsibilities regarding my privacy?
As a member, Wainwright Credit Union Ltd. can give you access to certain services so that you can conduct transactions. For example, you may be given or choose a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when you request a member card. These numbers are not visible to Wainwright Credit Union Ltd. Therefore we encourage you to safeguard these numbers so that no one can misuse your account. We also advise you to safeguard any other personal or banking information that may be sent to you such as account statements or unused cheques.
Can I see my personal information?
Yes, you can have access to your personal information. However, in certain cases we may not be able to provide you with access to your personal information if that information contains references to other persons or if we cannot disclose your personal information for legal, security, or commercial propriety reasons. Our Privacy Code details the situations where we may not be able to provide you with your personal information that we have in our control. If you would like to access your information, check out “Accessing my Personal Information” for instructions on how to do so.
What if I need to correct my personal information?
A request in writing to update your personal information will need to be submitted to Wainwright Credit Union Ltd. Upon receiving your request, we will correct your personal information if it is appropriate to do so. However, there may be cases when we may not be able to correct your information. For example, we cannot change an opinion that we have on file about you if the opinion was provided by a professional or an expert.
What do I need to do if I feel Wainwright Credit Union Ltd has improperly collected, used or disclosed my personal information?
If you have questions or concerns about your privacy at our Credit Union, refer to “How To Make an Access Request Inquiry or Complaint” for details on how to express your concerns.
Still have questions?
The Wainwright Credit Union Ltd. Privacy Officer is your point of contact if you wish to raise any matters regarding the use or your personal information. Please contact:
Shama Vinayaga
Privacy Officer
Wainwright Credit Union Ltd.
502 10 Street
Wainwright, AB
T9W 1P4
Phone: 780-842-1777
Email: svinayaga@alberta-cu.com
If no concerns are raised by you, we will understand that we have your consent to continue to collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purposes identified in our Privacy Statement.