Privacy Policy

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This Privacy Policy ("Policy") governs the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information by youcanqualify.ca ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") in connection with our website, calculators, and mortgage-related services. By accessing or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described herein.

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

1.1 In this Policy, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Affiliate" means, with respect to any entity, any other entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such entity; (b) "Applicable Law" means all applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, and other requirements of any governmental authority; (c) "Business Day" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday in Ontario, Canada; (d) "Personal Information" means any information about an identifiable individual, as defined under applicable privacy legislation; (e) "Services" means our website, calculators, tools, and any related services provided by the Company.

1.2 The headings in this Policy are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Policy. 1.3 References to statutes or regulations include all amendments, replacements, or successor legislation. 1.4 Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa, and words importing gender include all genders.

2. COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

2.1 We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including but not limited to: (a) identification information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, and postal code; (b) financial information including property values, mortgage balances, credit scores, income details, employment information, and other financial data necessary for mortgage-related calculations and assessments; (c) demographic information; (d) any other information you choose to provide through our calculators, contact forms, or direct communications.

2.2 We may also collect information automatically through your use of our Services, including: (a) technical information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, and internet service provider; (b) usage information including pages visited, time spent on pages, click-through rates, and other analytical data; (c) location information derived from your IP address; (d) cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in our Cookie Policy.

2.3 We may collect personal information from third parties, including our mortgage agents, broker partners, service providers, and public records, where permitted by Applicable Law and where you have provided appropriate consent.

3. USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

3.1 We use your personal information for the following purposes: (a) to provide, maintain, and improve our Services; (b) to perform calculations and provide estimates related to home equity, HELOC eligibility, and other mortgage-related products; (c) to facilitate connections between you and our mortgage agents, brokers, and other service providers; (d) to communicate with you regarding our Services, respond to your inquiries, and provide customer support; (e) to send you marketing communications, newsletters, and promotional materials, where you have consented or as permitted by Applicable Law; (f) to comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements; (g) to detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, and other harmful activities; (h) to conduct research, analytics, and data analysis to improve our Services; (i) for any other purpose with your consent or as permitted by Applicable Law.

3.2 We may use de-identified or aggregated information for research, analytics, marketing, and other business purposes without restriction, provided such information cannot be used to identify you personally.

4. DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

4.1 Mortgage Professionals: We disclose your personal information to licensed mortgage agents, brokers, and other financial service providers ("Mortgage Professionals") to enable them to contact you and provide mortgage-related services. By using our Services, you expressly consent to this disclosure. These Mortgage Professionals are independent contractors or employees of third-party companies and are subject to their own privacy policies and professional obligations.

4.2 Service Providers: We may disclose personal information to third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including hosting providers, analytics companies, payment processors, customer support services, and marketing platforms. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your personal information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.3 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure: We may disclose personal information: (a) as required by Applicable Law, court order, or government regulation; (b) to law enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, or other government officials; (c) to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public; (d) in connection with legal proceedings or investigations; (e) to enforce our terms of service or other agreements.

4.4 Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar transaction, personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to appropriate safeguards and notice requirements.

4.5 Consent: We may disclose personal information for any other purpose with your express consent.

5. DATA SECURITY AND RETENTION

5.1 We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5.2 We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Specific retention periods include: (a) mortgage-related records: up to seven (7) years from the date of last contact or as required by regulatory authorities; (b) website analytics data: up to twenty-four (24) months; (c) marketing communications data: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent; (d) other personal information: as reasonably necessary for business purposes or as required by Applicable Law.

5.3 When personal information is no longer required, we will securely destroy or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies and Applicable Law.

6. YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES

6.1 Subject to Applicable Law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information: (a) Access: You may request access to personal information we hold about you; (b) Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information; (c) Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and regulatory retention requirements; (d) Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format; (e) Restriction: You may request restriction of processing in certain circumstances; (f) Objection: You may object to certain types of processing; (g) Withdrawal of Consent: You may withdraw previously provided consent, though this may affect our ability to provide Services.

6.2 To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information provided below. We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days, or as otherwise required by Applicable Law. We may require verification of your identity before processing your request.

6.3 You may opt out of marketing communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you transactional or service-related communications.

7. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

7.1 We use cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your use of our Services. These technologies help us analyze usage patterns, personalize content, remember your preferences, and improve our Services.

7.2 You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Services. For more information about our use of cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

8. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

8.1 Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have different privacy laws than your jurisdiction. By using our Services, you consent to such transfers. We will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal information in accordance with this Policy and Applicable Law.

9. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

9.1 Our Services are not intended for children under the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

10. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES

10.1 Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites or services you visit.

11. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

11.1 We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated Policy on our website and update the effective date. Material changes will be communicated through prominent notice on our website or direct communication to you, as appropriate.

11.2 Your continued use of our Services after any changes to this Policy constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

12. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

12.1 This Policy is governed by the laws of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.

13. CONTACT INFORMATION

13.1 If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Policy or our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer:

13.2 We will make every effort to respond to your inquiry within thirty (30) days of receipt. If your inquiry is complex, we may extend this period by an additional thirty (30) days with written notice to you.

14. COMPLAINTS

14.1 If you believe we have not complied with this Policy or applicable privacy laws, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer using the contact information above. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or other applicable regulatory authority.

15. SURVIVAL

15.1 The provisions of this Policy that by their nature should survive termination of your use of our Services shall survive, including but not limited to sections relating to data retention, limitation of liability, governing law, and dispute resolution.