Privacy Policy

Introduction

flux-battery is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and safeguard data when you interact with our services or visit our website.

We take our responsibilities under data protection legislation seriously and aim to be transparent about our practices. By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

We collect several types of information depending on your interaction with our services:

Personal Identification Information

When you engage our services, we collect information such as your name, email address, postal address, date of birth, and national insurance number. This information is necessary to provide financial advice and comply with regulatory requirements.

Financial Information

To deliver appropriate financial guidance, we collect details about your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, existing investments, pensions, insurance policies, and other financial circumstances. This allows us to assess your situation and provide relevant recommendations.

Website Usage Data

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information including IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites. This helps us understand how visitors use our site and improve user experience.

Communication Records

We maintain records of correspondence with clients including emails, letters, meeting notes, and phone call summaries. These records help us provide continuity of service and meet regulatory record-keeping requirements.

How We Use Your Information

The information we collect serves several purposes:

Service Delivery

We use your personal and financial information to provide the financial planning and advisory services you've engaged us for. This includes analysing your situation, developing recommendations, implementing strategies, and conducting ongoing reviews.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

As a regulated financial services firm, we're required to collect and retain certain information to comply with anti-money laundering regulations, financial services rules, and other legal obligations. This includes identity verification, record-keeping, and reporting requirements.

Communication

We use your contact information to respond to enquiries, schedule appointments, send service updates, and provide relevant information about your financial plans or our services. We'll only send marketing communications if you've consented to receive them.

Website Improvement

Website usage data helps us understand how visitors interact with our site, identify technical issues, and make improvements to functionality and content. This data is typically anonymised and used in aggregate form.

Legal Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information. We rely on several legal bases:

Contract Performance

Processing is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations when you engage our services. We need your information to provide the financial advice and planning you've requested.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements imposed on financial services firms, including identity verification, record-keeping, and regulatory reporting.

Legitimate Interests

We have legitimate business interests in maintaining client records, improving our services, and operating our website effectively. We balance these interests against your rights and only process data where the impact on you is minimal.

Consent

For certain activities like marketing communications or non-essential cookies, we obtain your explicit consent before processing your information. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We share personal information only when necessary and appropriate:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist with IT systems, document storage, compliance services, and other business functions. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Financial Product Providers

When implementing recommendations that involve financial products, we may need to share relevant information with investment platforms, pension providers, or insurance companies. This is necessary to establish accounts and process transactions on your behalf.

Regulatory and Legal Requirements

We may disclose information to regulatory bodies, law enforcement, or other authorities when required by law or to comply with legal processes. This includes responding to court orders or regulatory investigations.

Professional Advisors

Occasionally, we may need to share information with legal advisors, auditors, or other professional consultants to obtain advice or meet professional obligations. These parties are bound by confidentiality requirements.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Security measures include encrypted data transmission, secure storage systems, access controls limiting who can view information, regular security assessments, and staff training on data protection. Physical documents are stored in locked facilities with restricted access.

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to using industry-standard practices and responding promptly to any security incidents.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy or to meet legal and regulatory requirements.

For client records, we typically retain information for at least six years after our relationship ends, in line with regulatory requirements for financial services firms. Some records may be kept longer if required by law or for legitimate business purposes like handling complaints or defending legal claims.

Website usage data is generally retained for shorter periods, typically between one and three years, depending on the type of data and its purpose.

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it to prevent identification.

Your Rights

Under data protection legislation, you have several rights regarding your personal information:

Access

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We'll provide this free of charge in most cases, though we may charge a reasonable fee for additional copies or manifestly unfounded requests.

Rectification

If you believe any information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request corrections. We'll update our records promptly once we've verified the correct information.

Erasure

In certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your personal information. However, we may need to retain some data to comply with legal obligations or establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Restriction

You can ask us to restrict processing of your information in specific situations, such as when you contest the accuracy of data or object to processing based on legitimate interests.

Portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you can request that we provide your information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format or transfer it directly to another organisation where technically feasible.

Objection

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. We'll stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests or need to process the data for legal claims.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details provided at the end of this policy. We'll respond within one month, though this may be extended by two months for complex requests.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us provide functionality and analyse site usage.

We use essential cookies necessary for the website to function, analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our site, and preference cookies to remember your settings. You can manage cookie preferences through our cookie banner or your browser settings.

For detailed information about the cookies we use and your choices, please see our separate Cookies Policy.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites not operated by us. We're not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we've inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

International Transfers

Your personal information is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom. If we transfer data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We'll post the updated policy on our website with a revised effective date.

For material changes that significantly affect your rights, we'll provide more prominent notice or, where required by law, seek your consent. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to raise a concern about how we handle your information, please contact us:

flux-battery
15 Deansgate Avenue
Manchester M3 2FF
United Kingdom

Email: [email protected]

Complaints

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection supervisory authority.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk

We'd appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you approach the ICO, so please contact us first if possible.