Who we are

Affirm LLP Chartered Professional Accountants (“Affirm LLP”), Affirm Wealth Ltd. and First & First Consulting Ltd. are all independent entities that work together and are referred to in this document as the “Affirm network”, “we” or “our”. First & First Consulting Ltd. is unrelated and independently owned and has separate legal ownership from Affirm LLP and Affirm Wealth Ltd. First & First Consulting Ltd. provides bookkeeping services to clients in the Affirm network and work is invoiced through Affirm LLP.

Affirm LLP and Affirm Wealth Ltd are members of the Integrated Advisory Network (“IAN”).  The IAN was founded and is administered by Integrated Advisory Professional Network Inc. (“IAPN”).  Our membership allows us to access the IAN’s broad range of resources so that we can provide the reach and strengths of a national firm to deliver a holistic and integrated advisory experience to our clients. The IAN is comprised of independent firms, independent advisors, consultants, and service providers (each an “IAN Member”) along with their respective affiliates, who collaborate to offer a diverse range of value-adding services to benefit you. 

As an IAN Member, Affirm LLP and Affirm Wealth Ltd. and other IAN Members and their affiliates may share your personal information with each other and use it in connection with our relationship with you for the provision of our products and services, all in accordance with this privacy policy.  

Visit www.integratedadvisory.ca for more information regarding the IAPN, IAN Members and their affiliates.

Purpose:

The purpose of this privacy policy is to describe how your information is collected, stored, used and shared when you use our services.

If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please email us at [email protected].

Defining Personal Information

Personal Information is information about you that you provided to us or information we collected from you and other sources and includes your name, date of birth, address, age, financial data, Social Insurance Number, employment information, and other information that could be used to identify you.

Accountability

Each of our staff members are responsible for respecting and protecting the Personal Information to which the staff has access and signs an annual Code of Conduct declaration.

What type of information we collect and why

The type of Personal Information we collect depends on various factors, such as the type of services you use, any applicable legal and regulatory obligations, and the channel you use to communicate with us.  This can include:

• Contact information that we use to communicate with you, such as address, telephone number or email.
• Identity information that we use to verify your identity and comply with legal or regulatory obligations while offering professional accounting services, which can include full legal name, date of birth, social insurance number and occupation.
• Financial information that we use to help get a picture of your financial situation and understand your needs. This includes information like employment and financial history, income, net worth, savings, etc.

How we collect your information

Most of the information we collect from you is collected when you interact directly with us via in-person discussions or through our website, email or phone conversations.  We also offer access to a secure personal portal that provides a safe avenue for information and document sharing. 

We also collect financial information via government agencies such as the Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration Client Self-Service website (TRACS) or the Canada Revenue Agency My Account or My Business account.  You must authorize our access to your information from these government sites. We do collect and use information from and about minors, who are under 18 years of age to prepare tax filings or other regulatory or required summaries. If you are providing or requesting information for a minor, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age and the parent or guarding of a minor and consent to the use of our services.

How we use your information

We collect and use your personal information to:

• Verify your identity;
• Ensure we have accurate information about you;
• Understand your financial needs
• To manage our relationship;
• To prepare accounting documents, summaries and other tax filings for you;
• To assist with your business operations;
• Communicate with you regarding products and services that may be of interest;
• Comply with legal or regulatory requirements, or as permitted by law; and
• Respond to questions you may have.
• Suggest services and products that may be helpful for you.

By giving us your information you consent to the collection, use and sharing of your information as described in this policy. We may update this policy and other privacy-related documents. Any changes we make to this policy take effect when we post the updated policy on our website. When you continue to use our services after we post the modified version of the policy, you accept the changes to the policy.

How long we keep you information for

We keep your information for as long as we reasonably need it for customer service, audit defense and business purposes. For these reasons, we keep your information beyond the end of your relationship with us. We store information on cloud based servers that are primarily in Canada, however as service  providers continue to operate globally, we may store information in any Country, including countries outside of Canada. Your information may be securely used, stored or accessed in other countries and be subject to the laws of those countries.

What are your privacy rights?

You have a right to update or correct personal information we hold about you if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out dated. Much of the information is available through your tax filings, which, if enrolled in portal access, are available on your portal. Please contact any one on our team to update or confirm any information at any time.

Who we share your information with

We will only use or disclose your Personal Information for the purpose(s) it was collected and as otherwise identified in this Privacy Policy.

We do not sell the names or other Personal Information of our customers. We do not disclose the names or other Personal Information of our customers to companies outside of the Affirm network and the IAN network, without consent, unless required or permitted by law. We may disclose your Personal Information to third parties including legal or regulatory authorities in cases of suspected criminal activity or contravention of law, for the detection and prevention of fraud, or when required to satisfy the legal or regulatory requirements of governments, regulatory authorities or other self-regulatory organizations, or to comply with a court order or for the protection or recovery of our assets.

How do we protect your information

The Affirm network uses physical and technological systems to protect against the use, loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. Security measures are reviewed on a regular basis. We have implemented reasonable security measures however despite our best efforts and safeguards, electronic transmission and storage of information can not be fully guaranteed given hackers, cybercriminals and unauthorized users may attempt to access our system to collect, assess, intercept, steal or modify your information. Although we do our best to protect your information, transmission of personal information is at your own risk. If you do not wish to communicate or share information with us electronically, please notify us to coordinate another method of exchanging information. You should use safeguards when accessing and communicating with our team and when using our services.

Updates to the Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy. The updated version is indicated by an updated date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible on our website. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting and using your information.

Contact us if you have any questions

You may contact us at 1-587-333-0018 with any concerns or questions.