Privacy Policy

Introduction

HQ Mortgages Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our website or services.

HQ Mortgages Ltd is registered in Northern Ireland (Company No. NI721586) and is an Appointed Representative of The Right Mortgage Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Information We Collect

We collect and process the following types of personal information:

Personal Identification Information

• Full name, date of birth, and contact details (address, phone number, email)
• Identification documents (passport, driving licence)
• National Insurance number
• Proof of address documents

Financial Information

• Employment details and income information
• Bank statements and financial commitments
• Credit history and credit score
• Details of assets and liabilities
• Information about your property or intended property purchase

Sensitive Personal Data

For insurance and protection services, we may need to collect sensitive personal data including:

• Health information and medical history
• Information about criminal convictions (if relevant to insurance applications)
• Family health history for life and critical illness insurance

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Providing Our Services: To assess your mortgage or insurance needs, provide advice, and arrange products
• Regulatory Compliance: To comply with FCA regulations and other legal obligations
• Communication: To contact you about your application, provide updates, and respond to enquiries
• Record Keeping: To maintain accurate records of our advice and your instructions
• Fraud Prevention: To verify your identity and prevent fraudulent applications
• Service Improvement: To analyze and improve our services and website functionality

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to provide mortgage and insurance services you've requested
• Legal Obligation: We're required by law to process certain data (e.g., anti-money laundering checks)
• Legitimate Interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention, service improvement)
• Consent: Where we've obtained your explicit consent (e.g., for marketing communications or processing sensitive data)

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We share your personal data only when necessary and with trusted parties:

• Lenders and Insurance Providers: To obtain quotes and arrange mortgage or insurance products
• The Right Mortgage Ltd: Our principal, as required for regulatory and compliance purposes
• Credit Reference Agencies: To conduct credit checks (with your consent)
• Professional Advisors: Solicitors, accountants, or other professionals involved in your transaction
• Regulatory Bodies: FCA and other regulatory authorities when legally required
• Service Providers: IT systems, website hosting, and secure data storage providers

We ensure all third parties are bound by confidentiality obligations and process your data in compliance with UK data protection laws.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Active client records: Retained for the duration of our relationship plus 6 years (as required by FCA regulations)
• Marketing communications: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
• Website cookies: As specified in our Cookie Policy

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymize your personal data.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal obligations)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request we limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service provider
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected] or call 028 9590 2780.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure encrypted storage of electronic data
• Password-protected systems with restricted access
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality
• Secure disposal of physical documents containing personal data

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. For detailed information about the cookies we use and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We'll notify you of significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date.

Contact Us and Complaints

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):