Privacy Statement

This Privacy Statement explains how we handle your personal information. It details how we collect, use, store, share, and dispose of your data. It also outlines how we use cookies to enhance our website and tailor advertising.

By engaging AdviceFirst to provide services, you are deemed to have read and agreed to this Privacy Statement. 

We manage your personal information in compliance with the Privacy Act 2020 and this Privacy Statement.

If there is any conflict between the Terms and Conditions of the AdviceFirst Website and those governing AdviceFirst’s products and services, the terms for the specific products and services will take precedence. AdviceFirst reserves the right to update the information on its website, including this Privacy Statement, at any time without notice. By continuing to engage AdviceFirst, you accept any updates or changes to this Privacy Statement.

Who is collecting your information?

This policy applies to personal information collected from or about you by any brands owned by AdviceFirst, including AdviceFirst and enable.me.

How we will collect information from you

We primarily collect personal information directly from you when you: 

• Call or email us 
• Speak with an AdviceFirst employee or contractor 
• Purchase our products or make a claim 
• Subscribe to our newsletter or e-book 
• Participate in surveys 
• Provide credit card information 
• Use our online forms or resources 
• Comment on social media 
• Apply for a job with us.

We may also collect information about your visit to our website using cookies, as detailed below. 

Occasionally, third parties may provide your information to us. We expect such third parties to have obtained your consent before sharing your data. We require these parties to confirm this and check their privacy policies to ensure compliance. 

Unless you instruct us otherwise, we may collect or share personal information for profiling purposes to better understand your needs and improve our services.

We may also collect information about you from: 

• Your health practitioners
• Public registers and publicly available sources
• Inland Revenue
• Other insurers.

By becoming an AdviceFirst client, you authorise us to obtain personal information from third parties and allow those third parties to disclose such information to us. 

While you can choose not to provide certain information, this may limit the services we can offer or the relevance of future communications. 

Types of information we collect

We collect, store, and use personal information relevant to providing services and operating our business, including: 

• Personal details: name, date of birth, gender, payment and financial information (e.g., IRD number), income, next of kin, household details, and occupation 
• Interaction records: conversations with our support team 
• Asset details: home, contents, car, KiwiSaver, and retirement savings 
• Health records: subject to the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 
• Claim-related details: may include additional health information, photos, videos, or audio recordings 
• Technical data: IP address and information about your device when accessing our website.

How we collect information digitally 

We use cookies and other tools to enhance online services and understand website usage. 

Cookies are small text files stored in your browser. Our website uses cookies to: 

• Improve functionality and user experience 
• Analyse site usage 
• Support advertising and marketing efforts.

You can disable cookies, but this may limit some website features. 

We also use cookies from Facebook (Meta) and Google to personalise advertising after you visit our website. These companies may collect and process data independently, often storing it outside New Zealand. 

We use Google Analytics to understand visitor behaviour and improve our website. Google Analytics collects non-identifiable information such as: 

• Your country, age, and gender 
• How you found our website 
• Your browser, operating system, and device details 
• Pages visited and duration of your stay. 

Check your browser and app settings to manage the personal information collected by third parties like Google and Facebook (Meta).

Protecting your personal information 

We take reasonable steps to safeguard your data, including: 

• Scanning hard copy information into secure cloud systems and securely destroying originals 
• Storing data in secure, Asia Pacific-based cloud services with encryption and other security measures 
• Regularly updating our technology to maintain data protection.

We ensure our partners comply with privacy and security standards aligned with the Privacy Act 2020.

Using your information

We use your personal information to: 

• Communicate with you about reports, statements, and services 
• Process applications for our products and services 
• Maintain up-to-date records 
• Design and improve our offerings 
• Understand your financial needs 
• Manage and enhance our relationship with you 
• Share details of products and services you may find relevant (unless you opt out) 
• Conduct data analysis and market research 
• Verify your identity.

We may also use your information for any purposes you authorise. 

Sharing your information 

We may share your data with trusted partners who assist with service delivery or data analysis. These companies have their own privacy policies and must meet our standards for data protection. 

We may also disclose your information to comply with legal obligations, such as assisting investigations or sharing data with Inland Revenue or the Financial Markets Authority.

Your rights

You can request access to or correction of your personal information at any time by contacting us: 

Phone: 0800 438 238 

Email: letstalk@advicefirst.co.nz 

Data retention

We securely store call information for up to 10 years. Other personal information is retained for the duration of your relationship with AdviceFirst and securely stored for at least seven years after that before being destroyed. 

External websites 

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of websites we link to. Review their privacy policies before sharing personal information. 

More information 

For privacy concerns, contact our Privacy Officer at info@advicefirst.co.nz or call 0800 438 238. 

Additional privacy resources are available on the Privacy Commissioner’s website.