This Privacy Notice goes into effect on 25-March-2024.

We are dedicated to safeguarding your privacy while ensuring a positive experience on our website and when utilizing our products and services.

This Privacy Notice elucidates our privacy protocols and furnishes details on how and why we gather, utilize, and distribute your personal information during our interactions with you directly and through our products and services. This includes instances when you visit our websites and their associated sub-domains, or engage with any of our integrated business applications. Furthermore, the Notice outlines the options that may be available to you regarding the use, access, deletion, and rectification of your personal information.

Further details regarding our personal information practices may be provided in supplementary terms and conditions, additional privacy statements, or notifications presented prior to or at the time of data collection.

HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS GATHERED:

• Your personal information is acquired when you voluntarily furnish it to us through your engagements with our platform and team members.
• Personal information may be gathered automatically from you while utilizing our provided software, browsing our websites as either a user or participant, or engaging in activities such as meetings, seminars, or masterminds. This may also encompass recording such interactions, when appropriate.
• We might receive personal information about you from a business or commercial partner, or from another user of our services.

WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE GATHER

We collect personal information about you with the aim of providing or delivering our products and services. The categories of personal information we collect may encompass:

Your Contact Information/Identifiers:

• Names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, identity documents, IP addresses, and any other identifiers provided by users when accessing or using the service that are customized to your specific needs and requirements.

Your payment information:

• We don’t directly gather any payment-related data, such as billing names, addresses, credit card details, or other payment information. However, we utilize third-party software for billing and receiving payments, which may gather your billing and payment details. They don’t share this information with us. As you sign up for these services, please consult their privacy policy for more information.

Other information:

• Social media profiles, LinkedIn URLs, and customized profiles.
• Information provided by you on tax organizers, applications, or other forms. This may involve your social security number, assets, and income.
• Documents uploaded by you into our secure document portal.
• Bank details and financial history, including transactions with us and our affiliated companies.

Personal information we collect through your interactions with our provided software and our website as a user or a participant.

We gather personal information about you with the aim of providing or delivering our products and services to you. The types of personal information we may collect include:

Objective information:  

• Information authorized by you for us to obtain from others.
• Information obtained from prospective client meetings.
• Data sourced from public sources, such as web directories.
• Details regarding data downloaded from our website.

User content:

• Files, any communication content, or other information you or another user or participant upload, provide access to, or otherwise implement. Please note that users and participants control the content they provide, which may encompass any category of personal information.

Recordings:

• Users attending phone or video conference meetings are informed of recording intentions and asked for consent through visual and audio cues. Recordings, containing potential personal data, may be stored within the recording software, transferred to our secure document portal, and shared with the user. Links to recordings may also be provided. In instances where we participate in a meeting not hosted by us, the host may choose to store recordings locally, beyond our control. Transcripts, potentially containing personal data, undergo similar treatment as recordings.
• We may access or utilize recordings or transcripts stored with us to enhance our services, address user requests, or as permitted by our agreement with the customer.

Your communications with us:

• Surveys, calls (including recordings), emails, and messages (via phone and secure SMS system), etc.

Our website does not inherently collect personal information about you unless explicitly and knowingly provided by you. Visitors may engage with our website in ways necessitating the collection of personally identifying information.

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

 

We use your personal information for the following purposes: 

• Communicate with you through various channels such as phone, email, or software.
• Provide services tailored to your needs.
• Verify your identity to prevent fraud in compliance with applicable laws.
• Establish your account.
• Furnish customer dashboards and reports.
• Enhance and refine our services.
• Manage our customer relations.
• Market and advertise our services.
• Conduct surveys.
• Conduct internal training and ensure quality assurance.
• Personalize your experience with our websites, production apps, and services.
• Enhance and optimize your interactions with our teams.
• Perform analytics to enhance the performance of our website and services.
• Utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, or similar technologies to provide, maintain, support, and improve our services.

Cookies and Similar Technologies:

Our website utilizes cookies and web beacons to track usage and enhance the online experience. Cookies are small data files stored on a visitor’s computer or internet-enabled device, serving various purposes such as improving online experiences by remembering selections made, accessed or downloaded content, and responses to forms and surveys.

We display a cookie banner on some of our sites to notify visitors about our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies, enabling us to personalize content based on preferences, provide social media features like sharing pages to networks, analyze site performance, and advertise services.

Failure to accept our cookies may limit access to some functionality on our sites. After browsing our sites, you may choose to delete cookies from your system if desired.

What types of cookies do we use?

There are two primary categories of cookies: first-party and third-party. Both are served to the visitor. First-party cookies are directly served by us, while third-party cookies are served on behalf of us by a service provider through our sites and email marketing. Specifically, we use cookies for the following purposes:

Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be disabled in our systems. They are typically only set in response to actions made by you which constitute a request for services, such as setting privacy preferences, logging in, or filling out forms. While you can configure your browser to block or notify you about these cookies, certain parts of the site may not operate properly without them. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be utilized by these companies to create a profile of your interests and display relevant advertisements on other sites. If you choose not to allow these cookies, you may encounter less targeted advertising.

We may utilize Google Analytics, or similar services, for analytics. These analytics services may employ cookies and other tracking technologies to assist us in analyzing website visitors and their interactions with the site. Data sent by your browser, including your IP address, may be used as anonymous aggregated statistical data to analyze our web traffic, enhance the quality of our website, and improve your browsing experience. Please refer to Google’s privacy policy for further information. You can opt out of Google’s advertising features via ad settings, mobile ad settings, or other available methods. Access Google Analytics’ opt-out options through Google’s privacy policy.

Performance Cookies

These cookies enable us to tally visits and traffic sources to gauge and enhance the performance of our site. They help us identify which pages are the most and least popular and observe how visitors navigate the site. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you decline these cookies, we will be unable to monitor your site visits and assess its performance.

Preferences Cookies

These cookies enable the website to offer enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have included on our pages. If you opt not to allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not function correctly.

BY ACCESSING OUR ONLINE SERVICES, YOU CONSENT TO THE PLACEMENT OF THESE COOKIES ON YOUR INTERNET-ENABLED DEVICE BY US OR A SERVICE PROVIDER ACTING ON OUR BEHALF.

HOW, WHY, AND WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE SHARE WITH THIRD PARTIES

We may share and disclose your personal information solely for legitimate business or legal purposes as outlined in this Notice and in accordance with applicable law, with the following third parties:

• Financial data collected during our engagement with you will not be shared with a third party without your explicit consent, except as mandated by law.
• Service providers, contractors, or vendors operating on our behalf for various purposes such as:
• Operating, delivering, enhancing, and customizing our websites, apps, and services.
• Fulfilling our obligations under our engagement letter with you.
• Sending marketing and operational communications related to our websites, apps, and services.
• Conducting analytics to improve user experience on our websites, apps, and services.
• Providing offers and advertisements to customers based on their interests and interactions with us.
• Any third parties involved in or connected to an actual or prospective corporate business transaction, including but not limited to sales, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, corporate changes, reorganizations, insolvencies, bankruptcies, or receiverships.
• Law enforcement agencies, regulatory or governmental bodies, or other third parties in response to legal processes, compliance with legal obligations, protection or defense of our rights, interests, or property, or those of third parties, and prevention or investigation of wrongdoing in connection with our websites, apps, or services.
• Other third parties with your explicit consent [link to authorization request]. If there are 3^rd parties you wish to share your information with, please complete the attached form and send it to sophie@ascentacct.com.

HOW WE RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Applicable laws and regulations grant certain individuals specific rights regarding their personal information. This section outlines your rights and provides guidance on how to exercise them.

Right to Access and Data Portability

You have the right to request disclosure of certain information regarding the collection and use of your personal information. Upon receipt and verification of your request, we will provide:

1. Our commercial or business purpose for collecting personal information.
2. Categories of personal information collected about you.

• Categories of persons with whom we share your personal information.

1. Categories of sources from which we collect your personal information.
2. Specific pieces of personal information collected about you (also known as data portability).

Right to Correct or Delete

You have the right to request correction or deletion of your personal information that we have collected and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Upon receipt and verification of your request, we will correct or delete your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies.

Exceptions may include cases where retaining the information is necessary for us or our service providers to:

1. Complete a transaction for which the personal information was collected.
2. Detect security incidents or protect against malicious activity.
3. Debug products to maintain intended functionality.
4. Exercise free speech or comply with legal obligations.

To exercise your rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information, please submit a verifiable request through one of the following methods:

– Call us at (+1) 253-289-5151

– Complete our Personal Information Request form

Verifiable requests must provide sufficient information to verify your identity and describe your request clearly. We will only use personal information provided in a verifiable request to confirm the requestor’s identity or authority.

Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights. We will not deny you goods or services, provide different levels or qualities of goods or services, or charge different prices or rates based on your exercise of rights.

Sales of Personal Data

We do not sell or share personal information as defined by applicable law. However, some transfers of personal information may be considered “sales” under applicable law, including the use of cookies.

Response Timing and Format

We aim to respond to verifiable requests within 45 days. If more time is needed (up to 90 days), we will notify you of the reason and extension period. Responses will explain reasons for non-compliance, if applicable. For data portability requests, we will provide personal information in a readily usable format. For appeal or further assistance, contact us at (+1) 253-289-5151 or email admin@ascentacct.com.

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HOW WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION SECURED

Ensuring the security of your information is a top priority for us. We have implemented various measures to mitigate the risk of loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your personal information. Some of these steps include:

Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
Multifactor authentication provides an extra layer of protection against cyber criminals attempting to make their way into your data.

Strong passwords
Passwords are the obvious entry point to your data. We set strong passwords using a practice wide password system that restricts access to a single geographical area and requires frequent password changes.

Online Training and reading
All Ascent employees attend annual training to have awareness of cyber-attacks, phishing scams and alike. Awareness goes a long way, be mindful of what you click or open even if it looks like ‘official’ communication or emails. 

Antivirus installments on all devices
Installing an antivirus software ensures our devices will be safe from malware and viruses.

File Sharing

We do not provide files & other documents by email. We only provide them through our secure portal.

Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables us to have online privacy when we are outside our everyday work environment by creating a private network to protect data.

Keeping our Work Environment Private
Our work environment is private and only accessible to people who have authorization.

HOW LONG WE RETAIN YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We retain personal information for so long as necessary for the intended purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law, or our document retention policies based on professional standards and best practices.

After this period, we are free to destroy the information and associated records without any notice and any additional approval from you.

We strongly advise you to retain all documents, receipts, cancelled checks, and all other records pertaining to your information for at least 7 years.

INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of your country of residence. Specifically, information collected in the United States may be processed in other countries where our third-party service providers operate. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country and may not offer the same level of protection.

Before transferring your data to another country, you will be notified of this occurrence and given the opportunity to consent to the transfer.

CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

We do not intentionally offer products or services directly to children under the age of 16. Any information collected about children under the age of 16 is intended for the purpose of fulfilling our engagement terms with you.

THIRD-PARTY SITES

This Notice does not extend to, nor do we assume responsibility for, the privacy or information practices of any third parties, including any third party operating any site or service linked to by the website or apps, such as social media sites. The presence of a link on the website or apps does not indicate our endorsement of the linked site or service. It is advisable to review the privacy notices of such sites before providing your personal information to them.

BLOGS AND FORUMS

Our website provides publicly accessible blogs or community forums. Please note that any information you share in these areas is public and may be viewed, collected, and utilized by others who access them. Such information may remain on the public forum indefinitely. If you wish to have your personal information removed from our blog or community forum, you can submit a request through our online portal. However, in some instances, we may not be able to fulfill your request for removal, in which case we will inform you of the reasons. We advise all users to exercise caution when sharing personal information in blogs and community forums.

UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE

We reserve the right to update this Notice periodically in response to evolving legal, technical, or business developments. Any changes made to our Notice will be posted on this page, along with an update to the “Last Updated” or effective date at the top of the webpage. In the event of material changes, we will notify you either by email or by prominently posting a notice of such changes on this page before they become effective.

PROTECTION OF YOUR FINANCIAL AND TAX RETURN INFORMATION

On January 1, 2009, IRS regulations under Internal Revenue Code section 7216 came into effect. Treas. Reg. section 301.7216 represents an overhaul of previous regulations, which had remained largely unchanged for 30 years. These revised regulations aim to address modern tax return preparation practices, particularly focusing on electronic filing and the cross-marketing of financial and commercial products and services by tax return preparers.

Absent specific exceptions, Treas. Reg. section 301.7216 generally prohibits the disclosure or use of tax return information without the explicit, written consent of the client. In essence, a “disclosure” involves the preparer revealing a client’s return information to a third party, while a “use” involves the preparer utilizing the return information, potentially for offering non-tax services to the taxpayer.

Under section 7216, a tax return preparer faces criminal penalties for knowingly or recklessly disclosing or using tax return information. Each violation could result in fines of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both. Additionally, Internal Revenue Code section 6713 imposes a civil penalty of $250 on a preparer for each prohibited disclosure or use of return information.

Due to these regulations, we are unable to provide copies of tax returns to bankers and other third parties who may require them without receiving proper disclosure forms prior to completing your tax return. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of Current and Former Clients’ Information

We retain records pertaining to the professional services we offer to better assist you with your professional needs and, at times, to adhere to professional guidelines. To safeguard your nonpublic personal information, we implement physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that align with our professional standards.

Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. Your privacy, our professional ethics, and our commitment to providing you with high-quality financial services are of utmost importance to us.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this notice, please e-mail our data protection officer at admin@ascentacct.com.