President's Choice Financial|Privacy|personal banking

personal banking

important notice about e-mail fraud and identity theft

Being a President’s Choice Financial services customer means you have control over how your information is collected, used and disclosed. We are committed to keeping your privacy protected and your information confidential at all times.

Keep reading for a summary of this policy and how it is put into practice for President’s Choice Financial products and services.

your rights with regards to privacy and being treated fairly
your privacy rights
why we need your personal information
confidentiality of your information
your consent to sharing information for the purpose of the PC points program
you can choose not to receive direct marketing
you can give – or withdraw – your consent
sharing your information within the CIBC group and with other people
reviewing and making corrections to your information
voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments
need to contact us?
your right to be treated fairly and having your concerns heard
how to resolve concerns with President's Choice Financial services

your rights with regards to privacy and being treated fairly

As a provider of President's Choice Financial services, we are committed to satisfying the needs of Canadians by creating unprecedented value in banking and offering something better.

Open and straightforward communication is part of this commitment. That is why it's so important to make you aware of your rights as our customer.

your privacy rights

We take your privacy very seriously. We maintain a privacy policy and procedures that reinforce our commitment to you. A copy of the CIBC Privacy Policy is available by calling 1-888-723-8881 or visiting cibc.com. Below, we describe how we put this policy into practice for President's Choice Financial products and services so that you have control over how we collect, use and disclose your information.

why we need your personal information

We collect, use and disclose personal information about you throughout our relationship for a variety of reasons:

to identify you, including verifying some of the information you give us with your employer or with other sources
to protect you and us from error and fraud
to understand your needs and eligibility for products and services
to recommend particular products and services to meet your needs
to provide ongoing service
to comply with legal and regulatory requirements

We may review and analyze your applications, transactions and other personal information.

We obtain most of your personal information directly from you and through the products and services you use. Some information may be obtained from other sources. We may do this to offer solutions that help meet your needs, and to develop new products and strategies to meet the needs of our customers. We may also do this to help us identify various types of risks such as credit, fraud and money laundering.

Providing certain information, such as a driver's license, although convenient for identification, is voluntary. It is up to you whether you want to provide it or some other suitable identification, subject to any legal requirements.

confidentiality of your information

Your information and the business you do with us is kept in strict confidence. Only authorized personnel have access to your information. Our procedures and systems are designed to protect your information from error, loss and unauthorized access. We don't sell your information to third parties, and we only keep your information as long as it is needed. We monitor our compliance with applicable privacy legislation.

We collect, use and disclose personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.

Health information is required to confirm you are eligible for some insurance products offered by the CIBC group. We will not refuse you any product or service other than insurance, on the basis of such health information. We will not share your health information within the CIBC group, other than to administer the insurance product.

your consent to sharing information for the purpose of the PC points program

You consent to us sharing information about you and your President's Choice Financial products and services with President's Choice Services Inc., or any of its affiliated entities, for the purposes of the PC points program.

This includes sharing information about you to enrol you in the PC points program, to calculate and provide information to you about PC points that you have earned, to understand your needs and recommend products and services, and also for research purposes.

For further details about the PC points program, the ways that your PC points information may be used, and how to opt out of receiving personalized secondary marketing under the PC points program, go to the PC points section at pcfinancial.ca.

Enrolment of President's Choice Financial services customers in the PC points program is central to the business arrangement between us and President's Choice Bank and its affiliated entities. If you wish to withdraw your consent to share information for the PC points program, we will be unable to offer you President's Choice Financial products and services.

you can choose not to receive direct marketing

We want every President's Choice Financial services customer to be fully aware of new and existing products and services that will save you time and money, including special promotions that you may wish to take advantage of. From time to time, we may offer you these products and services by mail, telephone, email or other means.

If you do not wish to receive this information, simply tell us through any one of the options listed under the "need to contact us?" section and we'll respect your preference. If you withdraw your consent to receive direct marketing, this will not limit information that we may provide to you through discussions with any of our associates, or information we may send you that is permitted or required by law or that is related to your existing products or services.

you can give – or withdraw – your consent

We get your express or implied consent before obtaining, using or disclosing information about you. There are exceptions, such as when we are required or permitted by law, or it is necessary for our protection. You can withdraw your consent whenever you want, unless legal requirements prevent this.

When you apply for certain products, we obtain your consent to exchange information about you with credit bureaus. In order to maintain the integrity of the credit reporting system, we may periodically update your information with credit bureaus as long as you have the product or service with us and for a period of time afterwards. Your consent to the exchange of information cannot be withdrawn during that time.

We are required by tax law to ask for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) when you open an account that earns income.

When we obtain a report and update your information with a credit bureau, your SIN is the best way to make sure that the information actually refers to you. Wrong information could lead us to draw wrong conclusions about you. You should be aware, though, that permitting us to use your SIN in this way is voluntary to you. If you choose not to give us your SIN when its collection is optional, or tell us you do not want us to use it for credit bureau purposes, this by itself will not prevent you from getting credit or any other service.

If you refuse or withdraw your consent to certain uses of information, we may not be able to provide you with a particular product or service. We'll explain the impact to you at the time to help you with your decision. For example, if you withdraw your consent to sharing for the purposes of the PC points program, we will be unable to provide you with President's Choice Financial products and services.

sharing your information within the CIBC group and with other people

We won't share information about you with our co-venturer, or within the CIBC group, or release it to anyone else, without your express or implied consent. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, we may collect, use or disclose information without your consent if we:

use an affiliate or subsidiary of CIBC, or an outside company, to do work for us involving some of your information (for example: the printing of cheque books)
must disclose information for legal and regulatory reasons
have to protect our interests (for example: to manage credit and other business risks, to detect or prevent fraud, to collect on overdue accounts or realize on security for a loan)

reviewing and making corrections to your information

You can always review your personal information held by us and make corrections to it. Just call 1-888-723-8881 and we'll be pleased to assist you further.

If you require other information, we may ask you to put your access request in writing (usually by completing a form) and that you provide us with details to help us understand your request and conduct our search for your information. There may be a charge to provide access to your information; if so, we’ll advise you before hand. We'll respond to your request within 30 days upon receiving all necessary information. If we need to extend the time, or we have to refuse your request, we'll tell you why, subject to any legal restrictions. If you have a sensory disability, we'll give you access to your information in an alternative format that you request, if we have it in that format. Otherwise, we’ll convert your information into the requested format, if it's reasonable and necessary under legislation to enable access.

voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments

As part of our commitment to protect you, our customer, we have adopted a number of “Voluntary Codes of Conduct and Public Commitments". These guidelines and commitments establish the standards you can expect when you do business with us.

Cheque Holds
Online Payments
Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Debit Card Services
Code of Conduct for Authorized Insurance Activities
Guidelines for Transfers of Registered Plans
Plain Language Mortgage Documents
Principles of Consumer Protection for Electronic Commerce
Undertaking on Unsolicited Services
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

For more details on all of our voluntary codes, please go to pcfinancial.ca.

need to contact us?

If you require any clarification about your rights to privacy or wish to exercise any of your rights above, please contact us by:

calling 1-888-723-8881
submitting an easy online feedback form
writing to:
President's Choice Financial services
P.O. Box 603, Stn. Agincourt
Scarborough, ON M1S 5K9

your right to being treated fairly and to having your concerns heard

We are committed to our customers and your feedback is very important in ensuring we are meeting your expectations and continuously improving your experience with us. If at any time you have any concerns let us know right away.

We'll make every effort to resolve the issue within a time period agreeable to you.

how to resolve concerns with President's Choice Financial services

talk to us. We constantly strive for excellence in customer service, however, despite our best efforts, errors occasionally do occur. If you have a concern, let us know right away by:
- calling 1-888-723-8881 and discussing the situation with one of our Personal Banking Representatives or with a Team Leader
- calling the following numbers for issues surrounding President's Choice Financial Mortgages: 1-888-276-3744 (before funding) or 1-888-866-0866 (after funding)
- submitting an easy online feedback form
- writing to us at:
  President's Choice Financial
  P.O. Box 603, Stn. Agincourt
  Scarborough, ON M1S 5K9
contact our Customer Care Centre. If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction by any of the above means, you can:
- call 1-888-723-8881 to be transferred or referred to a Customer Care Manager, or
- write to the attention of our Customer Care Centre at the address indicated above.
your right to an independent review. In addition to the course of action outlined above, as a Canadian banking customer, you also have the option of having an independent review to resolve your concern. If you feel the Customer Care Centre has not addressed your concern to your satisfaction, you may contact the CIBC Ombudsman directly by:
- phone: 1-800-308-6859 (Toronto area: 416-861-3313)
- e-mail: ombudsman@cibc.com
- mail:
  CIBC Ombudsman
  P.O. Box 342, Commerce Court
  Toronto, ON M5L 1G2
Independent from CIBC is the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) whose purpose is to review your complaint when you cannot accept the decision of the CIBC Ombudsman. You can reach the OBSI by:
- phone: 1-888-451-4519
- e-mail: ombudsman@obsi.ca
- web site: www.obsi.ca
- mail:
  Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
  P.O. Box 896 STN. Adelaide
  Toronto, ON M5C 2K3
You can also contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). The FCAC supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer protection laws. The FCAC also helps educate consumers and monitors industry codes of conduct and public commitments designed to protect the interests of consumers. Federal consumer protection laws affect you in a number of ways. For example, financial institutions must provide you with information about their charges, interest rates and complaint handling procedures. For more information, you can reach the FCAC by:
- phone: 1-866-461-3222
  1-866-461-2232, en français
- web site: www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca
- If you have a regulatory complaint, you can contact the FCAC in writing at:
  Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
  6th Floor, Enterprise Building
  427 Laurier Ave. West
  Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1B9
The FCAC will determine whether the financial institution is in compliance. It will not, however resolve individual consumer complaints.

If your concern involves a privacy issue you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by:
- phone: 1-800-282-1376 (Ottawa area (613) 995-8210)
- web site: www.privcom.gc.ca
^®™ PC, President’s Choice, President’s Choice Financial and Fresh Financial Thinking are trademarks or registered trademarks of Loblaws Inc. CIBC licensee of mark. ^®Interac is a registered trademark of Interac Inc. CIBC licensee of mark.

effective March 1, 2008