Version June 2026. Current version always available at www.familyfinance.co.nz
This statement explains how Family Finance Limited collects, uses, stores, shares and protects your personal information under the Privacy Act 2020 and, where credit information is involved, the Credit Reporting Privacy Code 2020.
It also tells you about the organisations we share your information with that use it for their own purposes — the credit reporters Centrix and Equifax, the Motor Vehicle Register operated by NZTA, our bank statement provider (illion / Experian), and other companies in the Family Finance group. For each, we give you a link to their privacy information and explain your rights, so you know who holds your information and how to reach them.
By signing our loan application, or by giving us your information, you acknowledge the collection, use and sharing described below. Where we credit-check you or retrieve your bank data, you also authorise that specifically as set out in our loan documents.
The short version
- We collect only the information we need to assess, provide and manage your loan, and to meet our legal obligations.
- We collect it from you, and from others (such as credit reporters, your bank, employers, NZTA and government agencies). When we collect about you from someone else, we tell you.
- When we use a service like a credit reporter, that organisation collects your information for its own purposes too. We name them and link their privacy policy below.
- You can ask to see your information and correct it — both with us and with the organisations listed below.
- We don’t sell your personal information.
Who we are
Family Finance means Family Finance Limited and any party to whom we transfer our rights. Family Finance Group, we, us and our mean Family Finance, its related companies, and our network of approved dealers. You and your mean our customers and anyone else who deals with us, including guarantors.
Contact us at: PO Box 250, Kaitaia 0410 · phone 09 408 1900 · email admin@familyfinance.co.nz.
Information we collect
We collect only the personal information we need, including your contact details; identity documents (such as passport and driver licence); employment and income; financial position; credit history and repayment history; vehicle details; and technical information when you use our website.
How we collect it
Directly from you — on application forms, by phone, email, in branch, through our website, or through one of our approved dealers.
From other people and organisations (indirect collection) — we also collect information about you from third parties where we need it to assess, provide or manage our products and services, or where the law requires it. These sources include:
- Credit reporting agencies (Centrix and Equifax)
- Bank statement retrieval services (illion / Experian)
- Identity verification providers
- The Motor Vehicle Register, operated by NZTA, under s241 of the Land Transport Act 1998
- Your employer, accountant, lawyer, referees, bank, landlord, guarantors and financial advisers
- Insurers, debt collectors, introducers and other service providers
- Government agencies including IRD, MSD, Immigration NZ, NZ Police and other regulators
- Publicly available sources and subscribed databases
Telling you when we collect from others (IPP3A). Under Information Privacy Principle 3A, where we collect your information from a source other than you, we will — unless an exception applies — make you aware, as soon as reasonably practicable, that we have collected it, why, where it came from, and your rights to access and correct it. By signing or submitting our loan application you acknowledge that we may collect your information from the sources above for the purposes set out in this statement.
Organisations we share your information with that use it for their own purposes
When you apply for or hold a loan, we share some of your information with the organisations below. These organisations don’t just handle the information for us — they also collect, hold, use and disclose it for their own purposes (for example, running a credit bureau). That means they collect your information indirectly, and we let you know here so you understand where it goes and what rights you have with each of them.
Credit reporters — Centrix and Equifax
When we use consumer credit reporting services (for example to credit-check you, a co-borrower or a guarantor), we provide your personal information to Centrix Group Limited and/or Equifax New Zealand Information Services and Solutions Limited.
Each collects your credit information to provide credit reporting services to us and to other subscribers, and uses and discloses it in accordance with its own privacy statement and the Credit Reporting Privacy Code 2020. We may use these services on an ongoing basis, including monitoring that alerts us if your credit information changes. If you default on your payment obligations, we may report that default to the credit reporters, and they may share it with their other subscribers. You have rights to access and correct the information they hold about you:
- Centrix — https://www.centrix.co.nz/privacy-statement · 0800 236 874 · admin@centrix.co.nz
- Equifax New Zealand — https://www.equifax.co.nz/privacy · publicaccess.nz@equifax.com
Motor Vehicle Register — NZTA
We are authorised under s241 of the Land Transport Act 1998 to access the Motor Vehicle Register (MVR), operated by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), to:
- verify vehicle details and registered ownership when assessing a vehicle as loan security
- confirm ownership during and after a loan
- trace borrowers in default to recover outstanding debts
When we make an enquiry, NZTA records it as part of operating the register. We use MVR information only for these purposes — never for marketing — and keep a record of every enquiry (date, plate/VIN, user and reason) for at least 18 months. NZTA handles MVR information under the Privacy Act and its own policy (www.nzta.govt.nz). If you are on the MVR and do not wish your information disclosed to authorised agencies, you can opt out by contacting the Registrar of Motor Vehicles on 0800 108 809 or at transact.nzta.govt.nz.
Bank statement retrieval — illion / Experian
When you apply, we use illion Open Data Solutions (now part of Experian) to collect recent bank transaction data for your affordability assessment under the CCCFA. You authorise this separately through their secure portal. They retrieve the data from your bank on your authority, provide it to us, and also hold and use it for their own purposes under their own policy: https://www.experian.co.nz/privacy-policy (0800 733 707). You have rights to access and correct the information they hold.
Family Finance group and related companies
We may share your information with other members of the Family Finance Group — our related companies and our network of approved dealers — to assess, provide and manage your loan across the group. Where a related company uses your information for its own purposes, we make you aware of this and you have the same rights to access and correct it with that company. A current list of our related companies and dealers is available on request.
Other recipients
We may also share your information with our funders; our external dispute resolution scheme; our auditors; debt collectors; introducers and service providers; and anyone we are considering transferring our rights to. Where they use the information for their own purposes, the same access and correction rights apply with them.
How we use your information
We use your information to assess your suitability for our products, manage your account, register security interests, comply with our legal obligations (including the CCCFA, AML/CFT Act and Privacy Act), prevent fraud, recover debts, and market relevant products where permitted (see Marketing). We do not sell your personal information.
Information about other people that you give us
If you give us another person’s information (for example, a guarantor or referee), you confirm you are authorised to do so and have told them we will hold and use their information under this statement. Where we collect that person’s information indirectly, we will also notify them directly where required under IPP3A, including their rights of access and correction.
Storage, security and overseas transfer
We store your information on our own systems and with reputable service providers, which may hold it in New Zealand or overseas. We protect it with appropriate safeguards, including access controls, staff training, secure premises, encryption and regular reviews. Where your information is held or processed overseas — including by some of the organisations we share it with, such as illion / Experian — we take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected to a standard comparable to the Privacy Act 2020.
How long we keep it
We keep your personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes set out in this statement and to meet our legal obligations (for example, under tax, anti-money-laundering and consumer credit laws). We also keep records of the notifications we provide, for as long as needed to meet our legal and contractual obligations. Once we no longer need your information, we securely destroy or de-identify it.
Privacy breaches
If a privacy breach occurs and we consider it has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals as required by the Privacy Act 2020.
Marketing
We may send you information about products we think may interest you. You can opt out at any time using the contact details below. Information accessed from the Motor Vehicle Register is never used for marketing.
Your rights — access and correction
You can ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. If we refuse, we will explain why and you may ask for a statement of disagreement to be attached. You also have access and correction rights directly with the organisations listed above — contact them using the details provided.
To make a request to us, or raise a privacy concern, contact our Privacy Officer at admin@familyfinance.co.nz or 09 408 1900. We will acknowledge within 3 working days and aim to resolve within 20. If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner: 0800 803 909 · enquiries@privacy.org.nz · www.privacy.org.nz.
Changes to this statement
We review this statement periodically. The current version is always available at www.familyfinance.co.nz.