Privacy Policy

Sernova Financials Limited (“We” or “Sernova”) understand that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.

This Privacy Policy sets out and explains the basis on which any personal data is collected and/or processed by us. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. By using our website and accepting materials through our Communication Channels, you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of our website, which may contain links to other websites. Please note that we have no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by other websites and we advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.

We may amend this policy from time to time by updating this page in line with change(s) in regulation or our business that affect(s) personal data protection. Please do check this space regularly.

Definitions

Communication Channels” means Sernova’s website and related media channels (such as newsletters, reports, publications, bulletins, e-communications).

Cookie” means a small text file placed on your computer or device by our website.

Personal Data” means any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”). Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

Information about us

Our website is owned and operated by Sernova Financials Limited, a private limited company registered in England & Wales, with registered no. 09829920 as listed on Companies’ House.

Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

  • be informed about our collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Policy should tell you everything you need to know, but you can always contact us to find out more or to ask any questions at info@sernovafinancial.com.
  • access the personal data we hold about you;
  • have your personal data rectified if any of it is inaccurate or incomplete;
  • be forgotten, ie. to instruct us to dispose of any of your personal data held by us;
  • restrict (ie. prevent) the processing of your personal data;
  • object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose;
  • data portability. This means that, if you have provided personal data to us directly, and we use such with your consent or for the performance of a contract, and that data is processed using automated means, you can ask us for a copy of that personal data to re-use with another service or business in many cases.
  • automated decision-making and profiling. Please note we do not use your personal data in this way.

We will always endeavour to uphold the above listed rights.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The information we may collect

Personal information may be collected from you in various ways, depending on your use of our website. We may collect some or all of the following personal data:

  • name;
  • date of birth;
  • gender;
  • address;
  • email address;
  • telephone number;
  • business name;
  • job title;
  • profession;
  • payment information;
  • information about your preferences and interests;
  • web browser type and version;
  • operating system;
  • a list of URLs starting with a referring site, your activity on our website, and the site you exit to;
  • any unique identification number or other similar numerical or coded identifier;
  • professional information – such as your organisation’s name and your job title;
  • business contact information – such as your work address, email address, and phone/fax number(s);

Information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website (these are information about your browser, your IP address, your general location as determined from your IP address and provided by your browser, the site from which you come, and the links followed when leaving our site). This information is also collected through cookies;

  • When you register and voluntarily provide information in response to questionnaires or download forms, or to register for newsletters (this includes your name, email address, and any other details asked for and which you provide);
  • When you conduct activities on our site we may collect your name and contact details, details of your subscription, and other details relevant to your activity.

The basis on which we use personal data

We may process personal data on the following bases:

  • to enter into agreements with you or your firm, and to perform all obligations and exercise all rights under, and in accordance with such agreements;
  • For the legitimate business interests of Sernova, including the maintenance of our relationships and promotion of our services. Using your personal information helps us to operate and improve our business, minimise any disruption to the services that we may offer, make our communications with you more relevant and personalised to you, and make your experience of our products and services more efficient and effective.
  • to comply with any legal and regulatory obligations;
  • because you have given your consent;
  • for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or proceedings.

How personal data is used

Under the GDPR, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. This may be because the data is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because we have understood that you have consented to our use of your personal data, or because it is in our legitimate business interests to use it. Your personal data may be used for the following purposes:

  • providing and managing your access to our website;
  • supplying our services to you. Your personal details are required in order for us to enter into a contract with you;
  • tailoring our services for you;
  • communicating with you. This may include responding to emails or calls from you and informing you of relevant upcoming events, publications, conferences and administering such;
  • supplying you with information by email that you have opted-in to (you may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by emailing to our email address above;
  • analysing your use of our website or Communication Channels;
  • with your permission, communicating marketing messages, newsletters and details of our business or the businesses of carefully-selected third parties which we think may be of interest to you by post or email or similar technology (you can inform us at any time if you no longer require marketing communications). We will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, and you will always have the opportunity to opt-out.

Your information will not be disclosed to any third party unless you have given your consent to such disclosure. You may at any time ask us to refrain from sending you marketing messages by sending us an email with the words UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject box. If we contact you by email each time you receive a message you will also have the option to decline to receive further information of that type from us.

Keeping personal data

We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected or as required or permitted by applicable privacy and data protection laws.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal information, we will consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal information, the purposes for which we process your personal information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you.

Storage and transfer of personal data

The data that we collect from you will neither be stored nor transferred at/to a destination outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). It will not be processed by staff operating outside the EEA. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This means that your personal data will be fully protected under the GDPR or to equivalent standards by law.

Disclosure of personal data

You agree that we have the right to share your personal information with:

  • Any member of our group, which means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company and its subsidiaries, as defined in section 1159 of the UK Companies Act 2006 and selected third parties including our business partners and advertisers and advertising networks that require the data to select and serve relevant adverts to you and others.

We do not disclose information about identifiable individuals to our advertisers, but we will provide them with aggregate information about our users. We may also use such aggregate information to help advertisers reach the kind of audience they want to target. We may make use of the personal data we have collected from you to enable us to comply with our advertisers’ wishes by displaying their advertisement to that target audience;

We will disclose your personal information to third parties:

  • In the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we will disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets;
  • if we or substantially all of our assets are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by us about our customers will be one of the transferred assets;
  • if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sernova, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

If any of your personal data is required by a third party, as described above we will take steps to ensure that your personal data is handled safely, securely, and in accordance with your rights, our obligations, and the third party’s obligations under the law.

If any personal data is transferred outside of the EEA, we will take suitable steps in order to ensure that your personal data is treated just as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and under the GDPR.

In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data, which might include yours, if we are involved in legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, a court order, or the instructions of a government authority.

Access to personal data and complaints

If you want to know what personal data we have about you, you can ask us for details of that personal data and for a copy of it (where any such personal data is held). This is known as a “subject access request”.

All subject access requests should be made in writing and sent to the email address given to you above and are free of charge.

We will respond to your subject access request within one month of receiving it. We aim to provide a complete response, including a copy of your personal data within that time. In some cases, however, particularly if your request is more complex, access might require more time as we operate a small team in our office. You will be kept fully informed of our progress.

Please direct any complaints regarding your personal data to the email address provided to you.

Control in personal data

When we acquire your personal data, you may be given options to restrict our use of your personal data. In particular, we aim to give you strong controls on our use of your data for direct marketing purposes, including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from us which you may do by unsubscribing using the method provided in our emails and/or at the point of providing your details.

Withholding information

You may access certain areas of our website without providing any personal data at all.

You may restrict our use of Cookies.

Cookies

Our website may place and access certain first-party Cookies on your computer or device. First-party Cookies are those placed directly by us and are used only by us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of our website We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.

All Cookies used by and on our website are used in accordance with current Cookie law.

Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a relevant pop-up requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of our website may not function fully or as intended.

Certain Cookies are deemed “strictly necessary” according to law. These Cookies are shown in the table below. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings as detailed below, but please be aware that our website may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.

Our website uses analytics services provided by Google. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling us to better understand how our website is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve our website and analyse our audience.

We use the following Cookies:

Name of Cookie Where? Used by Used for Strictly necessary?
_gat_ProduktivMediaTracker company website Google Analytics throttling request rate Yes
_gat company website Google Analytics throttling request rate Yes
_ga company website Google Analytics distinguishing users Yes
_gid company website Google Analytics distinguishing users Yes
catAccCookies company website Sernova Cookie bar notice Yes
cftpSID company FTP site Sernova digitally signing and encrypted recording of user account Yes

 You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access our website more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.

It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.

Contact us

If you would like to contact us at any point in time and for any reason outlined above, please drop an email to our customer service team at info@sernovafinancial.com.