Meyer & Associates (“M&A”, “We”, “Us”, or “Our”) has created this privacy policy statement (this “Policy”) in order to demonstrate Our firm commitment to Our visitors’ and customers’ privacy. The following discloses Our information gathering, use and dissemination practices for Our website, Our Customer Portal, and Our mobile apps (collectively the “Website”).

Please read this Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how We will treat it.  If you have any questions about this Policy you can contact Us at info@framingham.meyerandassoc.com or by telephone at 1-800-635-7801.

By using Our Website, you signify your assent to this Policy.  If you do not agree with the terms of this Policy, please do not use Our Website.  This Policy supersedes all privacy policies and other similar standards previously issued by Us specifically for M&A.

This Policy may change from time to time.  In the event of any such changes, We will notify all of Our customers of such changes in the manner and to the extent required by law, including posting changes on Our Website.  Your continued use of Our Website following the posting of changes to this Policy means you accept these changes.

 

Collection of Personal and Non-Personal Information

M&A may collect the following categories of personally identifiable information about you, such as when we provide you with our products or services, or when you submit an application for employment:

1. Personal identifiers, such as name, address, and Social Security number;
2. Protected classifications, such as financial information, medical conditions or military or veteran status;
3. Commercial information, such as products or services purchased, consumer report information, and information from transactions;
4. Internet, browsing, or other network information, such as internet protocol address, session ID, click or touch stream data, cookie preferences, movement, scroll, and in some cases, keystroke activity;
5. Geolocation data, such geolocation data collected in connection with your use of our websites or mobile apps;
6. Audio recordings, such as call center recordings;
7. Professional or employment information, such as information collected from job applications and resumes;
8. Education information, such as information collected from job applications, transcripts, or resumes; and
9. Inferences, such as those drawn from credit reports or motor vehicle reports or from clickstream data.

This information is used for business purposes, such as to secure an insurance policy, administer your account or to provide you with information about products we offer.

As you use Our Website, We may collect certain information, such as the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your device and the web pages you visited, without you providing the information.  We may also use cookies.  Each of these is described in more detail below.  We may also collect information anonymously for analytical purposes, so We have information about everyone as a group who answered the questions, rather than information about a single individual’s responses.

Information Usage

We use personal information to perform business functions, such as serving Our clients and customers, developing new products and services, preventing and detecting fraud and contacting you when necessary.  We may also use this information to notify you about new products or services offered by M&A or any of Our affiliates.

We may use information that We collect from you to improve and enhance your experience, and to tailor your experience at Our Website by showing you content concerning services that may interest you.  We may also use information to help analyze how you and other visitors use Our Website and to compile statistical reports on Website activity.

Information Disclosure

We may share personal information with unaffiliated third parties, including insurance companies, and other authorized partners to complete your transaction and to provide the coverage and services you have requested.  Likewise, Our authorized partners share information with Us to enable Us to provide the coverage and services you have requested, to avoid offering you products you already have, and to credit organizations that sponsor Our products, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.  Click here for examples.

M&A does not sell any information collected about you to third parties.

We may disclose your information to a third party to whom We are legally required to do so to comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process or government request or to protect Our legal rights and the legal rights of others.

From time to time, unless We are restricted by applicable contract or law, We may also share your information relating to your transactions with Us or Our experience with you with trustworthy unaffiliated third parties, who offer products or services that We feel may be of interest to you.

We may also share non-personally identifiable information with unaffiliated third parties, such as advertisers interested in advertising on Our Website, in an aggregate, anonymous form, which means that the shared information will not contain nor be linked to any personally identifiable information about you or any other person.

If you wish to opt-out of having your information shared by M&A as described above, please contact us at:

Hello@framingham.meyerandassoc.com

or

Toll Free at 800-635-7801

Cookies

“Cookies” are pieces of information that may be placed on your computer by a website for the purpose of facilitating and enhancing your communication and interaction with that website.  Almost all websites use cookies for these purposes.  We use both session ID cookies and persistent cookies.  A session ID cookie terminates once a user closes his or her browser.  A persistent cookie is a small text file stored on the user’s hard drive for an extended period and must be removed by the user.

We may use cookies (a) to customize your visit to Our Website, (b) to deliver content consistent with your stated interests and the manner in which you browse and/or buy on Our Website, and/or (c) for other purposes to make your visit more convenient.

At times, some of Our third party advertisers or their ad serving and tracking providers may place cookies on your computer system when you select their ad banner and some of Our content providers or partners may also place cookies on your computer system when you visit those portions of Our Website over which they have control.  We reserve the right to supplement the cookie data which We collect from you with information collected by cookies set by third parties in order to understand how you use the Internet and what products are of interest to you.

You may stop or restrict the placement of cookies on your computer or flush them from your browser by adjusting your web browser preferences, in which case you may still use Our Website, but it may interfere with some of its functionality.  M&A does not use cookies to retrieve information from your computer for any purpose other than as set forth in this privacy policy.

Internet Protocol (IP) Address

We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with Our server and to administer Our Website. Your IP address may also be used to help identify you.  In addition, your IP address may be linked to your personally identifiable information while you are in the process of making a purchase, and be retained by us with other information We collect and retain about you in connection with your M&A products.

Clickstream

As you use the Internet, a trail of electronic information is left at each website you visit.  This information, which is sometimes referred to as “clickstream data,” can be collected and stored by a website’s server.  Clickstream data can tell us the type of computer and browsing software you use, the address of the website from which you linked to the M&A website, and in some instances, your e-mail address.  We may use clickstream data to determine anonymously how much time visitors spend on each page of Our Website, how visitors navigate throughout the Website, and how We may tailor Our web pages to better meet the needs of visitors.  This information will only be used to improve Our Website.

Consent to Processing

By actively or passively providing any personal information to Our Website, you fully understand and unambiguously consent to the collection, usage, processing and storage of such information by M&A, service providers, marketing partners and others as permitted by law.

Links to Other Websites

Our sites may contain links to other websites.  Other websites may also reference or link to Our Websites.  M&A is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such other websites.

Children Under the Age of 18

Our Website is not intended for children under 18 years of age.  No one under age 18 should use the Website or provide any information to the Website.  We do not knowingly collect information from children under 18.  If We learn We have collected or received information from a child under 18 without verification of parental consent, We will delete that information.  If you believe We might have any information from or about a child under 18, please contact Us at the contact information provided above.

Non-U.S. Residents

Use of this Website is limited to persons residing in the U.S.  No part of this Website is intended for use outside the U.S., and any information received from an identifiable non-U.S. resident will be disregarded. 

Maintaining the Security of Your Information

We have implemented security procedures which use reasonable measures to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information in Our possession and guard against unauthorized access or use.  However, due to the inherent open nature of the Internet, We cannot guarantee that communications between you and M&A and your personal information will be free from unauthorized access by third parties, such as hackers.  We also identify data that is to be protected, provide a reasonable level of protection for that data and grant access to protected data only to those individuals who need to use it in performing their job-related duties.  Employees who violate Our security procedures will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include termination.  M&A utilizes standard SSL encryption on pages where secure information is transmitted over the Internet.

Treatment of Information of Former Customers

We will continue to follow Our privacy policy for your personal information even when you are no longer a customer of Our business.

California Residents’ Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”).  Information about rights under the CCPA can be found below.

1. California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018

The following applies to California residents, supplements this Policy, and is provided as part of our efforts to comply with the CCPA.  Information concerning the CCPA may be found here: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa.

Please note that the CCPA does not currently apply in all respects to personal information that We collect from a person in the course of the person acting as a job applicant, employee, owner, director, officer, or contractor of M&A to the extent that the person’s personal information is collected and used by Us solely within the context of the person’s role, or former role, as a job applicant, employee, owner, director, officer, or a contractor of M&A.  The CCPA also does not apply to personal information that We collect that constitutes emergency contact information of a person acting in any of the aforementioned roles to the extent that the personal information is collected and used solely within the context of having an emergency contact on file.  Lastly, the CCPA does not apply to personal information that is necessary for Us to retain in order to administer benefits relating to a person’s capacity in any of the aforementioned roles to the extent that the personal information is collected and used by M&A solely within the context of administering those benefits.

1. • Collection of Personal Information

The categories of personal information identified in this Policy may constitute “Personal Information” as defined in the CCPA.  The disclosures and explanations of your rights in this section apply only to the personal information that We collect about you or that We may collect about you in the future.

Please note that the categories of information including any personal information that We collect may vary by individual.

1. • Sources of the Personal Information We Collect

We may collect personal information from the following sources:

1. We may collect personal identifiers from you, publicly available databases, government databases, data aggregators, and third parties from whom We received data;
2. We may collect protected classifications information from you or from medical providers as part of your application process for life and other insurance;
3. We may collect commercial information from you directly or from your use of Our Website or mobile apps, from credit reporting companies, and from consumer reporting companies;
4. We may collect internet, browsing, or other network activity from your use of Our Website or mobile apps;
5. We may collect geolocation data from your use of Our mobile apps or in connection with your use of Our Website;
6. We may collect audio recordings when you call Our customer service call centers;
7. We may collect professional or employment information from job applications, resumes, or recruiters;
8. We may collect education information from job applications, transcripts, resumes, or recruiters; and
9. We may collect inferences from your use of Our Website, Our mobile apps, or from information provided by credit or consumer reporting companies if you have applied for a financial product.

Please note that We may not collect personal information about every individual from each of the foregoing sources.

We may obtain personal information about you from third parties and may combine this information with other personal information We maintain about you.  If We do so, this Policy governs any combined information that We maintain in personally identifiable format.

1. • Purposes for Which We Collect Personal Information

We use personal information to support Our business functions including with respect to the following:

1. Auditing;
2. Detecting security incidents;
3. Protecting against and prosecuting malicious, deceptive or illegal activity (such as fraud);
4. Debugging;
5. Short-term, transient use of personal information;
6. Performing services on behalf of M&A, another business, or a service provider (such as maintaining or servicing accounts or providing customer service);
7. Undertaking internal research; and
8. For other business purposes.

Other examples of business purposes include the following:

1. Personal identifiers are collected and used to respond to questions, requests, and emails, track applications, provide customer service, market and provide products and services to you, set up, manage and service policies and accounts, conduct website or other surveys, verify your identity, and update Our records;
2. Protected classifications are collected and used to provide products and services to you;
3. Commercial information is collected and used to market products or services to you;
4. Internet, browsing, or other network activity is collected and used to conduct website and mobile app analysis, conduct research and analytics, develop Our websites and mobile apps, market and provide products or services to you, manage Our online advertising and its effectiveness, remember your preferences and interactions, respond to questions and emails, manage and service policies and accounts, conduct website and other surveys, and offer products and service programs to you;
5. Geolocation data are collected and used to conduct website and mobile app analysis, develop Our websites and mobile apps, and market products or services to you;
6. Audio recordings may be collected and used to improve customer service;
7. Professional or employment information is collected and used to process job applications and offers or denials of employment;
8. Education information is collected and used for processing your job application; and
9. Inferences are collected and used to market products or services to you and help predict your future claims.

We also collect and use all categories of personal information listed in this policy to comply with Our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, provide you with Our products or services you have purchased, for everyday servicing purposes, and as otherwise described to you at the point of collection.

1. • The Categories of Third Parties with Whom, and Purposes for Which, We Share Personal Information

Categories of personal information that We collect may be shared in limited circumstances with third parties for business purposes.  We do not sell your personal information.  While M&A does not sell information we collect, we may share your information for the business purposes listed above and for the following reasons:

1. Personal identifiers may be shared with entities that provide Us with customer service, account setup, account management and servicing, and data verification services;
2. Protected classifications information may be shared with entities that provide Us with services to provide products and services to you;
3. Commercial information may be shared with entities that help Us offer insurance programs to you, or help market products or services to you;
4. Internet, browsing, or other network information may be shared with entities that assist Us with conducting website and mobile app analysis, conducting research and analytics, developing our websites and mobile apps, collecting information about Our website and mobile app usage and email responses, marketing and providing products or services to you, managing Our online advertising and its effectiveness, responding to questions and emails, managing and servicing policies and accounts;
5. Geolocation data may be shared with entities that assist Us in conducting website and mobile app analysis, developing Our websites, mobile apps, or insurance programs, and marketing products or services to you;
6. Audio recordings may be shared with entities that provide Us with services to improve customer service or for authentication or fraud investigation purposes;
7. Professional or employment information may be shared with recruiters or with entities that help Us with processing job applications or offers or denials of employment;
8. Education information may be shared with entities that provide Us with human resources, job application, or recruitment services; and
9. Inferences may be shared with entities that provide Us with services to market products or services to you and help predict your future.

M&A may also share all categories of personal information as part of corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures, as well as with Our affiliates and subsidiaries.  We may be required to share all categories of personal information with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, or litigants based on enforceable requests for this information.

1. • Access to Personal Information

You have the right to request, in accordance with applicable law, that We disclose certain information to you about Our collection and use of your personal information over the past twelve (12) months.  Please note that the CCPA limits Our ability to provide you with the requested information only after We receive a verifiable consumer request from you or a person registered with the Secretary of State that is authorized by you to act on your behalf.  Once We receive a verifiable consumer request, We will disclose to you:

• The categories of personal information We collected about you
• The categories of sources for the personal information We collected about you
• Our business or commercial purpose for collecting that personal information
• The categories of third parties with whom We share that personal information
• The specific pieces of personal information We collected about you (also called a data portability request)
• If We disclosed your personal information for a business purpose, and the personal information categories that each category of recipient obtained

Please note that the CCPA does not require Us to retain any personal information collected for a single, one-time transaction, if that personal information is not sold or retained by Us.  It also does not require Us to reidentify or otherwise link information that is not maintained in a manner that would be considered personal information.

1. • Deletion Requests

You may request, in accordance with applicable law, that M&A delete the personal information that We collected about you and retained, subject to certain exceptions.  Once We receive a verifiable consumer request, We will delete (and direct Our service providers to delete) your personal information from Our records, unless an exception applies in support of Our business need to retain some or all of your personal information.

We may deny your deletion request if retaining the personal information is necessary for Us or Our service provider(s) to:

• Complete the transaction for which We collected the personal information, provide a good or service that you requested, take actions reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform our contract with you;
• Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or prosecute those responsible for such activities;
• Debug products to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
• Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise their free speech rights, or exercise another right provided for by law;
• Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Cal. Penal Code § 1546 et. seq.);
• Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when the personal information’s deletion may likely render impossible or seriously impair the research’s achievement, if you previously provided informed consent;
• Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with Us;
• Comply with a legal obligation; or
• Make other internal and lawful uses of that personal information that are compatible with the context in which you provided it.

1. • Access, Data Portability, and Deletion Requests

To access, seek data portability, or request that We delete your personal information, please submit a verifiable consumer request to Us by either:

• Calling Us at 800-635-7801
• Emailing Us at info@framingham.meyerandassoc.com

Only you, or someone legally authorized to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information.  You may also make a verifiable consumer request on behalf of your minor child.

You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or data portability twice within a twelve (12) month period.  The verifiable consumer request must:

• Provide sufficient information that allows Us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom We collected personal information or an authorized representative
• Describe your request with sufficient detail that allows Us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it

After We receive a verifiable consumer request from you, We will take steps to determine whether the request being made is a verifiable consumer request.  Given the nature of the personal information requested, We will require authentication of your identity.  We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal information if We cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the personal information relates to you.  Making a verifiable consumer request does not require you to create an account with Us.

We will only use personal information provided in a verifiable consumer request to verify the requestor’s identity or authority to make the request.

1. • Response Timing and Format

We will make every effort to respond to a verifiable consumer request within forty-five (45) days of its receipt.  If We require more time, We will inform you of the reason and extension period in writing.

Any disclosures We provide will only cover the twelve (12) month period preceding our receipt of your verifiable consumer request.  The response We provide will also explain the reason(s) We cannot comply with a request, if applicable.  For data portability requests, We will select a format to provide your personal information that is readily useable to allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance.

We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your verifiable consumer request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded.  If We determine that the request warrants a fee, We will tell you why We made that decision and provide you with a cost estimate before completing your request.

1. • Personal Information Sales Opt-Out and Opt-In

M&A does not sell your personal information. Because We do not sell your information, We do not have an opt-out.

• • Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. We will not:

• Deny you goods or services;
• Charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties;
• Provide you a different level or quality of goods or services; or
• Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.

 

• • California Shine The Light Law

M&A does not share your information with non-affiliated third parties for their own marketing use without your consent.  M&A does share your information with corporate affiliates.