Privacy Policy

Assist Home Loans ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), NMLS #1678642, a California licensed mortgage broker operating under the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) pursuant to the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (CRMLA), and also conducting business in the State of Colorado, is committed to transparency regarding the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes our practices and your rights as they apply to information collected through our website (www.assisthomeloans.com), by telephone, in person, and through any related loan application or inquiry process.

By visiting our website, submitting an inquiry, or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the data practices described herein.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information from and about you in connection with your mortgage inquiry, application, and our ongoing business relationship. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Identifiers: Full name, home address, mailing address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, and Social Security Number (for credit and identity purposes).
• Financial Information: Income, employment history, assets, liabilities, credit history, credit scores, and tax information.
• Property Information: Property address, estimated value, intended use (primary residence, second home, investment property), and transaction details.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, operating system, pages visited, session duration, and referring URLs collected automatically when you visit our website.
• Communications: Records of correspondence, phone calls (which may be recorded with applicable notice), emails, chat transcripts, and form submissions.
• Inferences: We may derive information about your preferences, financial goals, and likelihood to benefit from specific loan products based on data you provide.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• Loan Processing: To evaluate, process, underwrite, and fund mortgage loan applications submitted through our services.
• Regulatory Compliance: To comply with federal and state mortgage lending laws, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and applicable California and Colorado statutes.
• Marketing — Internal Use: To contact you via phone, email, text, or mail about mortgage products, interest rate updates, refinancing opportunities, home equity options, and other financial services offered directly by Assist Home Loans, including follow-up after your initial inquiry. You expressly consent to receive such communications by engaging with our website or submitting your contact information.
• Marketing — Affiliated Companies: To share your information with companies that are under common ownership or control with Assist Home Loans ("Affiliates"), which may offer complementary financial, real estate, insurance, or home-related services. These Affiliates may use your information to contact you with relevant offers and information.
• Analytics and Improvement: To analyze usage patterns on our website, improve our services, and develop new products and offerings.
• Fraud Prevention and Security: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, unauthorized access, and other illegal activity.
• Customer Service: To respond to inquiries, resolve disputes, and maintain our business relationship with you.

3. Sharing of Your Information

We may share your personal information with the following categories of third parties:

a. Affiliated Companies

We share personal information with our Affiliates — companies related to us by common ownership or control — for marketing and business purposes. Our Affiliates may include entities engaged in real estate services, title and escrow, insurance, financial planning, and other mortgage-related services. This sharing is permitted under applicable law, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and is a core component of our business model. California residents, please see Section 9 for your specific rights regarding this sharing.

b. Wholesale Lenders and Loan Investors

As a mortgage broker, we submit your loan application to wholesale lenders who evaluate your application and may fund your loan. These lenders may sell or assign your loan to investors after closing. Each lender receiving your application is governed by its own privacy policy and applicable law.

c. Service Providers

We engage third-party service providers to assist with credit reporting, appraisal coordination, title services, flood certification, escrow, document management, marketing automation, email delivery, analytics, website hosting, and other operational functions. These providers are authorized to use your information only to perform services on our behalf.

d. Government and Regulatory Bodies

We may disclose your information as required by law, regulation, court order, or government investigation, including to the CFPB, DFPI, HUD, VA, FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other regulatory or governmental entities.

e. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or other business transaction, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same privacy protections described in this Policy.

4. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) Notice

Federal law, specifically the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, gives consumers the right to limit some, but not all, sharing of nonpublic personal information. We share your information with Affiliates for everyday business purposes and for marketing purposes as permitted under GLBA. We do not share your nonpublic personal information with non-affiliated third parties for their marketing purposes without your consent, except as otherwise permitted by law.

A separate GLBA Privacy Notice will be provided to you at or before the time we establish a customer relationship with you, in accordance with Regulation P.

5. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

We may obtain consumer reports about you from one or more consumer reporting agencies for the purpose of evaluating your mortgage application. We are required by law to inform you of this before obtaining such reports. By submitting a loan application, you authorize us to obtain consumer reports and to share your application information with lenders and other parties as necessary to process your loan.

We may also share your personal information with Affiliates for purposes of making credit and insurance eligibility determinations, as permitted under the FCRA's affiliate sharing provisions, unless you have opted out of such sharing as described in Section 9.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and support our marketing efforts. By continuing to use our website, you consent to the placement and use of these technologies. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies; however, certain features of the site may not function correctly if you do so.

We may use third-party analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) and advertising platforms that set their own cookies and collect information about your activity on our site and across other websites over time. This data helps us deliver more relevant advertising to you and to audiences with similar characteristics.

7. Text Message and Email Marketing

By providing your phone number or email address through any form on our website, by phone, or in person, you expressly consent to receive marketing communications from Assist Home Loans and our Affiliates via email, SMS/text message, and automated or pre-recorded phone calls, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and CAN-SPAM Act.

You may opt out of marketing emails by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email we send. You may opt out of text messages by replying STOP to any text message. Opting out of marketing communications will not affect our ability to send you transactional or legally required communications related to your loan.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with applicable laws and regulations (including federal and state mortgage record retention requirements), to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. Mortgage-related records are typically retained for a minimum of three (3) years from the date of the loan application or closing, and in some cases longer, as required by RESPA, TILA, ECOA, and applicable state law.

9. California Residents — Your Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These rights apply to the extent that personal information is not subject to exemptions under the GLBA, FCRA, or other applicable federal law. Please note that much of the information we collect in connection with a mortgage application is exempt from CCPA/CPRA because it is subject to the GLBA or FCRA.

To the extent applicable, California residents have the right to:

• Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Delete: Request deletion of personal information we hold about you, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., information we are required by law to retain).
• Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
• Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information in exchange for monetary consideration. However, to the extent our sharing of information with Affiliates or advertising partners constitutes "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising under CPRA, you may opt out by contacting us using the information in Section 12.
• Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: Request that we limit the use of sensitive personal information (such as your Social Security Number) to purposes necessary to perform the services you requested.
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights.

Affiliate Sharing Opt-Out (FCRA): We may share certain information about your creditworthiness with our Affiliates as permitted by the FCRA. California residents have the right to opt out of such sharing by contacting us in writing. Please note that opting out will limit your ability to receive pre-screened offers from our Affiliates.

To exercise your California privacy rights, please contact us using the information in Section 12. We will respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days as required by law.

10. Colorado Residents — Your Privacy Rights (CPA)

If you are a Colorado resident, you have certain rights under the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), effective July 1, 2023. These rights apply to the extent that the personal data we process falls within the scope of the CPA and is not otherwise exempt. Please note that personal data processed in connection with a mortgage loan application may be exempt under applicable financial services exemptions.

To the extent applicable, Colorado residents have the right to:

• Access: Confirm whether we process personal data about you and request access to that data.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of personal data provided by or obtained about you, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Opt Out of Targeted Advertising: Opt out of the processing of your personal data for purposes of targeted advertising by contacting us using the information in Section 12.
• Appeal: If we decline to take action on your request, you have the right to appeal our decision. To appeal, contact us in writing at the address in Section 12.

We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days, with an additional 45-day extension available upon notice to you, as permitted by the CPA.

11. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no data transmission or storage system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information and encourage you to take precautions to protect your personal data, including using strong passwords and being cautious about sharing sensitive information online.

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected individuals and applicable regulatory authorities as required by California, Colorado, and federal law.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, or wish to opt out of affiliate marketing communications, please contact us:

13. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes, we will post the revised Policy on our website with an updated effective date. Your continued use of our website or services after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

This Privacy Policy does not constitute legal advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Assist Home Loans is a licensed mortgage broker, not a mortgage lender. All loans are subject to credit approval. Licensed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Also licensed in Colorado. NMLS #1678642.