Privacy Policy for Wells Fargo Financial

In the information age, Wells Fargo's commitment to protect your information and your privacy extends to your online banking. While our privacy policies are the same whether you are online or not, we have extra measures in place to protect your privacy when you bank online with Wells Fargo.

Keeping Your Information Safe and Secure

Highlights Of Our Commitment To You

• We do not sell customer information to third parties.
• We safeguard your customer information carefully.
• We are committed to protecting your customer information in every transaction, at every level of our organization.
• We are committed to helping you protect your privacy every day.

You have choices about how we share your information within Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and how we contact you for marketing purposes. See below for information about how to contact us and record your preferences.

This brochure includes the Privacy Policy for Wells Fargo Financial National Bank an d the non-bank companies with "Wells Fargo Financial" in their names. For consumer accounts, this Policy describes how we use and protect customer information. This Policy also describes how we use and protect information provided by individuals in connection with business accounts, loans and leasing programs and provided by individuals associated with dealers participating in sales finance programs (called "customers" for purposes of this brochure). We believe that protecting your privacy is an integral part of the customer service we provide to you.

How We Protect And Use Customer Information?

1. We are committed to protecting the security and integrity of customer information through procedures and technology designed for this purpose.
2. We collect and maintain customer information as part of servicing your account and your customer relationship.
3. The customer information we collect is used to service your accounts and meet your financial needs.
4. We share customer information with nonaffiliated third parties when they are acting on our behalf, acting jointly with us, or as permitted or required by law.
5. Your choices for information sharing and marketing.
6. State Laws

1. We are committed to protecting the security and integrity of customer information through procedures and technology designed for this purpose.

• We limit employee access to customer information to those who have a business reason to know. Employees are required to honor our code of conduct, which includes standards for protecting customer confidentiality.
• We maintain policies and procedures covering the proper physical security of workplaces and records.
• Our physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards meet or exceed federal standards regarding the protection of customer information.
• We require contractors and outside companies who work with us to adhere to strict privacy standards through their contracts with us.

Top

2. We collect and maintain customer information as part of servicing your account and your customer relationship.

In the course of serving you, we collect information about you from a variety of sources, such as:

• Information you provide to us on applications or forms, such as your income and accounts with others;
• Information we receive from an outside company, such as a credit bureau, regarding your credit history or employment status; or
• Information about your transactions or experiences with companies affiliated with Wells Fargo & Company (these include Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.).

Top

3. The customer information we collect is used to service your accounts and meet your financial needs.

Information may be used among the Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as well as with authorized third parties (described in section 4), for a number of purposes, such as:

• To protect your accounts from unauthorized access or identity theft.
• To process your requests such as loan applications and purchases.
• To service your accounts by issuing checks and account statements.
• To keep you informed about financial services of interest to you.

Top

4. We share customer information with nonaffiliated third parties when they are acting on our behalf, acting jointly with us, or as permitted or required by law.

We may disclose the information we collect to non-affiliated third parties that are acting on our behalf or as permitted or required by law, including:

• Companies that perform support services for us, such as data processors, technical systems consultants or check printers.
• Companies that help us market products and services to you, conduct surveys or provide marketing research.
• Government entities, courts or other entities (in response to subpoenas and other legal processes), or those with whom you have requested us to share information.

Important Notice about Credit Reporting: We may report information about your account(s) to credit bureaus and/or consumer reporting agencies. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account(s) may be reflected in your credit report and/or consumer report.

It is important to note that we do not share customer information with other companies for the purpose of marketing their products to you, unless you specifically request in advance that we do so, or unless the sharing is in connection with:

• Maintaining or servicing an account with us, or with a third party as part of a private label credit card program or other extension of credit on behalf of the third party; or
• Marketing of our own products or services.

Top

5. Your choices for information sharing and marketing.

We may disclose all of the information we collect, as described above, within the affiliated Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., which include administrative and service units, consumer bankers, mortgage lenders, consumer lenders, securities broker-dealers, insurance agencies, and real estate brokerage companies. These companies include Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Wells Fargo Insurance, Inc., Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Inc., Wells Fargo Investments, L.L.C. and Wells Fargo Advisors, L.L.C. Effective March 20, 2010, Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. of Delaware, N.A. will become Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. of Delaware divisions of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

• By law, information that is derived from your transactions and experiences with us may be shared among the Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (a) for purposes other than direct marketing, and (b) unless you instruct us otherwise, for direct marketing purposes.
• If you choose to limit information sharing, we will not share personal financial information about you among affiliates (other than information derived from your transactions and experiences with Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.) for any purpose, except as permitted by law. In addition, if you select that option, we will limit affiliates' use of transaction, experience and other personal financial information about you for direct marketing purposes. However, your choice regarding the use of certain information for marketing purposes does not apply to any Wells Fargo or Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. that has an existing business relationship with you or where the use is otherwise permitted by law. To opt out of information sharing and marketing, use one of the methods described below. Your election will apply until you tell us to change your choice.
• Telephone and mail preferences. In addition to information-sharing preferences, you may request that we not contact you for marketing purposes by telephone. For consumer accounts, this election will be effective while you are an active customer or a minimum of five years. For business accounts, this election will be effective for five years from the date the election is received. You may also request that we not contact you for marketing purposes by mail. For all accounts, this election will be effective for three years.
• Communicate your information-sharing, telephone and mail preferences in any of the following ways:
  • Call 1-888-528-8460
  • Online banking customers log on to a secure session at wellsfargo.com, and choose "Change Privacy Preferences" under the "Account Services" tab.
  Your preference will apply to all consumer accounts linked to your personal record. For joint accounts, any account holder may express a privacy preference on behalf of the other joint account holders.
• Do Not Call Policy: This Privacy Policy constitutes Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Do Not Call Policy under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act for all consumers. Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. maintain an internal Do Not Call preference list. Do Not Call requests will be honored within 30 days and will be effective for at least five years from the date of request. No telemarketing calls will be made to residential or cellular phone numbers that appear on the Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Do Not Call list.
  As a customer, please note that if you choose not to receive solicitations by mail or any other channel, you may continue to receive marketing information about Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. products or services, in regular account mailings and statements, when you visit us online or at an ATM. You may also receive survey calls.

Top

6. State Laws.

Some state laws may impose additional restrictions on disclosure of information on customers for certain purposes in those states.

• Nevada Residents – Nevada Statute Section 228.600(3) allows marketing calls to our existing customers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. If you prefer not to receive marketing calls from us, you may be placed on our Internal Do Not Call list by following the instructions in the "Your Choices" section 5 above, or writing to Wells Fargo Operations, P.O. Box 5277, Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5277. For more information contact us at the address above. You may also contact the Nevada Attorney General's office: Bureau of Consumer Protection Office of the Nevada Attorney General, 555 E. Washington Street, Suite 3900, Las Vegas, NV 89101, Phone: (702) 486-3132, Email: BCPINFO@ag.state.nv.us
  
  
• Vermont Residents – We will not share personal financial information about you other than transaction and experience information with other Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. companies for any purpose within accordance with Vermont law, nor will we share any personal financial information about you with other Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. for marketing purposes.

This document applies to (1) consumers who have, or have had, a customer relationship or have made an inquiry or application, and (2) individuals who have provided personal information in connection with business accounts, loans, and leasing programs or individuals associated with dealers participating in sales finance programs; and where the consumer relationship, inquiry, application, or personal information is provided to one or more of the non-bank companies with "Wells Fargo Financial" in their names as well as Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. The policies and practices described in this disclosure are subject to change, but we will communicate any significant changes to you as required by law. The policies and practices described in this disclosure replace all previous notices or statements regarding this subject.

The policies and practices described in the disclosure are subject to change, but we will communicate any significant changes to you as required by applicable law. The policies and practices described in this disclosure replace all previous notices or statements regarding this subject.

Additional privacy provisions apply to the use of Wells Fargo's and Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. online services. See www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security and www.wachovia.com/privacyandsecurity for more information.

Tips To Help You Protect Your Personal Information

• Carry only necessary information with you. Leave your Social Security card and unused credits cards at home in a safe and secure location.
• Make photocopies of vital information you carry regularly and store them in a secure place, such as a safe deposit box.
• Do not provide your Social Security Number unless absolutely necessary.
• Shred documents containing personal or financial information before discarding. Fraud and identity theft often occurs as a result of mail and garbage theft.
• Place outgoing mail in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox to reduce the chance of mail theft.
• Promptly retrieve incoming mail to reduce the opportunity for theft.
• Monitor your credit report for accuracy. By law, you are entitled to received one free credit file disclosure every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. To learn more or request a copy of your credit report, visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Assistance To Victims Of Identity Theft

Contact us immediately if you suspect that someone has had unauthorized access to your Wells Fargo or Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. account, or access to your personal identifying information such as your Social Security Number or credit card information. We will take action to protect your accounts. Wells Fargo customers call 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557), visit us online at wellsfargo.com, or visit us at your nearest Wells Fargo location. Wachovia Bank, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. customers please call 1-888-647-3648.

In addition, you should also report the crime to your locals law enforcement agency and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). To speak with a trained FTC telephone counselor, call toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). To enter information about your complaint into a secure FTC online database, sign onto ftc.gov/idtheft. The site also provides links to numerous consumer education materials.

If You Want to Reduce The Number of Unsolicited Credit Offers You May Receive From Outside Sources Contact the National Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies at 1-888-567-8688 (1-888-5-OPTOUT) or visit optoutprescreen.com for details. Financial institutions and other companies provide information to the Credit Bureaus for credit verification, fraud control purposes, and prevention of identity theft. You may direct these agencies not to sell or share this information about you for marketing purposes.

Customer Service

If you have questions about your account or would like more information about Wells Fargo products and services please call us at 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557) or write to the address listed on your account statement. More information is available at wellsfargo.com. You may also write to us at Wells Fargo Operations Center, MAC #N9777-111, P.O. Box 5277, Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5277.

Wells Fargo Financial Texas, Inc. and, for loans to Texas residents, Wells Fargo Financial Louisiana, Inc. are licensed and examined under the laws of the State of Texas and by state law are subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. Any consumer wishing to file a complaint against Wells Fargo Financial Texas, Inc. or against Wells Fargo Financial Louisiana, Inc. about a loan to a Texas resident should contact the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner through one of the means indicated below: In person or U.S. Mail: 2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78705-4207. Telephone No.: (800) 538-1579. Fax No.: (512) 936-7610. E-mail: consumer.complaints@occc.state.tx.us. Website: www.occc.state.tx.us

Ambos Wells Fargo Financial Texas, Inc., así como Wells Fargo Financial Louisiana, Inc. (para préstamos otorgados a residentes de Texas), son licenciados y sujetos a examinación bajo las leyes del Estado de Texas y, de conformidad con la ley estatal, están sujetos a la supervisión regulatoria de la Oficina del Comisionado de Crédito al Consumidor. Cualquier consumidor que desea presentar una queja contra Wells Fargo Financial Texas, Inc. o contra Wells Fargo Financial Louisiana, Inc., en relación con un préstamo otorgado a un residente de Texas, debe comunicarse con la Oficina del Comisionado de Crédito al Consumidor a través de uno de los medios indicados a continuación: En Persona o por Correo Postal de los Estados Unidos a: 2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78705-4207. Teléfono: (800) 538-1579. Por Fax: (512) 936-7610. Por Correo Electrónico al: consumer.complaints@occc.state.tx.us. Sitio Web: www.occc.state.tx.us.

Top

Updated: 01/28/2010