Privacy & GDPR Policy

Charles James Financial Planning
Last Updated: 27 June 2025

1. Who We Are

Charles James Financial Planning ("we", "our", "us") is a financial planning firm based in Dronfield, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in a secure and transparent way, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our contact details are:
Address: Charles James Financial Planning, 9 School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, UK
Phone: 01246 296060   
Calls may be recorded and monitored.
Email: info@charlesjames.com 
Website: www.charlesjames.com

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identity Data – such as name, date of birth, marital status, National Insurance number.

  • Contact Data – including address, email, and phone numbers.

  • Financial Data – such as income, expenditure, assets, liabilities, pension details, and investment information.

  • Transactional Data – including payments made and received in connection with our services.

  • Technical Data – IP address, browser type, time zone settings (if using our website).

  • Special Category Data – in limited circumstances, we may collect data related to health or lifestyle (e.g., for life insurance or retirement planning).

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data from:

  • Direct interactions – via meetings, phone calls, emails, or our website forms.

  • Third parties – such as product providers, credit reference agencies, or your employer (with your consent).

  • Publicly available sources – such as Companies House or the Electoral Register.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Provide financial advice and planning services

  • Recommend and arrange financial products (e.g., pensions, investments, insurance)

  • Fulfil our contractual and regulatory obligations

  • Communicate with you

  • Manage payments and fees

  • Maintain our internal records

5. Lawful Bases for Processing

We rely on the following lawful bases to process your data:

  • Contractual obligation – where processing is necessary to perform our agreement with you

  • Legal obligation – to meet regulatory and compliance duties

  • Legitimate interests – where necessary for our business operations, provided your rights do not override those interests

  • Consent – where you have explicitly consented (e.g., marketing communications or processing special category data)

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We may share your data with:

  • Product providers, investment platforms, or insurers

  • Compliance consultants or regulators (e.g., the FCA)

  • IT and cloud service providers

  • Professional advisers (e.g., accountants or solicitors, where relevant)

  • Third parties where legally required (e.g., HMRC)

We ensure all third parties respect your data privacy and comply with UK GDPR.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.

8. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined above, typically:

  • Client records – up to 6 years after our relationship ends

  • Regulatory records – as required by law (e.g., FCA or HMRC requirements)

  • Marketing consents – until you withdraw consent

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your personal data

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Request erasure of your data (“right to be forgotten”)

  • Object to or restrict processing

  • Withdraw consent at any time (for marketing or optional processing)

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk

10. Cookies (If applicable)

Our website may use cookies to improve user experience. For more details, please refer to our [Cookie Policy] (link to cookie policy if available).

11. Contact Us

To exercise any of your rights or ask questions about this policy, contact:

Data Protection Officer
Charles James Financial Planning
Address: Charles James Financial Planning, 9 School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, UK
Phone: 01246 296060   
Calls may be recorded and monitored.
Email: info@charlesjames.com 
Website: www.charlesjames.com

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