SmartHippo.com privacy policy
Effective 08/29/2007
Summary of our privacy policy
Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.
- You do not need to supply your name or other identifying information in order to use SmartHippo, except for the Get Quotes feature
- You can opt out of promotional emails at any time
- We will never sell your information to third parties without your consent
This notice applies to all information collected or submitted to us on the SmartHippo.com web site.
The Information We Collect
Signup information: When signing up to receive one of our newsletters we collect your email address as well as information on whether you are a homeowner or not.
Profile information: When completing your profile you may be given the option of entering your name, additional demographic information or information on your situation or interests.
Inquiry forms: When you fill out a form requesting to be contacted with a quote for a loan, refinance, debt consolidation or similar product or service, we collect your name, contact information, and other information required in order to complete your request. For example, if you are requesting a quote for refinancing a mortgage, we will prompt you to enter your property amount, mortgage balance, and current rate.
The Way We Use Information
We may also send you newsletters or If you have signed up to receive our newsletter, we will use the information you supplied to target the content and advertising of the newsletter you will receive. We may also send you periodic offers, alerts and reminders we believe may be of interest to you. You may opt out of receiving these emails at any time.
Inquiry forms: When you fill out the Get Quotes form, you are expressly requesting that we forward your information to third parties who match your criteria. By filling out such a form, you are requesting that your information be given to these companies even if you are on a do not call list. Once your information has been transferred to these companies, its use falls under their respective privacy policies. These third parties may contact you by telephone, email, or mail based on the information you provided to us in order to process and fulfill your request, even if you have opted into the National Do Not Call List administered by the Federal Trade Commission, any state equivalent Do Not Call List, or the Do Not Call List of an internal company. If one of the lenders contacts you by telephone and you wish not to be contacted again by that lender with respect to your inquiry, then you should specifically make a request to that lender not to contact you again.
We use non-identifying and aggregate information to better design our website and to share with advertisers. For example, we may tell an advertiser that X number of individuals visited a certain area on our website, or that Y number of men and Z number of women filled out our registration form, but we would not disclose anything that could be used to identify those individuals. We may also partner with third parties to track the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and site navigation through the use of cookies, which do not contain and are not linked to personally identifiable information.
Finally, we never use or share the personally identifiable information provided to us online in ways unrelated to the ones described above without also providing you an opportunity to opt-out or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses.
Third party products and services
Certain advertising links on our site will lead you to third party sites. Any personal information you supply to a web site operated by a third party is governed by the privacy policy of that particular site.
Our Commitment To Data Security
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
Our Commitment To Children's Privacy
Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important. For that reason, we never collect or maintain information at our website from those we actually know are under 18, and no part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 18.
How You Can Opt Out
If you have consented to have your information transferred to a third party and wish to opt out of future solicitations from that company, contact that third party directly.
To opt out of newsletters or alerts you receive from SmartHippo.com, just click the link at the bottom of the message and follow the instructions to opt-out.
How To Contact Us
Should you have other questions or concerns about these privacy policies, please send us an email at privacy(at)SmartHippo.com.
Final note
By using this site, you signify your consent to the SmartHippo.com Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use any of the SmartHippo.com site. When you request rate quotes or other information through SmartHippo.com, you are authorizing us to share information with our business partners, who will contact you by phone, email, or mail. If you do not want further communication from them, please notify the partner directly. We reserve the right to make changes in this policy at any time. Please check the policy each time you use our website to ensure you are aware of any changes in our privacy practices. Our Privacy Policy will indicate the date it was last updated. Your continued use of our site will signify your acceptance of the changes to our Privacy Policy.
