Legal, privacy, accessibility

Our cookie policy

Last Updated: November 19, 2021

Introduction

This Cookies Policy (“Policy”) describes how and why Foresters Financial (“Foresters Financial”, “we”, “us”, and “our”) uses cookies on our websites.  This Policy applies to Foresters websites and sites that link to the Policy (the “Website”) and includes:

• Foresters.com
• MyForesters.com
• MyPlans

What are cookies?

Cookies are small files, often containing a unique identifier, that websites store on your browser or device when you visit the website or app in order to remember information about you. Cookies are important to ensure that websites and web services are able to function properly, they help to personalize and improve your website experience, and can provide information about how you use the website. Those cookies are set by us and are called first party cookies.

We also allow third party cookies – these are cookies set by a domain other than the website or application you are visiting, such as for analytics or advertising purposes.

We may also use web beacons and pixel tags which are small pieces of code placed on a webpage to monitor the behavior and collect data about website visitors (for example, to count the number of visitors to a webpage, to deliver a cookie or to confirm if you have opened an email from us).

What are the types of cookies we use?

Our Website uses three main groups of cookies, as described below:

We use required cookies to enable our Website to function properly, including to allow you to navigate and access secure areas of the Website.

We use functional cookies to allow us to analyze and measure Website usage, and to improve performance and functionality.

We use advertising cookies to permit Foresters or advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests.  

Our Website uses two types of cookie durations - persistent and session cookies. Persistent cookies are cookies that remain on your device for a specified duration of time or until you manually delete them or object to them. Session cookies are temporary cookies that expire at the end of the browser session (e.g., when you leave our Website or close your browser).

To learn more about the type of cookies we use and why we use them, click“Cookie Preferences” in the footer of any page, then click on “View cookie settings” and then “Advanced settings.”

Setting your cookie preferences

When you first visit our Website, and periodically thereafter, we will inform you of why we use cookies, and you will have the opportunity to control the non-essential cookies you choose to accept by either clicking on “Agree and proceed” or on “More information” to select which cookies to accept or reject.

You may set or change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking “Cookie Preferences” in the footer of any page.

If you choose to reject or delete cookies, some or all of the functions on our Website may not be available to you.  If you use multiple devices to access our Website you should ensure that the browser on each device is adjusted to suit your cookie preferences.

It is important that your browser is set to accept required cookies otherwise you will not be able to enjoy the Website fully and your ability to use certain features and functionalities may be impacted.

A useful resource to learn more about managing cookies can be found at www.allaboutcookies.org.

Do Not Track Signals

Foresters does not track its customers or members over time in order to provide targeted advertising or for other purposes. Some browsers offer the capability to active a “Do Not Track” signal. We do not currently process or respond to “Do Not Track” signals from your browser. We and our third-party service providers may collect personal information about our customers and members online activities. 

Links to other third-party sites

If you follow a link from our Website to a third-party website, please be aware that the owner of the third-party website will have their own privacy and cookie policies for their site. We recommend you read their policies as we are not responsible or liable for what happens at their website. When viewing videos on this Website they are being viewed through a third-party video player. These video players (example YouTube) will place cookies on your device. These cookies are required to play the video on our Website and may also be required to support website accessibility for people with disabilities.

Contact us

You may contact us for more information on our use of cookies at:

Chief Privacy Officer

Email: privacy@foresters.com

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Enterprise Privacy Statement

This policy was last updated: August 2023

Good privacy management stems from good privacy governance. At Foresters we hold ourselves accountable for protecting the privacy of the Personal Information entrusted to us by our members, customers and employees. Proactive management of Personal Information creates a culture where the importance of privacy management is understood and thereby adds value to our organization, our members, customers and employees. Personal information is any information about an identifiable individual, such as name, age, address, gender, government identification numbers, financial information, health information and medical records. It may also include online identifiers, such as IP addresses and cookie identifiers. (“Personal Information”).

Scope

This Enterprise Privacy Statement (“Enterprise Privacy Statement”) applies to all Foresters Financial (“Foresters”) business operations and subsidiaries. Foresters is an international financial services provider operating in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Foresters complies with applicable privacy/data protection laws in the jurisdictions where we do business. The privacy principles described below are supplemented by more detailed privacy policies that reflect the requirements of applicable laws in the countries in which we operate. We will provide you with these policies if they apply to your Personal Information. These specific policies will govern in the event of a conflict with this Enterprise Privacy Statement.

Canada privacy policy
US privacy policies
UK privacy policy

Privacy Principles

We adhere to the following principles when handling Personal Information:

Accountability: We are responsible for Personal Information under our control and establish this Framework for managing privacy across all our business operations. We have designated individuals who are responsible for monitoring compliance with these principles, our policies, practices and procedures and the expectations of our regulators.

Transparency – Individuals have the right to be information about the collection, use, disclosure and retention of their personal information. We make information about our privacy policies and practices readily available to individuals, subject to any exceptions permitted by law.

Identifying purposes – We will be transparent about our privacy practices and will clearly identify the purposes for which we collect, use, retain and disclose Personal Information.

Lawful basis – We will only collect, use and disclose your Personal Information as reasonably necessary for the identified purposes, and only do so where there is a lawful basis. Sometimes, this will be with the knowledge and consent of a member, customer or employee. At other times, it will be on the basis of a contractual obligation, legal obligation, our legitimate interests or vital interests. But in each case only to the extent necessary to fulfill that obligation or interest. Where we require your consent, we may obtain it in writing, verbally, electronically or through an authorized representative. Consent may also be implied.

Limiting Collection – We will limit the collection of Personal Information to that which is necessary for the purposes we identify, and we will collect it fairly and lawfully.

Limiting use, disclosure and retention – We will not use or disclose Personal Information for purposes other than those for which we collected it, except with your consent, or as permitted or required by law. We restrict the access to and disclosure of Personal Information to those who have a need for the information. This may include our employees, licensed representatives or service providers who need the information to perform their duties or to provide us with services. It may also include other companies within the Forester group of companies. who, from time to time, may offer or promote other financial products, benefits or services, or those of select third parties, that we believe may be of interest to our members and customers. We may also have joint marketing or distribution agreements with other financial institutions that may offer or promote products that we believe may be of interest to our members and customers.

In some instances, our employees, advisors, service providers, representatives, reinsurers and any of their service providers may be located in other jurisdictions outside Canada. Personal information may then be subject to the laws of those other jurisdictions and these other jurisdictions may have different privacy and data protection laws than your jurisdiction. All such persons, whether or not they are located in Canada or outside Canada, are required to protect the confidentiality of personal information in a manner that is consistent with our privacy policies and practices, in compliance with applicable law.

We do not retain Personal Information longer than is reasonably necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or as required by law. Once retention of Personal Information is no longer reasonably necessary or relevant for the identified purposes, nor required by law, it will be destroyed, erased or made anonymous. We establish policies setting standard retention periods for each jurisdiction.

Accuracy – We make reasonable efforts to keep Personal Information accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it will be used.

Security safeguards– We will classify and protect Personal Information by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. We make reasonable effort to prevent any loss or misuse, or any unauthorized disclosure, destruction or modification, of Personal Information.

Individual Rights – Upon request, and as required by applicable laws, we inform authorized individuals of the existence, use and disclosure of their Personal Information and give them access to it as required by law. Individuals may challenge the accuracy and completeness of their information and have it amended, as appropriate. Subject to applicable laws, individuals may also request us to delete the personal information we hold about them. We will consider all such requests and provide our response within a reasonable period, and as required by such laws. Certain personal information may be exempt from such requests in certain circumstances.

Challenging compliance – Individuals may challenge compliance with the above principles by contacting our Global Chief Privacy Officer who is located at our corporate head office in Toronto, Canada. We also have individuals responsible for privacy in each jurisdiction in which we operate. If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the handling of your Personal Information at Foresters, please contact a local privacy officer. 

Global Chief Privacy Officer
789 Don Mills Road
Toronto, ON M3C 1T9
416-467-2530
privacy@foresters.com

Online Privacy

Some of our websites and mobile applications may use online data collection tools, cookies and other similar technologies, to improve functionality, enhance security, evaluate the effectiveness of our websites and advertising campaigns, to locate, identify and profile you, or provide visitors with a customized online experience. For more details, including the means to activate such technologies, please refer to our Cookie Policy and our Online Privacy Statement.

Local privacy policies

Foresters is an international financial services provider operating in Canada, United States and the United Kingdom. We may supplement this privacy statement with more specific privacy policies that are in line with this statement and principles and, where appropriate, reflect the legal and operational requirements of our business operations or the countries in which we operate. We will provide you with these policies if they apply to your Personal Information. These specific policies will govern in the event of a conflict with this privacy statement.

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Our commitment towards Online Security

Foresters Financial is committed to keeping your information secure. Foresters ensures the security of information and information systems by implementing adequate measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your information.

How do we protect your online account information

Your online account with Foresters Financial is protected from a wide variety of cyber threats.

Your user name and Password – All passwords are encrypted and we have implemented industry standard authentication systems to protect your online credentials. The protection mechanisms what we use are supporting to avoid unauthorized users.

Your role in protecting your information

Protect your Identity
The act of deliberately using someone else’s Identity is known as identity theft. Identity theft is a growing problem that affects thousands of individuals annually. Always be aware of new ways in which you are at risk for identity theft.

How do I prevent Identity Theft?

Identity theft can be prevented by not giving away unnecessary information. Sometimes it occurs as a result of negligence. To minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, there are some basic steps you can take.

• Verify that your computer is protected by Antivirus software
• If you use a laptop for business or personal use, ensure that it is encrypted. That way, if it is stolen, the information contained on that machine is more difficult to retrieve
• Protect your various accounts with a strong password and change it on a regular basis
• Never click links in suspicious emails and don’t open attachments from untrusted senders
• Don’t respond to emails requesting your personal or account information
• Always look for the “security lock” icon before supplying credit card information on any website
• Do not input personal information on a computer in a public place, like a library, coffee shops, etc.
• Be wary of phone calls during which which someone is asking for your personal information
• Securely store documents that include confidential information
• Keep your financial, medical and insurance files in a secure location
• Shred documents that contain important personal information and commercial information about you.

Phishing scams

Phishing is a type of social manipulation that uses malicious emails and websites to steal personal information like passwords, banking details, credit card numbers, etc. in order to make financial gains. Most phishing emails contain links and attachments linked to ransomware.

How can I detect a phishing email?

• Do not click on any links provided in any emails you receive.
• If you are unsure about the link provided, enter it directly into your web browser to validate it.
• Do not respond to emails that ask you to provide confidential information. Legitimate emails will not ask you to provide such information.
• If you have any concerns, call the company directly and inquire.

Computer security tips

There are some best security practices that can help protect your information:

• ActiveX – this technology is used by the Windows system and by Internet Explorer. Using this technology can increase the attack surface by allowing Internet browsers to install programs automatically. If ActiveX is not used anywhere in your browsing experience, it can be disabled.
• Plugins – these are applications designed to extend the functionality of the browser. But they may contain programming defects, such as buffer overflows, cross-domain violations, etc. Do not enable plug-ins if you are not familiar with them or use them during your browsing experience.
• Cookies – cookies are files used to store information that will be transmitted automatically to browsers as you browse. They may also contain user identification and other sensitive information. Avoid enabling cookies in your browser and regularly clear your browsing history.

Make a backup of your data – All computers and their components can fail. Although this probability is lower today thanks to modernized technology and improved reliability, it still represents a risk. Systems failure is the main cause of data loss or corruption, and when it occurs, the only option is to restore data from a backup file.

One of the most common causes of data loss is the physical failure of the media where the data is saved. Normally, hard drives will work for years without incident, but eventually they will fail. This may happen gradually or suddenly, and sometimes the hard drive may fail without any warning. Many people underestimate the importance of backup files until they experience the unexpected loss or corruption of valuable data.

• how and what to back up – backing up data is simple if you set up your folder structure correctly. It is easier and faster to do backup if all files and subfolders are organized in a single parent folder.
• when to backup – this depends on how often you change your files. you could do this once a week, or even once a day.

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A Special Notice about My Foresters

Foresters Financial members are currently only those insured under a life insurance certificate issued by The Independent Order of Foresters. If you are a Foresters Financial member, you may be eligible to register for My Foresters, an online member information service that allows you to view your member benefits package, to register for member events, and to receive other information or services related to your Foresters membership. You will need to meet the eligibility requirements on that site; for example, you must be at least 16 years of age.

To use the My Foresters site, you will need a user name and password, and any additional security measures that Foresters may require. By obtaining a user name and password, you agree that:

• You are responsible for keeping your user name and passwords safe
• If someone signs in to the My Foresters site using your user name and password, we can treat that person as if they are you
• We cannot, and are not required, to confirm the identity or authority of anyone who uses our online services, except by ensuring their password matches their user name
• We can rely on this user name and password as electronic identification, to accept instructions given online as if you had given us written signed instructions

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What’s New:

This notice was last updated: May 2024

We have recently updated our US Consumer Privacy Notice to:

• Make changes to comply with new privacy regulatory developments.
• Further clarify what and how we collect, use, disclose and retain personal information, and for which purposes.
• Further clarify what categories of third parties we disclose personal information to and for what purposes.
• Provide additional information on retention, crossborder transfers, and your rights and choices.

Introduction

The Independent Order of Foresters and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively Foresters) maintains the privacy and security of individuals’ personal information while collecting, using, and disclosing personal information in compliance with applicable laws. We support the rights of individuals or their authorized representatives to access, correct or delete information, subject to any restrictions in applicable laws. We will not collect, use, or disclose personal information except as described to you in this privacy policy, or where you provide your consent, or where we are otherwise permitted by law to do so. Personal information is information about you or that relates to you and that can identify you as defined in applicable US privacy laws.
This privacy policy includes the extended US Consumer Privacy Notice and applies to all of Foresters' operations, activities, websites, and applications in the USA, unless we have provided you with a separate privacy statement for a particular service or activity. It should be read in conjunction with the Foresters Enterprise Privacy Statement, US Privacy Policy and Foresters Online Privacy Policy.

For California residents, please see section 12 on the Online Privacy Notice for California Residents below.
This privacy policy is divided into different sections, and you can click through each section listed below. You can also download a pdf version of the policy here.

1. Your Consent
2. Information We Collect
3. Online Privacy
4. Why We Collect Your Information and How Do We Use It
5. When Do We Disclose Your Personal Information and to Whom
6. How Long Do We Use and Retain Your Personal Information For
7. How Do We Protect Your Information
8. Your Rights and Choices
9. Updates to this Privacy Policy
10. Complaints
11. Contact Us
12. Online Privacy Notice for California Residents
13. Foresters Online Privacy Policy

US Consumer Privacy Notice

This privacy notice applies to prospects, consumers, and customers of The Independent Order of Foresters (Foresters Financial^TM).
This notice is to help you understand how we handle your non-public personal information in accordance with the privacy policy, or with your consent, or as required or permitted by law. You may also print a copy of this Notice from our website.

1/ Your Consent

We collect, use, and disclose your personal information only for the purposes related to the products, services, and fraternal benefits we offer, and only with your consent or as permitted or required by law. Your consent may be expressed in writing, or it may be given verbally electronically, or through our or your authorized representative(s) or a third party. Depending on the circumstances and the sensitivity of the personal information, where it is appropriate to do so your consent may also be implied or inferred. You may withhold or withdraw your consent for us to collect, use and disclose your Personal Information, subject to legal or contractual reasons preventing you from doing so. Depending on the circumstances, however, withdrawal of your consent may impact our ability to continue to provide you with the insurance services and fraternal benefits you have requested.

If you provide personal information about another individual to us, it is your responsibility to obtain the consent of that individual to enable us to collect, use and disclose his or her information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2/ Information We Collect

We generally collect your personal information when you submit an application, when you provide it to an insurance agent or broker, or when you provide it through other electronic or paper means, and from your transactions and other interactions with us. This information may include the following:

• Identity information, such as your name, address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, government identification such as passport number or driver’s license, social security number or citizenship, criminal records, criminal history, and motor vehicle reports.

• Financial information, such as your income and banking information, and consumer or credit reports.
  
  These are generally required to process your transactions and payments, to provide you with the requested product and service, to help us to prevent and detect fraud, and for underwriting purposes.

• Health-related information, such as medical records and history, prescription history, medical claims, diagnoses, treatments or information about your lifestyle and habits.

  These are generally required to assess your eligibility for our products and services, to provide you with the requested product and service, to help us prevent and detect fraud, to assist us in assessing our underwriting risk based on your personal circumstances.

• Information about your interactions with us, such as when you visit our websites, applications, social media sites or when you call our service centers, or through other methods of communications. 
  
  These are generally required to provide you with the requested product or service, to operate and improve our websites, applications, and social media sites, to prevent and detect fraud, or to promote or market products or services, the latter of which you may set to your preferences per our Cookies Policy.

• Biometric data, such as your voiceprint, should you choose this option when you call us, in order for us to verify your identity.

• Location data, such as the state or country from where your IP address or call is originating from. Foresters may use such approximate geolocation data as indicated above as necessary to prevent and detect fraud, and to present you with appropriate regulatory content and information on our available products or services based on your location. Foresters also does not use precise geolocation data unless you provide your express consent in a timely manner.

We may collect your personal information in the following ways:

Directly from you, such as:

We collect personal information from you, either by mail, telephone, email, online, or through applications and other forms that you submit to us.

Indirectly from you, such as:

We collect personal information when you use our products and services, from your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others, for example, such as information about your premiums or payment history.
We may also collect personal information when you use or interact with our websites or social media sites. For example, we may use cookies and other similar technologies, to collect information such as online identifiers including location data, your Internet Protocol (IP) Address, device or browser type, or information about how long you used the website and pages visited. Please note that location data we may collect is not precise geographical data, but generic approximate location data (eg. State and country). This is necessary to support our eligibility checks, the life insurance products and services that can be provided to you, and to help us detect and prevent fraud. It is also helpful for us to personalize some of the member benefits that may be available to you. For more details on the use of such technologies and to set them to your preferences, please see our Cookies Policy.

Finally, we may collect personal information from your use of products and services, including those provided through third parties, for example, when you use our member benefits.

From third parties and other sources, such as:

If you have either provided your consent to Foresters, a third party, or if not otherwise prohibited by law, we may, from time to time, collect information from third parties such as:

• From your insurance agent or broker to service your insurance product.
• From consumer reporting agencies and financial institutions to process or administer the products or services you requested.
• From healthcare providers, clinics, the Medical Information Bureau, and other data brokers, service providers, or entities which may have records about you, or about your health or healthcare services you may have accessed or used.
• Other sources may include insurance-support organizations, who may keep and disclose information as allowed by law.

Please note these third parties from whom we obtain information may collect information and disclose it to other persons pursuant to their own privacy policies and practices.

We may collect, use, and disclose de-identified information, which can include statistical or demographic data, to help us support and improve the purposes set out in this policy. De-identified information may be derived from your personal information but does not directly identify you. In addition, we may also collect, use, and share anonymized information.

3/ Online Privacy

Foresters understands that you care about how we collect, use, disclose and retain information when you interact with us online through our websites, online services, and applications (collectively “Sites”) and through social media platforms.
Some of our Sites may collect your personal information and use online data analytics tools or cookies. We use these technologies to improve functionality, enhance security, evaluate the effectiveness of our Sites and advertising campaigns, or to improve your online experience.

Our Online Privacy Policy explains the types of personal information we collect through our Sites, how we use and protect that information, and the choices you have regarding our collection, use and sharing practices. You can also learn more about how we use cookies and other similar technologies, as well as on the means to activate them, in our Cookies Policy.

View our Online Privacy Policy

4/ Why We Collect Your Information and How do We Use It

Collecting your information helps us to:

• Assess your initial and continued eligibility for, and to administer, communicate in respect of, and deliver our products, benefits, and services.
• Market and administer our products and services.
• Investigate and pay claims and to process transactions.
• Respond to your inquiries, customer support requests or complaints.
• Identify and mitigate potential losses to you and/or Foresters
• Hold and inform you of membership and community events and activities and operate our branch system.
• Manage our risks and operations, to help us operate and improve our business, to assess, develop and offer other products, processes, and services, as well as to minimize any disruption to our business.
• Conduct business analysis, research, and data analytics, including actuarial studies, and conduct or participate in industry or market research.
• Support and optimize the user experience on our websites and to develop and improve our products and services.
• Fulfill our regulatory legal, financial, and other regulatory reporting and audit obligations, as well as to exercise and protect our legal interests.
• As otherwise permitted or required by law.

We do not sell personal information.

5/ When Do We Disclose Your Personal Information and to Whom?

In addition to the purposes identified above, we may also use and disclose your personal information as otherwise permitted or required by law, such as but not limited to:

• To comply with applicable legislation or regulation, or to respond to a subpoena, a court order, or to valid information requests from regulatory authorities.
• To third parties, to help us prevent and detect fraud and suppress financial abuse, as permitted by law.
• To Foresters subsidiaries and affiliates, if necessary to provide you with the product or service requested, and to better understand your needs and suggest catered products or services which could be good for you.
• To Foresters employees, as required to fulfill their accountabilities.  All Foresters employees are required to maintain the confidentiality of your personal information, and unauthorized disclosure or access is prohibited.
• With independent agents or insurance brokers offering, advising you on, or servicing you with Foresters’ products or services. Please contact your agent or broker for further details on their own privacy policies and practices.
• With other third parties, including third party service providers, if you have either provided your consent to them or if not otherwise prohibited by law, for them to assist Foresters in providing you with the requested products or services, to improve their products offerings to Foresters, as well as their business development, for example, to build performance, customer demographic and behavioral insights.

Our service providers are provided with the information necessary for them to perform the services requested, and they may have to process personal information to do so. They must comply with applicable laws and regulations, including privacy laws, and we require them to protect the information in accordance with reasonably appropriate privacy and security practices.

Marketing and Advertisement Materials Opt-Out: You may contact us at privacy@foresters.com or call us at 1 (800)-828-1540 should you no longer want to receive promotional materials from us. You may also wish to read our Cookie Policy.

6/ How Long Do We Use and Retain Your Personal Information For?

We aim to keep your personal information, in physical or digital format, only as long as reasonably necessary for our business needs, to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, accounting, audit or reporting requirements, and in accordance with our data retention policy.

7/ How do we protect your information?

We have administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your information. We train our employees on how to properly handle your information. 

Third party service providers to whom we disclose personal information must comply with applicable privacy laws. They must also implement reasonably appropriate privacy and data protection and information security measures, controls, and safeguards to protect it.

8/ Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to make certain requests and choices regarding your personal information. For example, you may:

• Review or access the personal information we have about you or request a copy of it. Download our Data Request Form here
• Ask us to update or correct personal information if it is inaccurate
• Request that we delete your personal information, subject to any restrictions under applicable laws
• Make choices about receiving marketing information and emails

These rights vary depending on where you reside. You may have the right to correct, amend or delete the personal information we have about you. You may do so by contacting us by email or in writing. You may also review your information in person at our Head Office. We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the costs incurred to provide you with copies of any requested information. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email or mailing address below. If we agree to your request, we may correct, amend, delete or anonymize your personal information, as applicable, and notify affected parties as required by law. If we do not agree to your request, we will let you know. We may maintain a record of your request in our files. You may also request a list of disclosures we have made of your medical records and other personal information, with certain exceptions.

In some cases, if you ask us to delete or stop using your personal information, we may not be able to honor that request such as if the information is required to maintain your products or services with Foresters or for us to comply with tax, audit, legal or regulatory obligations.

We may need to request specific information from you to help us verify and confirm your identity and validate your right of access to the relevant personal information, or to exercise any of your other rights. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to properly fulfil our obligations. As permitted by law, we may request an extension period depending on the request made.

For Vermont residents. We will not share information about your creditworthiness with our affiliates, other than as allowed by law, unless you authorize us to do so.

For California residents:  click here to access your California Privacy Policy and learn additional information that may be relevant to you or additional rights you may have. 
Please contact us to exercise one or more of these rights:

Toll-free: 800-828-1540

By email, with the applicable Data Request Form:  privacy@foresters.com

By mail:

Foresters Financial
Attn: Chief Privacy Officer
P.O. Box 179
Buffalo, NY – 14201

9/ Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may amend this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our personal information practices. We will post the revised policy on our website and make it available to you upon request.

10/ Complaints

If you have a concern regarding our handling of your personal information you may contact us at privacy@foresters.com or call us at 800-828-1540. We will explain our complaint procedure to you and investigate all complaints. If a complaint is justified, we will take all appropriate steps to set the situation right, including changing our policies and practices if necessary. We will also let you know what other complaint procedures may be available to you.

11/ Contacting Us

If you have a questions or if you wish to contact us about this privacy notice, you may contact us:

Toll-free: 800-828-1540

By email:  privacy@foresters.com

By mail:
Foresters Financial
Attn: Chief Privacy Officer
P.O. Box 179
Buffalo, NY – 14201

12/ Privacy Policy for California Residents

You can download a print version of the Privacy Policy for California Residents here

Last updated: May 2024

This Privacy Policy and Notice for California Residents (“Notice”) supplements the information contained in Foresters Enterprise Privacy Statement, US Privacy Policy and Online Privacy Statement and our California Privacy Notice and applies solely to consumers and customers of Foresters who reside in the State of California (“consumers” or “you”). The sections below describe the sources from which personal information was collected, the categories of personal information we may have collected from California consumers over the past twelve months, the business purpose for which it was collected, and the categories of third parties with we may have shared that information with. You may find a copy of the Notice of Collection here. 
The California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), as recently amended under the California Privacy Rights Act, may not apply to certain information. For example, it does not include:

• Publicly available information from government records.
• Deidentified or aggregated consumer information.
• Information that is specifically excluded from the scope of the California Consumer Protection Act including:
• Personal information covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Gramm-Leach Bliley Act, or the California Financial Information Privacy Act.
• Health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

Information we Collect

We generally collect your personal information when you submit an application, when you provide it to your insurance agent or broker, when you provide it through other electronic or paper means, from your transactions and other interactions with us or when you visit our websites or social media pages.

We also use several technologies to collect information for business purposes about visitors to Foresters Sites. This may include information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly with an individual or with a device (“personal information”).

Over the last 12 months, we may have collected and/or disclosed the following categories of personal information (Personal Information):

• Identifiers, such as a name, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, phone number, email address, account name, social security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers. Personal information, means any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with, a particular individual, including, but not limited to, his or her name, signature, social security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver's license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information. “Personal information” does not include publicly available information that is lawfully made available to the general public from federal, state, or local government records.
• Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law, such as race, gender identity, disability, age.
• Commercial information, including records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.
• Biometric information, such as voiceprints.
• Internet or other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding your interaction with our internet website or application, or advertisement.
• Geolocation data.
• Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information.
• Professional or employment-related information.
• Education information, defined as information that is not publicly available personally identifiable information as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99).
• Inferences drawn from any of the information identified in this subdivision to create a profile about a consumer reflecting the consumer’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.
• Sensitive Personal Information including personal information that reveals:
• Social security number, driver’s license, state identification card or passport number.
• Customer account log-in, financial account, debit card, or credit card number in combination with any required security or access code, password, or credentials allowing access to an account.
• A consumer’s precise geolocation.
• A consumer’s racial or ethnic origin.
• The contents of a consumer's mail, email, and text messages unless the business is the intended recipient of the communication.
• A consumer’s genetic data
• The processing of biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying a consumer.
• Personal information collected and analyzed concerning a consumers’ health, sex life or sexual orientation.

We only use or disclose Sensitive Personal Information for the following business purposes:

• To perform services or provide goods reasonably expected by an average consumer who requests those goods or services.
• To help ensure security and integrity to the extent the use of the consumer’s personal information is reasonably necessary and proportionate for these purposes.
• For short-term, transient use, including, but not limited to, non-personalized advertising shown as part of a consumer’s current interaction with us when Personal Information is not disclosed to another third party and is not used to build a profile about the consumer or otherwise alter the consumer’s experience outside the current interaction with us.
• To perform services on our behalf, such as maintaining or servicing accounts, providing customer service, processing, or fulfilling orders and transactions, verifying customer information, processing payments, providing financing, providing analytic services, providing storage, or providing similar services.
• To verify or maintain the quality or safety of a product or service that is owned, or controlled by us, and to improve, upgrade, or enhance the product or service that is owned or controlled by us.

Sources from Which Personal Information is Collected

We generally recollect your Personal Information when you submit an application, when you provide it to an insurance agent or broker, or when you provide it through other electronic or paper means, and from your transactions and other interactions with us.
During the normal course of our business, if you have either provided your consent to Foresters, a third-party, or if not otherwise prohibited by law, we may, from time to time, collect information from third parties such as:

• From your insurance agent, or broker to service your insurance product.
• From consumer reporting agencies and financial institutions to process or administer the products or services you requested.
• From any healthcare providers, clinics, the Medical Information Bureau, and other data brokers, service providers, or entities which may have records about you, or about your health.
• Other sources may include insurance-support organizations, who may keep and disclose information as allowed by law.

Please note these third parties from whom we obtain information may collect information and disclose it to other persons pursuant to their own privacy policies and practices. 

We may also collect Personal Information when you use or interact with our websites, mobile applications or social media sites. For example, we may use cookies and other similar technologies, to collect information such as online identifiers including location data, your Internet Protocol (IP) Address, device or browser type, or information about how long you used the website and pages visited.

Use of Personal Information for Business Purposes

We may use Personal Information for business or commercial purposes including:

• evaluating your eligibility for our products or services;
• administering our products and services
• product pricing, development, and quality assurance
• research studies and analytics
• legal and regulatory filings
• identity verification, fraud prevention, and information security
• marketing, advertising, promotions, and sales; and
• other operational purposes compatible with the uses related to your initial disclosure

Disclosure of Personal Information

In the preceding 12 months, we may have disclosed your Personal Information to third parties, such as but not limited to:

• To comply with applicable legislation or regulation, or to respond to a subpoena, a court order, or to valid information requests from regulatory authorities.
• To third parties, to help us prevent and detect fraud and suppress financial abuse, as permitted by law.
• To Foresters subsidiaries and affiliates, if necessary to provide you with the product or service requested, and to better understand your needs and suggest catered products or services which could be good for you.
• With Foresters employees, as required to fulfill their accountabilities.   All Foresters employees are required to maintain the confidentiality of your personal information, and unauthorized disclosure or access is prohibited.
• With independent agents or insurance brokers offering, advising you on, or servicing you with Foresters’ products or services. Please contact your agent or broker for further details on their own privacy policies and practices.
• Other third parties, including third party service providers, if you have either provided your consent to them or if not otherwise prohibited by law,  for them to assist Foresters in providing you with the requested products or services, to improve their products offerings to Foresters, as well as their business development, for example, to build performance, customer demographic and behavioral insights. Third-party service providers may include but is not limited to:
• Email and other internal operations or communications providers
• Systems administration providers
• Website operators
• Payment card processors
• Telephone and technical support providers
• Printing, and mailing distribution providers
• Data hosting, data storage, data processing and client relationship management service providers
• Research and analytics providers
• Professional advisors providing legal, consultancy, banking, insurance, audit and accounting services
• Tax, regulatory and other authorities as required; and
• Other third parties as required or permitted by law.

We do not currently “sell” Personal Information, nor “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes, as defined under the CCPA, including the Personal Information of consumers under 16 years of age.  

Your rights and choices

California residents have specific rights regarding their Personal Information. This section describes those rights and explains how to exercise them.

Right to Know: You have the right to request what Personal Information we have collected, about you during the past twelve (12) months, including the categories of sources from which the Personal Information was collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting Personal Information, the categories of third parties to whom the we disclose Personal Information, and the specific pieces of Personal Information we have collected about you.

Right to Delete: You have the right to request us to delete any of your personal information that we hold, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies.  

We may not be able to honor your request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service provider(s), such as to:

• Complete the transaction for which we collected the personal information, provide a product 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.
• Identify errors, repair or maintain systems, including errors that impair existing intended functionality.
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.
• Enable internal and lawful uses of that information that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with us and compatible with the context in which you provided it.

Right to Correct:You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information we have about you.

You may make any of the above requests twice within a 12-month period. When you make a request, you must: Provide sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom we collected personal information or an authorized representative; and describe your request with sufficient detail that allows us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it.

Making a consumer request does not require you to create an account with us. We will only use personal information provided in a consumer request to verify the requestor's identity or authority to make the request.

Marketing and Advertisement Materials Opt-Out:

You may contact us at privacy@foresters.com or call us at 1 (800)-828-1540 should you no longer want to receive promotional materials from us. You may also wish to read our Cookie Policy, to establish your cookies preferences, per our cookies management software, your browser setting, and policy.

Non-Discrimination 

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights under this Notice unless permitted by law.

Exercising Your Privacy Consumer Rights
To exercise any of the rights described above, or for any questions or concerns relative to our privacy policy and information practices, you can submit a consumer data request, or contact us, in one of the following ways:  

1. Submit a Data Request Form.
   Download and fill out the Data Subject Request Form . Return the completed form to us in one of the following ways:

via email at privacy@foresters.com

via regular mail: 
Foresters Financial 
Attn: Chief Privacy Officer 
PO Box 179 
Buffalo, NY 14201

• Call us toll free at 1-800-828-1540 Mon-Fri

To respond to a consumer request, we will need to verify your, or your authorized representative’s, identity, or authority to make the request. Only you, or your authorized representative, may make a consumer request related to your personal information. You may also make a consumer request on behalf of your minor child. To do so, we may communicate with you to ensure some personal information you provide us with matches the information we currently have, or ask you specific questions relative to you, your products, or services or other benefits provided to you that only you could or should know. We will not be able to 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.

Response Timing and Format

We endeavor to respond to a consumer request within forty-five (45) days of receiving it. If we need more time, we will inform you, in writing, of the reason and extension period. Any disclosures we provide will only cover the 12-month period preceding receipt of the consumer request. If applicable, our response will also explain the reasons we cannot comply with a request. For data portability requests, we will select a format to provide your personal information that is readily useable and should allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance. We generally do not charge a fee to process or respond to your request unless it is excessive or repetitive. If we determine that a fee is necessary, we will tell you why and provide you with a cost estimate before we complete your request.

Changes to our Privacy Notice

We reserve the right to amend this Notice at our discretion and at any time. When we make changes, we will post the updated Notice on our Sites and update the effective date. Your continued use of our Sites after any changes to this Notice constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

13/ Foresters Online Privacy Policy

This Online Privacy Policy applies to visitors to Foresters websites and users of Foresters mobile applications (collectively “Sites”) and supplements our privacy policies. It outlines the types of personal information we collect through our Sites, how we use it, with whom we share it, and some of the choices you can make about our use of the information. This Online Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.

Foresters understands that you care about how we collect, use, and share information when you interact with us online through our websites, social media platforms, online services and mobile applications (collectively “Sites”). It outlines the types of personal information we collect through our Sites, how we use it, with whom we share it, and some of the choices you can make about our use of the information.

Some of our Sites may use online data collection tools and/or cookies to improve functionality, enhance security, evaluate the effectiveness of our Sites and advertising campaigns, or provide visitors with a customized online experience.

Our Online Privacy Policy explains the types of information we collect through our Sites, how we use and protect that information, and the choices you have regarding our collection, use and sharing practices. You can also learn more about how we use cookies in our Cookies Policy.

Information we collect online

Using various technologies, Foresters or our service providers may collect various information from or about visitors to our Sites. Information we collect online may include:

• Personal information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly with an individual or with a device. This may include information about your browser, IP address, device type or how long a visitor used the site and the pages they visited. Click here to learn more about how we use cookies.

We may also collect anonymous data about visitors to our Sites, such as browsing history or geolocation data.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics, Web Trends and similar analytics service providers (“analytics services”) to collect various types of data about use of our Sites. We use this data to monitor and improve our Sites, measure the effectiveness of our marketing and engagement campaigns and to offer you content, products or services that may be of interest to you.

Advertising

Foresters may contract with advertising and marketing service providers to promote our brand, products and services, across different media, including on third party websites that are not affiliated with us. They and third parties, including Facebook and LinkedIn, may use cookies, web beacons and similar tracking technologies to gather information about your online activities, including your interactions with our Sites and the pages you visit. We may use this information to deliver advertisements to you, both online and offline, that are customized to meet your specific interests. For example, we may send a marketing email based on a consumer’s interaction with a specific Site. We may combine aggregated and de-identified data, along with other personal information we have about you and your relationship with Foresters to determine which advertisements, products or services may be of interest to you, display them to you, monitor responses, and help us measure customer engagement.

To learn more about your choices relating to the collection and use of data for analytics or targeted advertising, visit https://youradchoices.com/control.

Social media

We use social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube (“social platforms”) to provide product and service information, articles, news, community events and career opportunities. These social platforms facilitate online sharing and collaboration among users who have registered to use them. Any content you post on social platforms, such as pictures, videos, information, “Likes”, or any personal information you choose to make available on these platforms is subject to the terms of use and privacy policies of those platforms. We may receive personal information about you when you use such social platforms, for example your profile picture.

Some of our Sites may include social media buttons or icons (“plug-ins”) that enable users to easily share information on a social platform. These plug-ins may log certain information such as your IP address, browser type and language, and the web pages you have viewed. If you are logged into a social platform while using our Sites, they may also link information collected with your profile on that social platform. Foresters does not control these third-party tracking technologies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies on social platforms where you have an account to better understand how they collect and treat such information. Foresters is not responsible for the privacy or security practices of the social platforms we use.

How do we use and share your online information?

We use and share personal information only for disclosed purposes related to the products and services we offer, with your consent or as required or permitted by law. We may also use the information we obtain through our Sites in a way that does not directly identify you. For example, we may combine information about the nature or frequency of visits to our Sites and use or share aggregated information for statistical research or analysis, to optimize user experience and diagnose technical problems on our Sites, or other business purposes. We may share your information with our affiliates and licensed agents and agencies to provide you with a full range of our products and services. We may share your information with non-affiliated third-parties who help us conduct our business or who perform services on our behalf. They are contractually obligated to use, protect and secure your information in accordance with our policies and standards or as permitted or required by law. They only have access to the information necessary to perform these services on our behalf and are prohibited from using the information for any purposes except performing the contract.

Foresters does not sell your Personal Information.

How do we protect your information?

We strive to protect your personal information from the risk of loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or misuse. We comply with applicable laws and regulations and have implemented reasonable physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your information that are appropriate for its sensitivity. For example, we encrypt your personal information and we use advanced firewall technology and layered security tools to protect our environment. We restrict access to your personal information to those employees who need to know the information to provide or administer our products or services. We regularly train employees to keep your information safe.

Contact us

If you have questions or wish to contact us about this policy, please contact us:
Toll-free: 800-828-1540 Mon-Fri

Email: privacy@foresters.com

Regular mail:
Foresters Financial
Attn: Chief Privacy Officer
PO Box 179
Buffalo, NY 14201
 








Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries.

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In this section, “you” or “your” mean the person using the site. “We”, “us” or “our” means The Independent Order of Foresters (“Foresters”) and its affiliated companies. Together, we are “Foresters Financial”.  Additional or different terms of use may apply to other websites for the Foresters Financial family of companies, and you should review the terms of use posted on the website(s) you wish to use. Please note, the legal disclosures contained below may not be applicable to all the entities within the Foresters Financial family of companies therefore it is important you the disclosures carefully.

Trademark notice
Foresters and its affiliated companies each own or are licensed to use the trademarks on this site. For example, The Independent Order of Foresters owns Foresters and our logo, and its affiliates are licensed to use these. The trademarks are protected by Canadian, U.S. and European Union trademark laws. All rights reserved.

Ownership and use of content
The content of this site is protected by copyright. You can copy information for your own personal non-commercial use, but may not otherwise republish or reproduce any part without the prior written permission of the applicable Foresters Financial entity.

Governing law
If any provision in these Terms of Use is held invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. These conditions of use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable laws of Canada. You hereby consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario sitting in the City of Toronto in any action or proceeding related to your use of this site.

Warranty, availability, advice and solicitation disclaimer

The use of the site is at your own risk. Foresters Financial provides access to resources and other information on the site as a service to our clients, members, producers, registered representatives and the public. However, please bear in mind that all information on the site is being offered free of charge and that the information has not been tailored for your particular situation. Although we make every effort to provide accurate and complete information on this site, we do not guarantee that the information is error-free. Therefore, all information is furnished without warranties of any kind, implied or expressed. Additionally, under no circumstances shall Foresters Financial be liable to you or any party for any direct, indirect, special or other consequential damages arising out of any use by you of this site. As with all financial matters, you should exercise great care in using the information on this site. All information is subject to modification and update from time to time without notice. Certain jurisdictions may not permit certain disclaimers of warranties. In such case, we disclaim warranties to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable law.

Foresters Financial makes no representation that the products discussed on this site are available in all states in the United States or in all geographical areas, nor do we represent that the products are appropriate for all individuals, and the terms and conditions of some products may vary by jurisdiction. You may not be eligible for all of the products described herein. We do not intend to advertise products or services to residents of jurisdictions in which those products or services are not available. Please consult with a financial adviser or insurance agent to ascertain product availability and potential suitability. Nothing on this site should be construed as tax, legal, estate planning, investment or accounting advice. The content could become inaccurate as a result of developments occurring after publication. We endeavor to maintain this site and its operation.

Everyone’s situation and needs are different. This site gives you general information about Foresters Financial’s products. However, it does not intend to give you individualized financial or other professional advice. You should consult your financial adviser if you require any financial or other professional advice.  All material on this site is furnished solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any financial product referenced in this site.

The information on the site is also not intended to be an offer by us to enter into a contract with you. If you would like more information about our products, or how to purchase them, click here. All products and services are subject to the terms and conditions of all applicable agreements.

Joint accounts

Unless we are notified otherwise and provided such documentation as we require, joint brokerage accounts shall be held jointly with rights of survivorship (payable to either or the survivor). Each joint tenant irrevocably appoints the other as attorney-in-fact to take all action on his or her behalf and to represent him or her in all respects in connection with this Agreement. We shall be fully protected in acting, but shall not be required to act upon the instructions of either joint tenant. Each joint tenant shall be liable, jointly and individually, for any amounts due to us pursuant to this Agreement, whether incurred by either or both joint tenants.

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