Privacy Summary

Fundamental is committed to protecting your privacy.

We are a licensee of the Verisign Secured Program. Verisign is an independent organization that provides industry leading security services verifying that our website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology that guarantees information privacy and integrity.

Because Fundamental wants to demonstrate its commitment to protecting your personal information, we feel it is important to disclose to you in clear and unambiguous language how we protect your information. We feel that we owe you more than just the legal minimum requirements when it comes to something as important as your privacy. You will find that our privacy policy includes providing you privacy protections that are above and beyond the current minimum legal requirements.

The following is a summary of some of things we don’t do:

We do not sell or share your information with third party marketing firms. Although current law allows financial institutions to share your information with other financial institutions under a “joint marketing agreement” without your consent, we don’t.
When you visit our website we do not collect any personal information unless you choose to provide that information to us.
In the event that we change our Privacy Policy in the future, protection of your personal information will always be subject only to the Privacy Policy in place at the time you provide any information to us. We will not “change the rules” and subject your previously provided personal information to any “new rules”.

Now that you know a few of things we do not do, the following are some of the things that we do:

We Protect Your Information:

Using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology to prevent unauthorized parties from viewing any personal information you provide to or receive from Fundamental
By limiting access to your personal information only to those authorized parties that have a “need to know”
By requiring all of our employees to undergo regular privacy training and to sign a written pledge to protect your personal information

We Communicate With You:

During the loan process as necessary to complete your transaction
To assist you in debt management, evaluating loan alternatives or to recommend loan related products or services
As necessary to update you on the status of your loan

We Limit the Sharing of Your Personal Information to:

Companies or government entities involved in the loan process such as financing partners or guarantor agencies
Service providers that assist us with processing or other functions such as loan servicing or loan verification companies
As required by law

Please review our complete Privacy Policy below for more details.
Also, if you have any questions related to our Privacy Policy, please contact us.

Fundamental’s Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy pertains to information provided to us when you call our visit our website – www.fundamental.com – and obtain or seek to obtain financial products or services offered by Fundamental. Fundamental’s products and services are intended for residents of the United States or its Territories that are 18 years of age or older.

Please be aware that our website allows you to access (or link to) other websites that may collect your personal information. Our Privacy Policy does not cover those other third party websites and we encourage you to review any privacy policies provided by such websites prior to providing them with any of your personal information. This Privacy Policy pertains to the following:

Information we collect and use
Information that we share with third parties and why we share it
Security technologies and procedures we use to protect your personal information
Choices available to you regarding the use of your personal information
How to contact us regarding privacy related issues
Changes to this Privacy Policy

A. Information we collect and use

Fundamental may collect and use your personal information to respond to your requests for our products or services or to provide you with information about our products and services that may be of value to you. While certain personal information that you provide to us may be publicly available from other sources (e.g. government records, telephone directories, the internet, etc.), we treat all of your personal information as if it were not otherwise publicly available.

Fundamental collects personal information when you:

Provide such information on our website by applying for or inquiring about a student consolidation loan

In order to respond to your inquiry or request to apply for a student consolidation loan, we collect information including your name, email address, social security number, home address, telephone numbers, date of birth and reference information.

Participate in an online survey, contest or promotion

From time to time, we may offer online surveys, contests, or promotions. When we do offer these programs we may ask you for personal information. You are not obligated to participate in any of these programs and if you choose not to you will still have full access to the rest of our website. If you do elect to participate in one of these programs the personal information you provide will only be used to enable us to complete the relevant program (e.g. review aggregated data, notify contest winners, award promotions, etc.) in accordance with the individual and separately disclosed terms of any such online survey, contest or promotion.

Contact Fundamental with a question, suggestion or to apply for a student consolidation loan

When you contact Fundamental with a question or suggestion we collect your name, email address and telephone number. We use this personal information only to respond to your question or suggestion. When you contact Fundamental to apply for a loan we collect any and all information necessary for us to complete your application. We use this personal information to respond to your request.

Fundamental also collects information from other sources:

Government records:

We may solicit and receive information from various government records. We use this information to determine your eligibility for a loan and to process your loan application.

Fundamental uses technology to:

Gather technical information from your web browser to (establish that you are a unique IP address, operating system, etc,)
Set persistent cookies on your computer; and,
Collect anonymous and non-personally identifiable information about your use and navigation of our website.

We use this information to assist us in assessing the effectiveness of our website, loan products and services, to establish that you are a unique visitor to our website, to assist you in using our website and for routine website maintenance.

If you choose to disable cookies, you may still have access to most of our website. As a security precaution, however, you may not have access to the secured pages of our website (i.e. those pages that allow you to provide your personal information to inquire about or apply for one of our loan products).

We do not use cookies to collect any personally identifiable information.

B. Information that we share with third parties and why we share it

Fundamental may share your personal information:

With companies or government entities involved in the loan process

Examples may include government databases such as the National Student Loan Database Service (NSLDS), guarantor agencies, financial institutions that provide us financing vehicles or relationships.

With service providers that assist us with processing or other functions

Examples may include loan servicing companies and loan verification companies

As required by law

Examples may include a need to share your personal information with law enforcement or other government agencies in response to a subpoena, federal or state audits or other similar circumstances.

We will not share any of your personal information with any third party marketing firms.

C. Security technologies and procedures we use to protect your personal information

Fundamental is a licensee of the Verisign Secured Program. Verisign is an independent organization that provides industry leading security services verifying that our website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology that guarantees information privacy and integrity.

Fundamental further protects your personal information by limiting access to such information only to authorized parties that have a “need to know” and by requiring all of our employees to undergo regular privacy training and to sign a written pledge to protect your personal information.

D. Choices available to you regarding the use of your personal information

Unless otherwise prohibited by law and with reasonable notice, we will provide you access to all personal information that you have provided to us to through your visits to or use of our website or telephone or other communications with us. We will also provide you the ability to make any corrections to such information if necessary, or to request that such information be removed from our systems. You may do so by contacting us at the email address and telephone number indicated below.

E. How to contact us regarding privacy related issues

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding privacy related issues, please contact us immediately at 800-790-8037 or via email. To send us an email, click here.

F. Changes to this Privacy Policy

In the event we determine it necessary to change this Privacy Policy in response to website changes, technology changes or legal developments, we will notify you promptly via email and also post the current version of the Privacy Policy on our website.

Last revision date: January 9, 2007