1. Information We Collect
Personal Information
When you submit a consultation request, apply for capital, or otherwise interact with our services, we may collect:
- Full name, email address, phone number
- Company name, title, and role
- Business address and mailing address
- Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Business and Financial Information
To evaluate capital facility options, we may collect:
- Business financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)
- Bank statements (typically 3–6 months)
- Tax returns (business and/or personal)
- Accounts receivable and accounts payable aging reports
- Revenue data, industry classification, and years in operation
- Existing debt schedules and UCC filings
Financial Documents
Documents you upload or transmit to us (bank statements, tax returns, contracts, purchase orders) are treated as sensitive financial information and handled according to the security and retention standards described below.
Analytics and Automatically Collected Information
When you visit our website, we automatically collect:
- IP address (anonymized where possible)
- Browser type, operating system, device type
- Pages visited, time on page, referral source
- Click patterns and scroll depth
- Geographic region (city/state level)
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to:
- Ensure proper website functionality (essential cookies)
- Analyze site traffic and user behavior (analytics cookies)
- Deliver relevant content and measure marketing effectiveness (marketing cookies)
You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings or through our cookie consent banner. Disabling cookies may limit certain website features.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to consultation requests and assess preliminary fit for capital facilities
- Match your business with appropriate capital partners and facility structures
- Communicate with you about facility options, documentation needs, and status updates
- Process and evaluate applications submitted through our platform
- Send transactional communications (confirmations, updates, notifications)
- Send marketing communications (with your consent), including newsletters, capital insights, and product updates
- Improve our website, services, and user experience
- Analyze site usage trends and optimize content
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- Detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized access
3. Information Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:
- Capital partners: With your explicit consent, we share business and financial information with lending partners solely to evaluate and structure a facility for your business.
- Service providers: We use third-party vendors (described below) who process data on our behalf under contractual obligations to protect your information.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, subpoena, or court order.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
- Protection of rights: We may share information to protect our rights, safety, or property, or that of our users or the public.
4. CCPA/CPRA Compliance (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
Right to Know
You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your information.
Right to Delete
You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., completing a transaction, complying with legal obligations, internal uses reasonably aligned with your expectations).
Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing
We do not sell your personal information as defined under the CCPA/CPRA. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. If our practices change, we will provide a clear "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link on our website.
"Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information"
4 Pillar Funding does not sell personal information to third parties. We do not use or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. If you believe your data has been shared without consent, contact us at operations@4pillarfunding.com.
Right to Correct
You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information that we maintain about you.
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information
You may direct us to limit the use of sensitive personal information (such as SSN or financial account data) to purposes necessary to provide the services you requested.
Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights. Exercising these rights will not result in different pricing, quality of service, or denial of services.
How to Submit a Request
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at operations@4pillarfunding.com or write to us at the address below. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.
5. Data Retention Schedule
- Consultation and client data: Retained for 3 years from last interaction, then securely deleted unless an active engagement or legal obligation requires longer retention.
- Financial documents (unfunded): If your application is not funded or you do not proceed, uploaded financial documents (bank statements, tax returns, etc.) are securely destroyed within 90 days.
- Financial documents (funded): Retained for the duration of the facility and any applicable regulatory retention period.
- Analytics data: Retained for 26 months, then aggregated or deleted.
- Email marketing data: Retained until you unsubscribe, at which point your email is suppressed from future sends but retained on the suppression list to honor your preference.
6. Third-Party Service Providers
We use the following categories of third-party service providers to operate our business:
- Website analytics: To understand traffic patterns, user behavior, and site performance (e.g., Google Analytics or similar).
- Email marketing: To send newsletters, capital insights, and transactional communications (e.g., Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or similar).
- Customer relationship management (CRM): To manage client communications, pipeline tracking, and relationship data (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar).
- Cloud storage and document management: To securely store and transmit financial documents (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, or similar enterprise-grade providers).
- Payment processing: If applicable, to process fees or payments securely.
- Communication tools: Phone, SMS, and video conferencing platforms to facilitate consultations.
All third-party providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.
7. Data Security Measures
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:
- Encryption: All sensitive data, including SSNs and financial account numbers, is encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption and in transit using TLS 1.2+.
- Secure transmission: Documents are transmitted through encrypted channels. We never request sensitive information via unencrypted email.
- Access controls: Access to personal and financial information is restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis, with role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication.
- Regular audits: We conduct periodic reviews of our security practices and vendor compliance.
- Incident response: We maintain procedures to detect, respond to, and notify affected parties in the event of a data breach, in compliance with applicable laws.
8. SMS and Marketing Communications
If you provide your phone number and consent to receive communications:
- We may send SMS/text messages related to your consultation status, document requests, or facility updates.
- We may send marketing messages about capital solutions, industry insights, or service offerings.
- Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.
- You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message or contacting us directly.
- Opting out of marketing SMS will not affect transactional messages related to an active engagement.
We will never share your phone number with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
9. Financial Information Handling
Given the sensitive nature of financial advisory services, we maintain heightened protections for financial data:
- Social Security Numbers: SSNs are encrypted immediately upon receipt and stored in isolated, encrypted databases. Access is limited to personnel directly involved in underwriting evaluation.
- Bank statements: Stored in secure, enterprise-grade cloud storage with encryption at rest and strict access controls. Destroyed per our retention schedule (90 days if unfunded).
- Tax returns and financial statements: Handled with the same security protocols as bank statements. Never shared with third parties without your explicit written consent.
- Document destruction: When documents reach their retention limit, they are permanently and irrecoverably deleted from all systems, including backups, within 30 days of the retention expiration.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are intended for business owners and authorized representatives who are at least 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a person under 18, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a notice on our website for a reasonable period
- Notify you via email if the changes materially affect how we handle your data (for existing clients)
Your continued use of our website and services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
12. California Residents — Additional Rights
In addition to the CCPA/CPRA rights described in Section 4, California residents have the following rights:
- Shine the Light: Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, you may request information about personal data we have shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. As stated above, we do not share personal information for third-party marketing.
- Do Not Track: Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals. However, you may opt out of analytics tracking by adjusting your cookie preferences.
- Authorized agents: You may designate an authorized agent to submit CCPA requests on your behalf by providing written authorization and verifying your identity.
13. Contact Information
For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us:
4 Pillar Funding
268 Broadway, Suite 201
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Phone: 518.520.4552
Email: operations@4pillarfunding.com
For CCPA/CPRA requests, please include "Privacy Request" in the subject line of your email and specify which right you wish to exercise. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request.