POLICIES &
DISCLAIMERS

Privacy Policy

FACTS

WHAT DOES GOLDEN EMPIRE MORTGAGE INC. DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

WHy?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

what?

The types of personal information we collect and share depends on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

• Social Security Number, driver's licence number, and other identifying information
• Income, assets, account balances, payment history and employment information
• Credit history and credit scores

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

WHO WE ARE

Who is providing this notice?

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.

1200 Discovery Center Drive, 3rd Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93309

‍

WHAT WE DO

How does Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include electronic safeguards, encryption, and secured files and buildings.

How does Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

• apply for a loan 
• provide account information or provide your mortgage information
• give us your income information or provide employment information

We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

• Sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness
• Affiliates from using your information to market to you
• Sharing for non-affiliates to market you

 State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing

DEFINITIONS

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. does not share with our affiliates.

Non-Affiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. does not share with non-affiliates so they can market to you.

Joint Marketing

A formal agreement between non-affiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. does not jointly market with non-affiliated financial companies.

QUESTIONS?

Call 800-520-3724 or go to www.gemcorp.com

Accessibility Statement

To submit your complaint, you can complete the form below and press “Save” to submit. Once submitted, an image will appear showing it was “Saved” and a copy of the complaint will be emailed to the address in the form.

OR
If you prefer, you can mail your complaint to:

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.
Attn: Consumer Complaints
2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. 136
Westlake Village, California 91361

ORIf your prefer, you can contact our Customer Service office direct toll free:(800) 466-0665

Consumer Complaint

We want everyone who visits the Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. website to feel welcome and find the experience rewarding. To help us make the Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. website a positive place for everyone, we've been using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and user friendly for everyone. The guidelines have three levels of accessibility (A, AA and AAA). We’ve chosen Level AA as the target for the Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. website.

We've worked hard on the Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. website and believe we've achieved our goal of Level AA accessibility. We monitor the website regularly to maintain this, but if you do find any problems, please get in touch. If you enjoyed using the Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. website, or if you had trouble with any part of it, please get in touch. We'd like to hear from you in any of the following ways:

• call us on 800-466-0665
• get in touch at https://gemcorp.com/contact

This Employer Participates in E-Verify

IER Right To Work

Notice To Texas Loan Applicants:

Consumers wishing to file a complaint against a mortgage banker, or alicensed mortgage banker residential mortgage loan originator, shouldcomplete and send a complaint form to the Texas Department of Savings andMortgage Lending, 2601 North Lamar, Suite 201, Austin, TX 78705.

Complaint forms and instructions may be obtained from the department’swebsite at www.sml.texas.gov. A toll-free consumer hotline is available at1-877-276-5550.

The department maintains a recovery fund to make payments of certainactual out of pocket damages sustained by borrowers caused by acts oflicensed mortgage banker residential mortgage loan originators. A writtenapplication for reimbursement from the recovery fund must be filed withand investigated by the department prior to the payment of a claim.

For more information about the recovery fund, please consult thedepartment’s website at www.sml.texas.gov.

California Consumer Privacy Act

1. Purpose. The California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”) grants California residents (“Consumers”) certain rights with respect to information collected by businesses that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, to them or their households (“Personal Information”). These rights include (i) the right to request that a business disclose the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information that it has collected about the Consumer, (ii) the right to request that the business delete Personal Information it has collected about the Consumer, (iii)  the right to request that a business disclose the categories of sources from which Personal Information is collected, the business or commercial purpose(s) for which Personal Information is collected, and the categories of third parties with whom the business shares Personal Information, (iv) the right to direct a business that sells Personal Information to not sell the Consumer’s Personal Information (the right to “Opt Out”), and (v) the right to not be subjected to discrimination because the Consumer exercises any of the rights granted by the CCPA.
   
   The purpose of this CCPA Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) is to affirm Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.’s (“GEM”) continued commitment to safeguarding both the privacy and security of Consumer’s Personal Information and to establish and publish policies and procedures that adhere to the requirements of, and afford Consumers their rights under the CCPA.

2. Scope. This Privacy Policy applies to the Personal Information of California residents that is collected or received by GEM from and after January 1, 2019. This Privacy Policy applies to all data, transactions, activities, and persons to the extent they are covered by, and subject to the CCPA.
3. Definitions. All capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy shall have the meaning ascribed to those terms by the CCPA, unless otherwise expressly defined herein.
4. Your Right to Know What Personal Information GEM Collects and Why.
   
   1. Your Right to Know. Under the CCPA, a Consumer has the right to request that GEM disclose the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information that it has collected about him/her/them (a “Request to Know”). A Consumer also has the right to receive a copy of the Personal Information GEM has collected about him/her/they upon submission to GEM of a Verifiable Consumer Request. GEM will respond to a Request to Know and, if applicable, provide a Consumer with a copy of the Personal Information it maintains free of charge, and in a readily useable format, within forty-five (45) days after receipt of the request. The 45-day response period may extended one time for an additional forty-five (45) days upon notice to the Consumer.
   2. How to Submit a Request to Know.  You can make a Request to Know by submitting a Verifiable Consumer Request to GEM in one of the following three ways.
      
      1. Toll Free Telephone Number. You can call us directly on our toll free telephone line at 844-959-0618.
      2. Online Portal.  You can submit your request online through GEM’s electronic portal by clicking HERE.
      3. U.S. Mail.    You can write to us directly at:
         Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.
         Attn: CCPA Clerk
         2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. 236
         Westlake Village, California 91361
   3. What is a Verifiable Consumer Request?     A Verifiable Consumer Request is a request made to GEM by a Consumer, or by a Consumer’s Authorized Agent, that GEM can reasonably validate as having been made by or for the Consumer about whom information is being requested. GEM uses a two-factor validation process to verify the identity of Consumers requesting to know the categories of Personal Information that GEM has collected and maintains about the Consumer. Under this validation process, GEM compares two data-points provided to it by or for the Consumer against those same two data-points in GEM’s records. A Request to Know will be considered a Verifiable Consumer Request if the two data-points provided by or for the Consumer match the two data-points maintained by GEM.
      
      GEM uses a three-factor validation process  to verify the identity of Consumers requesting to know specific pieces of Personal Information that GEM has collected and maintained about the Consumer. Under this validation process, GEM compares three data-points provided to it by or for the Consumer against those same three data-points in GEM’s records. A Request to Know will be considered a Verifiable Consumer Request if the three data-points provided by or for the Consumer match the three data-points maintained by GEM and the Consumer affirms under penalty of perjury that  (s)he is the Consumer about whom information is being requested.
   4. What Personal Information Does GEM Collect and Why?                The categories of Personal Information that GEM has collected from Consumers during the preceding twelve (12) months, the purposes for which the Personal Information was collected, the sources from which GEM has collected Consumer Personal Information, and the Third Parties with whom GEM shares Consumer Personal Information can be found HERE.
   5. What Personal Information Has GEM Sold? GEM does not sell Consumer Personal Information. GEM does sell mortgage loans to buyers on the secondary market. As part of these secondary market transactions, Consumer Personal Information for purchased mortgage loans is transferred along with the mortgage loan itself to the buyer. Moreover, to facilitate the origination of mortgage loans requested from GEM by Consumers, and as part of the normal loan origination, processing, and underwriting process, GEM routinely must share Consumer Personal Information with various Third Parties and service providers. The categories of Consumer Personal Information that GEM has transferred to secondary market purchasers, or shared with Third Parties or other service providers for a business or commercial purpose over the past twelve (12) months can be found HERE.
   6. Does GEM Sell the Personal Information of Minors?   No. GEM does not collect or sell the Personal Information of minors under the age of sixteen (16) years.

5. Your Right to Request that GEM Delete Your Personal Information.
   
   1. Your Right to Request Deletion.      Under the CCPA, a Consumer has the right to request that GEM delete any Personal Information it has collected about the Consumer (a “Request to Delete”). After receipt of a Verifiable Consumer Request, GEM will respond to a Request to Delete within forty-five (45) days after receipt of the request and, if legally required, will delete the Consumer’s Personal Information. The 45-day response period may extended one time for an additional forty-five (45) days upon notice to the Consumer. GEM is not required to delete Consumer Personal Information that it requires for any of the purposes identified HERE.
   2. How to Submit a Request to Delete. You can make a Request to Delete by submitting a Verifiable Consumer Request to GEM in one of the following three ways.
      
      1. Toll Free Telephone Number. You can call us directly on our toll free telephone line at 844-959-0618.
      2. Online Portal.  You can submit your request online through GEM’s electronic portal by clicking HERE.
      3. U.S. Mail.    You can write to us directly at:
         Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.
         Attn: CCPA Clerk
         2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. 236
         Westlake Village, California 91361

1. How Will GEM Verify That a Request to Delete is Valid?    To verify that a Request to Delete is a valid request, GEM will use the same validation process it applies to ensure that a Request to Know is a Verifiable Consumer Request (see, paragraph 4(c) above).

7. Your Right to Request that GEM Not Sell Your Personal Information.
   
   1. Your Right to Opt Out of the Sale of Your Personal Information.     Under the CCPA, a Consumer has the right to request that a business that sells Personal Information about the Consumer to Third Parties not sell the Consumer’s Personal Information (a “Request to Opt-Out”). A business that sells Consumer Personal Information and that has received a Request to Opt-Out is prohibited from selling a Consumer’s Personal Information unless the Consumer subsequently provides the business with express authorization to do so. GEM does not sell Consumer Personal Information.
      
      GEM does sell mortgage loans to buyers on the secondary market. As part of these secondary market transactions, Consumer Personal Information for purchased mortgage loans is transferred along with the mortgage loan itself to the buyer. After receipt of a Verifiable Consumer Request, GEM will respond to a Request to Opt-Out within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the request and, if legally required, and as applicable, will not sell a Consumer’s Personal Information to any Third Party.
   2. How to Submit a Request to Opt-Out.  You can make a Request to Opt-Out by submitting a Verifiable Consumer Request through GEM’s online portal HERE.

7. Your Right to Not Be Discriminated Against for Exercising Your CCPA Rights.
   
   1. Your Right to Not be Discriminated Against. A business may not discriminate against any Consumer for exercising their rights under the CCPA. This includes (i) denying the Consumer goods or services, (ii) charging different prices for goods and services, (iii) providing different levels or quality of goods and services, and (iv) suggesting that a Consumer will receive a different price or rate for, or a different level or quality of goods and services. A business may, however, upon notice to the Consumer, offer financial or other incentives to Consumers for the collection, sale, and/or deletion of their Personal Information.
      GEM does and will not discriminate against any Consumer who exercises, or seeks to exercise any rights under the CCPA.

8. Authorized Agents Requests.
   
   1. Can I Designate an Authorized Agent to Make a Request on My Behalf?     Yes, you may designate and make a request to GEM through an Authorized Agent.
   2. What is an Authorized Agent?            An Authorized Agent is a natural person or a business entity registered with the California Secretary of State that a Consumer authorizes to make requests under the CCPA on their behalf.
   3. How Do I Make a Request Through an Authorized Agent?    To make a request to GEM through an Authorized Agent, the following two (2) conditions will need to be satisfied: (i) you must provide GEM with written documentation authorizing the Authorized Agent to make requests on your behalf, and (ii) your Authorized Agent will need to verify their/its identity with GEM. GEM will deny a request from any Authorized Agent who does not or cannot submit proof to the satisfaction of GEM that they are authorized to act on behalf of a Consumer.
   4. Is a Power of Attorney Acceptable Proof of My Agent’s Authority to Act on My Behalf?      Yes. A validly executed and current Power of Attorney that conforms to the requirements of California Probate Code sections 4000-4465 will be accepted by GEM as proof that your Authorized Agent is authorized to make requests on your behalf.
9. How Can I Get More Information or My Questions Answered? You can get answers to your questions or additional information about this Privacy Policy in two (2) ways:

                               a. Toll Free Telephone Number. You can call us directly on our toll free telephone line at 844-959-0618.

2. U.S. Mail.    You can write to us directly at:
   Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.
   Attn: CCPA Clerk
   2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. 236
   Westlake Village, California 91361

11. When Was this Privacy Policy Last Update?
    This Privacy Policy was last updated on January 1, 2020.

How to Exercise Your CCPA Rights

How to Exercise Your Rights Under the CCPA

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (“GEM”) has set up three (3) different ways to allow you to exercise your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).

Toll Free Telephone Number

You can call GEM directly at any time and on any day on our toll free telephone line at 844-959-0618.

If you use this method, you will have the option of leaving us a voice mail if we are closed or otherwise not available when you call.

Online Portal

You can submit requests to GEM at any time and on any day through our online electronic portal by clicking HERE.

Regular Mail

You can submit requests to GEM by writing to us directly at:

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.
Attn: CCPA Clerk
2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. 236
Westlake Village, California 91361

GEM will accept a CCPA request directly from a consumer or from a consumer’s Authorized Agent. If you submit a CCPA request to GEM through an Authorized Agent, GEM must be able to validate that the person making the request has in fact been authorized by you to make requests and receive information on your behalf. Therefore, when you submit a CCPA request to GEM through an Authorized Agent, GEM will require the following two things:

First, GEM will require written documentation from you that shows that your agent is authorized to make requests on your behalf. A properly signed and valid Power of Attorney that conforms to the requirements of California law can be used for this purpose.

Second, GEM will require your Authorized Agent to verify his or her identity.

GEM will not be able to approve CCPA requests it receives from any Authorized Agent who does not or cannot satisfactorily prove that they are authorized to act on a consumer’s behalf.

CCPA Consumer Notice

What Information Do We Collect From You and Why?

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (“GEM”) is a residential mortgage lender that provides home loans to consumers. In providing these financial services, GEM collects and receives from consumers and other sources personal information that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or can be linked, directly or indirectly, to a consumer or household (“Personal Information”). 

When you apply for a home loan, or otherwise seek a pre-qualification, pre-approval, or other financial service from GEM, the categories of Personal Information that GEM will collect from and about you include the following:

• Identifying information
• Contact information
• Location information
• Demographic information and legally protected characteristics.
• Citizenship information
• Employment information
• Education information
• Family and Household information
• Income information
• Expense information
• Asset information
• Liability information
• Credit/Credit History information
• Tax information
• Investment information
• Retirement information
• Housing/Housing Preference information
• Mortgage/Mortgage Preference information
• Internet and other electronic network activity information

GEM uses the Personal Information it collects from and about you to offer, make, monitor, service, sell, insure, and securitize any home loan offered to or accepted by you, and for the following additional purposes:

• To provide home loans requested by you.
• To identify/confirm your identity.
• To communicate with you.
• To evaluate your creditworthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, and credit history.
• To process and underwrite your loan application.
• To fund and close a home loan for you.
• To obtain governmental guaranties and mortgage insurance.
• To obtain private mortgage insurance.
• To make available and to obtain loan pricing and interest rates.
• To sell, transfer, and assign your home loan after it closes.
• To service your home loan after it closes.
• To collect delinquent payments and to foreclose, if necessary.
• To engage in marketing and advertising campaigns and outreach.
• To detect security incidents.
• To protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, and illegal activity.
• To debug in order to identify and repair errors that impair system functionality.
• To make reports and issue statements for federal, state, and local tax purposes.
• To maintain and retain records consistent with GEM’s record-keeping obligations.
• To ensure legal, regulatory, and administrative compliance.
• To initiate and defend against legal, regulatory, and administrative claims and related matters.
• To comply with private investor, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, VA, and RDS requirements.
• To comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and requirements.

Notice of Opt Out Rights

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”), Consumers have the right to request that a business that sells Consumer Personal Information to Third Parties not sell their Personal Information (a “Request to Opt-Out”). A business that sells Consumer Personal Information and that has received a Request to Opt-Out is prohibited from selling a Consumer’s Personal Information unless the Consumer subsequently provides the business with express authorization to do so.

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (“GEM”) does not sell Consumer Personal Information. GEM does sell mortgage loans to buyers on the secondary market. As part of these secondary market transactions, Consumer Personal Information for purchased mortgage loans is transferred along with the mortgage loan itself to the loan buyer.

You can make a Request to Opt-Out to GEM by submitting a Verifiable Consumer Request through GEM’s online portal HERE. You may also submit a Request to Opt-Out by calling GEM toll free at 844-959-0618 or by writing to us at: Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc., Attn: CCPA Clerk, 2659 Townsgate Road, Ste. #136, Westlake Village, California 91361.

If you submit a Request to Opt-Out through an Authorized Agent, GEM will require the following two things: (1) GEM will require written documentation from you that shows that your agent is authorized to make requests on your behalf, and (2) GEM will require your Authorized Agent to verify his or her identity.

GEM will not be able to approve any CCPA request it receives from any Authorized Agent who does not or cannot satisfactorily prove that they are authorized to act on a consumer’s behalf.

After receipt of a Verifiable Consumer Request, GEM will respond to a Request to Opt-Out within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the request and, if legally required, and as applicable, will not sell a Consumer’s Personal Information to any Third Party.