In November of 1999, Congress enacted the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). The GLBA requires certain financial institutions, such as investment advisor firms, to protect the privacy of customer information. In situations where a financial institution does disclose customer information to non-affiliated third parties, other than permitted or required by law, customers must be given the opportunity to opt out or prevent such disclosure.
Wealth Advisors Network, Inc. (“WAN”) d/b/a and Laurel Valley Advisors (“LVA”) and Contryman Associates, P.C. (“CAPC”) are separate and distinct legal entities. CAPC is a professional corporation and licensed as a Certified Public Accounting Firm. WAN is engaged in the business of an investment advisor. WAN is wholly owned by CAPC. LVA is not licensed as a Certified Public Accounting firm. LVA is committed to safeguarding the confidential information of its clients. LVA holds all personal information provided by clients in the strictest confidence and it is the objective of LVA to protect the privacy of all clients. Except as permitted by this policy or as required or permitted by law, LVA does not share confidential information about clients with non-affiliated parties.
To conduct regular business, LVA may collect personal information from sources such as:
- Information reported by the client on applications or other forms the client provides to LVA
- Information about the client’s transactions implemented by LVA or others
- Information developed as part of financial plans, analyses or investment advisory services
To administer, manage, service and provide related services for client accounts, it is necessary for LVA to provide access to customer information within the firm and to non-affiliated companies with whom LVA has entered into agreements. Examples of non-affiliated companies that have agreements with LVA that assist us in servicing client accounts, include agreements with broker dealers, third party money managers, referral sources and Sub-Advisors. To provide the utmost service, LVA may disclose the information below regarding customers and former customers, as necessary, to companies to perform certain services on LVA’s behalf.
- Information LVA receives from the client on applications (name, Social Security number, address, etc.)
- Information about the client’s transactions with LVA or others (account information, payment history, parties to transactions, etc.)
- Information concerning investment advisory account transactions
- Information about a client’s financial products and services transaction with LVA
As a result LVA shares non-public information as described above solely to service client accounts. LVA does not otherwise disclose any non-public personal information about LVA’s customers or former customers to anyone, except as permitted by law. The law also permits LVA to provide customer information to persons outside of the firm in certain situations, such as to government entities, consumer reporting agencies or other third parties in response to subpoenas. In the event that LVA has a change to its customer privacy policy that would allow it to disclose non-public information to other persons not permitted under applicable law, LVA will allow its clients the opportunity to opt out of such disclosure.