Privacy Policy

Northern Forest Financial is committed to providing a safe place to save and borrow money at very competitive rates. Northern Forest is equally committed to protecting consumers’ privacy and you can be confident that financial privacy is a priority of Northern Forest. This Online Privacy Statement applies to Northern Forest’s webpages, Northern Forest-branded social media sites, mobile applications, digital banking applications, and digital advertising campaigns, collectively referred to as a “digital property.”

The terms “Northern Forest Financial,” "NFF," “we,” “our,” or “us” refers to Northern Forest Financial and any affiliates or subsidiaries based in the United States.

Northern Forest Financial is not a bank, trust company, or credit union as defined by 12 U.S.C. § 1752, 26 U.S.C. § 581, or other applicable federal or state statutes or regulations and is not licensed, authorized, or regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, National Credit Union Administration, or any other applicable federal, state, or local agencies. Our web and digital properties do not intentionally target children under the age 13 without parental consent. In addition to the privacy practices described within this statement, social media sites may have their own privacy policies that you should understand prior to using their services to interact with Northern Forest on those sites.


Information Collection

When using a Northern Forest digital property, we may collect three categories of information about you.

Personal Information: We may collect personally identifiable information about you such as your name, address, phone numbers, email address, or other information that identifies you. This includes information you provide via applications, forms, subscriptions, contest entries, or other means of collection.

Non-public Information: Through your interactions with us, such as applying for a product or service, we may collect non-public information about you such as your Social Security number, tax identification number, driver’s license number, income, Northern Forest username, Northern Forest password, occupation, or other types of non-public information.

Online Behavior: We may collect information about the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the device(s) you use to access Northern Forest’s digital properties; your operating system and browser type; referral website information; your digital property usage and page views; your social media preferences (e.g. likes, interests, profile, etc.); your geolocation; and aggregate or non-personally identifiable information.

Northern Forest Financial visitors consent to Northern Forest Financial collecting data from service use, including computer device, and connection information, such as IP address, browser type and version, operating system and other software installed on visitors’ devices; and information provided Northern Forest Financial through the website, including account login credentials, such as user names and passwords, contact details, and payment information.

These categories of information may be collected by Northern Forest, or by our third-party service providers, through use of various technologies, such as cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, or other technologies, to associate your online use of our digital properties and/or with offline personally identifiable information.

We may use information collected from a Northern Forest digital property to acquire additional information about you from our marketing partners or service providers. For example, when you submit an application for membership or for a financial product or service, we may use the Social Security number you provided online to access a consumer report which may contain a credit score and information about your creditworthiness to determine if you meet our underwriting guidelines.

When interacting with Northern Forest on a digital platform that is not owned by Northern Forest such as a social media site, never include sensitive personal or non-public information. Communications with Northern Forest about your application, membership, and accounts with us should only take place in a secure Northern Forest channel or by phone with a Member Care employee. Social media sites are not an appropriate place to conduct or discuss your financial transactions.


Information Usage

We may use the information we collect online and that which we pair it with offline to:

  • market our products and services or those of our trusted partners
  • make a decision about your application for a product or service
  • service, manage, or collect on your account
  • offer special deals or promotions
  • process transactions initiated by you
  • verify your identity or information you provided on an application
  • perform everyday business tasks such as data analytics, digital property experience optimization, fraud prevention, security enhancements, or product and service improvements
  • respond to your questions or inquiries
  • comply with federal, state, or local laws; civil, criminal, or regulatory investigations; or other legal requirements
  • share with our affiliates, agents, assigns, and third parties to investigate and/or report potentially abusive or unlawful conduct
  • aggregate or anonymize data for analytical purposes

Information Disclosure

Northern Forest may disclose all of the information collected, as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on behalf of Northern Forest or to other financial institutions with which Northern Forest has joint marketing or other contractual agreements. Northern Forest may also disclose nonpublic personal information about its members under other circumstances as permitted or required by law and as described in our Privacy Notice.

Northern Forest Financial visitors consent to Northern Forest Financial sharing information collected from or provided by visitors with its agents, affiliates, and assigns, and with third parties as necessary to investigate or report potentially abusive or unlawful conduct.


Information Security

Northern Forest employees are trained in the importance of confidentiality and member privacy by maintaining physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations and leading industry practices to safeguard members' non-public personal information.


What Members and Consumers Can Do To Help Protect Their Privacy

While Northern Forest is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and consumers, you can help safeguard personal information by following these simple guidelines provided as examples:

  • Upon receipt of a debit card, savings ATM card, or credit card, verify the information on the front, sign the back panel immediately and activate the card. Destroy old cards immediately.
  • Report a lost or stolen card(s) immediately.
  • Protect your card(s) at all times by carrying only the ones you intend to use. Store all other cards in a safe place.
  • Be aware of your surroundings when approaching an ATM. Make sure no one can see you enter your PIN by shielding the keypad with your hand or body.
  • Memorize your PIN and keep it confidential. Do not write it on the card or keep it in your wallet.
  • Make sure the merchant returns your card and check it to make sure it's your card.
  • Keep your ATM transaction and check card receipts. Log them into your check register. Destroy the carbons if present.
  • Never give your card information over the phone unless you initiate the call.
  • Never pre-sign your checks.
  • Regularly review your transaction history and report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
  • Treat all of your financial information as confidential and proprietary.
  • Keep usernames and passwords confidential.
  • Do not use the same username and password for multiple online accounts; if you use the same username and password for multiple accounts and one of those accounts is breached, all your accounts could be at risk.

Use of Online Technologies to Collect Information

Northern Forest may use technologies to store information on your computer when you visit a Northern Forest Financial website. For example, cookies may be used within Northern Forest Financial websites to enhance website security, improve website effectiveness, tailor the sites to your individual preferences, and improve our marketing campaigns.

Cookies are a string of data sent between a server and a web browser to help track how you are using our websites and improve your online experience. Cookies are not used to retrieve any data from your hard drive, nor can they run a program on your computer. Northern Forest uses cookies to help protect your accounts from being accessed by unauthorized users, to maintain session integrity, and to enable enhanced security. Cookies are also used to help us understand your interests and needs so we can provide you with a customized online experience.

A pixel tag, also known as a web bug in an embedded image, is an invisible tag placed on a webpage to register when a particular computer visits that specific page. These tags and beacons are used in combination with cookies. Northern Forest may place these on its web properties and in online advertisements to better personalize your experience with Northern Forest and to understand aggregate website usage and patterns.

Accepting Cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies. If you do not wish to receive cookies, refer to your browser's online help for further instructions and information on setting cookie preferences. If you turn off cookies, you may not be able to use some Northern Forest's Online Banking features.

Third-Party Websites. The Northern Forest web properties may direct you to other sites on the Internet to provide additional information or services that may be of interest to you. Third-party websites may have privacy and security policies different from Northern Forest Financial. Please review the privacy and security policies of websites reached through links from Northern Forest Financial websites.