Bears LendingThis policy explains what personal information Bears Lending, LLC collects, how we use and share it, how we protect it, and the choices you have. It applies to bearslending.com, our stores, and any loan or service we provide. It also serves as our privacy notice under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
1. What we collect
- Identity and contact: name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, government ID, phone, email.
- Financial: income and employment, bank account details, pay stubs or statements, credit report information where the product uses an inquiry, and payment history with us.
- Collateral: vehicle title and VIN for title loans; item description and serial numbers for pawn loans.
- Site and device: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, and cookies as described in section 7.
2. How we use it
- To process your application, verify identity and income, and make a credit decision.
- To fund, service and collect your loan, including payment reminders and account notices.
- To comply with law: state lending databases, licensing examinations, anti-fraud and anti-money-laundering rules, and record-keeping.
- To improve the Site and our products, using aggregated or de-identified data where possible.
- To send marketing about our own products, which you can opt out of at any time.
3. Who we share it with
We share personal information only as needed to provide and service your loan or as required by law:
| Recipient | Why |
|---|---|
| Consumer reporting agencies | Soft or hard inquiries where the product uses one; monthly reporting of installment, personal, bad credit and consolidation loans |
| State lending databases | Florida and Alabama deferred presentment databases, as required before funding a payday loan |
| Service providers | Bank-connection, ACH, identity-verification, text/email and hosting providers, bound by contract to use data only for our services |
| State and federal regulators | Licensing examinations and lawful requests |
| Courts and law enforcement | When legally compelled |
| Affiliates | Limited sharing for servicing; you may opt out of affiliate marketing (section 6) |
We do not sell personal information. We do not share it with lead buyers, other lenders, data brokers or advertisers, and we do not use it for targeted advertising on other sites.
4. How we protect it
Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256). Bank connections are read-only and expire after underwriting. Access is limited to staff who need it for their role and is logged. Paper records in stores are kept in locked storage and shredded on schedule. Declined-application data is deleted after 25 months; funded-loan records are kept as required by state law, then destroyed. Details are on our security page.
5. Your rights
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct an error, request deletion of data we are not required to keep, and opt out of marketing. Email [email protected] with your name and the store where you applied. We respond within 10 business days. Residents of states with consumer privacy statutes may have additional rights, which we honor as the law requires.
6. Your choices
- Marketing: reply STOP to any marketing text, click unsubscribe in any marketing email, or email [email protected].
- Affiliate sharing: email [email protected] to opt out of sharing for affiliate marketing purposes.
- Cookies: see section 7.
7. Cookies and analytics
The Site uses essential cookies to keep you signed in and to secure forms, and first-party analytics cookies to measure which pages are used. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. You can block cookies in your browser; the application may not function without essential cookies.
8. Children
The Site is not directed to anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from minors. Alabama borrowers must be 19.
9. Changes
We may update this policy by posting a revised version with a new date. If a change materially affects how we use information already collected, we will notify you as required by law.
10. Contact
Privacy questions and requests: [email protected] · Chief Compliance Officer, Bears Lending, LLC, 8800 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256 · (855) 555-0199.