Client agreement (the "agreement")

1. We treat all customers who invest with us direct as retail clients. This gives you the greatest level of protection under the financial services regulations and ensures you get full information about the product(s) you buy. You should read this agreement together with the product Key Features Document, product brochure and optional personal illustration, as they form the basis of your product relationship with us.
2. As Sheffield Mutual Friendly Society Limited (Sheffield Mutual) does not provide financial advice it will be classed as a non-advised sale. All decisions in relation to the investment will be and have been made by you alone and the Society has provided you only factual information. We are providing you with all the information and assistance you need to arrive at your own informed decision to take out the product(s) based on your own understanding.
3. If you then require further clarification after reading the Key Features Document you agree to read the additional information available from us, or contact us to discuss anything you do not understand. The onus is on you to understand what you are buying based on all the information we provide to you.
4. If you are not confident that you understand the product(s), its risks and whether it is right for you, please speak to a specialist adviser. If you wish to talk to an independent financial adviser in your local area you can find one online at www.unbiased.co.uk or www.vouchedfor.co.uk.
5. When we pay a fee, commission or non-monetary benefit to someone who introduces you to us, without that person giving you financial advice, we will notify you of the payment made.
6. Details about making a complaint and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) can be found in the Key Information Document, which has been provided to you at the point of application.
7. We may need to undertake checks to comply with current anti-money laundering requirements. This will normally be carried out electronically through a credit reference agency, we may keep a record of the search on your credit file, but will not affect your credit rating.
8. In processing a policy application for you, we will have collected personal data about you. We will hold and manage this data in accordance with the requirements and standards set by the Data Protection Act 2018 and any other Data Protection Regulation which may apply in the future. Your data will be held securely and will only be processed for the reasons allowed by data protection regulations. We will at all times publish our data protection privacy policy on our website or supply a written version upon request.
9. If you have given us consent to contact you regarding other products and services, you may withdraw this consent at any time either by notifying us in writing, by email, by phone, or by submitting your contact preferences on our website.
10. You understand that we have a legal obligation to ensure that the information within our records about you is kept up to date, so please let us know if any of your details change, such as your address. When you provide information to us in connection with the application for a policy it must be accurate and truthful in all respects. There is a risk that providing inaccurate or false information could cause the policy to be invalid and you or your beneficiaries may suffer loss as a result.
11. In the event of a claim, or at maturity of a policy, the Society must be supplied to us with all information we may request at that time to enable us to assist us in making payment. All information provided must be accurate and truthful.

Non-advised sale letter

I confirm that I have read and understood this agreement and acknowledge that all decisions in relation to this insurance policy will be and have been made by me, and that the Society has only provided me with factual information in relation to the product. I acknowledge that I have not received financial advice and/or a personal recommendation from Sheffield Mutual or its introducers.

I understand that as this is a non-advised sale, Sheffield Mutual takes no responsibility for the suitability of the product and that I will lose some of the regulatory protection which I may otherwise have. Specifically, I understand that it is unlikely that I would be able to make a complaint against the Society should the product(s) prove to be unsuitable for me.

Before we can provide the product to you we will establish that your decision to open this policy seems a satisfactory way forward for you. If we believe that not to be the case, we may refuse to provide the product. We will establish this by way of a short two part questionnaire which you agree to complete on application. This is not a suitability test and by agreeing to open the policy based on your answers, Sheffield Mutual is not confirming that the policy is suitable for you. (Words in the singular shall include the plural for joint policyholders).

Declaration

I declare that all the statements made in this proposal (and any notes and supplementary medical forms) are to the best of my knowledge and belied, and that I have not knowingly withheld any material information. I agree that such statements in this declaration shall be the basis of the contract between me and the Sheffield Mutual Friendly Society Limited and that any policy issued on the basis of this Proposal shall be subject to the rules of the society, from time to time in force, to which I will abide and conform.

I further understand that I may cancel the policy by giving notice in writing and returning the policy documents within 30 days of the policy issue date and that I will be entitled to the full refund of any premiums paid less, (at the discretion of the Society), any charge for management. 

I consider that I will be able to continue the contracted payment(s) overleaf for the full duration of the term. 

Important – By signing this declaration you are agreeing to our Whole of Life Plan terms and conditions, which are set out in the product brochure, product Key Features and policy conditions. For your own benefit and protection you should read these documents carefully before signing the proposal form. If you do not understand any point please ask for further information before proceeding.