Terms and Conditions - As of January 22, 2025

Terms and Conditions - Prior to January 22, 2025

Legal disclaimer

The terms and conditions applicable to any product, service or information will be those determined at the time of provision of the product, service or information. Please be aware of the laws of your country or that otherwise apply to you in relation to any of the matters described in these pages.

Not offering any financial advice

The information provided in the pages of this website is not intended to provide specific financial, tax, legal or accounting advice for you.

Prohibited Conduct for Financial Institutions

Section 627.04 of the Bank Act prohibits a financial institution from imposing undue pressure on, or coerce, a person for any reason, including to obtain a product or service from a particular person, including the financial institution and any of its affiliates, as a condition for obtaining another product or service from the bank, or take advantage of a person.

No warranties

The information provided in the pages of this website is for informational purposes only. Although we believe this information to be correct, and attempt to keep the information in the pages of this website current, we do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information in these pages.

Trademarks and copyright

Certain names, words, titles, phrases, logos, icons, graphics or designs in the pages of this website may constitute trade names, trade marks or service marks of Home Trust Company, the use of which may have been licensed to them. The display of trademarks on pages at this website does not imply that a license of any kind has been granted to anyone else. Any unauthorized down loading, re- transmission, or other copying or modification of trade marks and/or the contents herein may be a violation of federal or common law trade mark and/or copyright law and could subject the copier to legal action. All information found in the pages of this website is protected under the copyright laws of Canada and in other countries. Unless otherwise specified, no one has permission to copy, redistribute, reproduce or republish, in any form, any information found in the pages of this website.

Internet email

Any unprotected email communication over the Internet is, as with communication via any other medium (e.g. cellular phones, post office mail), subject to possible interception or loss, and is also subject to possible alteration.

No endorsements

Links to websites outside Home Trust Company are meant for convenience only. No endorsement of any third party products or services is expressed or implied by any information, material or content referred to or included on, or linked from or to this website.

Confidentiality and security

Our website supports versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers that use 40-bit or 128-bit encryption.

Encryption is a means of scrambling information for transmission, in this case, between your PC and our computing systems. Information that is encrypted at one end is decrypted (decoded) upon receipt at the other end.

128-bit encryption is the strongest, most secure form of encryption that is generally available in Internet browsers on the market in North America today. Home Trust Company requires that its customers use 128-bit encryption when conducting financial transactions over the Internet. We also recommend the use of 128-bit encryption for all non-financial transactions, e.g. the completion of mortgage application forms.

40-bit encryption is the basic minimum standard that is prevalent in most browser products. Your browser probably uses 40-bit encryption unless you have specifically obtained 128-bit encryption. It is widely used internationally and is still endorsed by some banks around the world. If you wish, you may select 40-bit encryption for conducting non-financial transactions with Home Trust Company. The choice is yours.

The level of encryption you use depends on the browser you select. Here are your choices:

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is tax legislation that was passed into law in the United States (U.S.) in March 2010. The legislation, administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is intended to prevent U.S. persons from using accounts held outside of the U.S. to evade taxes. On February 5, 2014, the Canadian Government announced it had entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the U.S. government under the existing Canada-U.S. Tax treaty with further guidance expected from the government shortly.

FATCA and, in some countries, related local regulations will require financial institutions to report annually on specified accounts held outside of the U.S. by U.S. persons. This reporting will be made available to the IRS either directly or through local regulatory agencies.

1. When did FATCA take effect?
FATCA implementation began on July 1, 2014.

2. Who is impacted by FATCA?
Non-U.S. financial institutions will need to identify and report all financial accounts (deposits of Home Trust Company) for specified U.S. persons.

3. What is the definition of a U.S. person?
Under U.S. tax law, you are considered a U.S. person if you are:

You may also be considered a U.S. person if you spend considerable time in the U.S. in one year or over a period of years. U.S. corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts are also U.S. persons.

4. Are all financial institutions impacted by FATCA?
Every non-U.S. financial institution globally must comply with FATCA or potentially be subject to a 30% withholding tax on all U.S. source income (certain exemptions apply).

5. Will Home Trust Company comply with FATCA?
Yes, Home Trust Company will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where Home Trust Company operates.

This document is intended to provide information only, and should not be construed as legal, financial or tax advice. For more information on FATCA please refer to www.irs.gov/FATCA or contact your financial advisor.