Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 22, 2026

Introduction

The Institute of Business & Finance ("IBF," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our students, website visitors, and designation holders. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at www.icfs.com, enroll in our programs, or interact with our services.

IBF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. We do not sell personal information. We do not use personal information for advertising purposes unrelated to our educational mission.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide: We collect information you voluntarily provide when you enroll in a designation program, create a MyIBF Connect account, register for a mini course or download a resource, contact us by phone, email, or through our website, submit a CE affidavit or renewal payment, or participate in surveys or assessments.

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, employer and job title, professional licenses and designations held, payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors), and educational records related to your IBF enrollment.

Information Collected Automatically: When you visit our website, we may automatically collect device and browser information, IP address and approximate geographic location, pages visited and time spent on our site, referring website or source, and cookies and similar tracking technologies.

Information from Third Parties: We may receive information from Salesforce (our CRM and student portal platform), payment processors (Shopify, Stripe), CE reporting partners, and analytics providers (Google Analytics).

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to deliver and administer our designation programs, process enrollments, payments, and renewals, provide access to MyIBF Connect and digital learning materials, issue CE credits and maintain compliance records, communicate with you about your enrollment, program updates, and IBF services, improve our website, programs, and student experience, comply with legal and regulatory requirements (including BPPE and FERPA), and respond to your inquiries and support requests.

How We Share Your Information

IBF does not sell your personal information. We may share information with service providers who help us operate our programs (such as Salesforce, Shopify, our proctoring service, and email platforms), CE-approving bodies and regulators when required for credit reporting, professional verification services that confirm your designation status (with your consent), and law enforcement or government agencies when required by law.

FERPA Compliance

IBF complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). As a student, you have the right to inspect and review your educational records, request amendments to records you believe are inaccurate, consent to or restrict disclosure of personally identifiable information, and file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if you believe your FERPA rights have been violated.

To exercise your FERPA rights, contact us at [email protected].

Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences and login status, analyze website traffic and usage patterns, and improve site performance and user experience. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure payment processing through PCI-compliant third parties, access controls and authentication for student accounts, and regular security reviews of our systems and processes.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain student academic and financial records for a minimum of five years from your date of completion or last date of attendance, in compliance with BPPE regulations. Transcripts are maintained permanently. Marketing and website analytics data is retained for up to three years.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate information, request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements), opt out of marketing communications, and request a copy of your data in a portable format.

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information below.

Children's Privacy

Our programs and services are designed for working professionals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Contact Us

Institute of Business & Finance
10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 166-559
San Diego, CA 92127

Phone: (800) 848-2029
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.icfs.com