Acceptance of the Terms of Use

These Terms and Conditions of Use are entered into by and between you and Ascent Insurance Partners, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Company,” “we,” or “us”). The following terms and conditions, together with any documents they expressly incorporate by reference (collectively, “Terms of Use”), govern your access to and use of www.ascentinsurancepartners.com, including any content, functionality, and services offered on or through www.ascentinsurancepartners.com (the “Website”), whether as a guest or a registered user.

Please read the Terms of Use carefully before you start to use the Website. By using the Website or by clicking to accept or agree to the Terms of Use when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by these Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy set forth below, which is incorporated into and forms part of these Terms of Use. If you do not want to agree to these Terms of Use or the Privacy Policy, you must not access or use the Website.

This Website is offered and available to users who are 18 years of age or older and reside in the United States or any of its territories or possessions. By using this Website, you represent and warrant that you are of legal age to form a binding contract with the Company and meet all of the foregoing eligibility requirements. If you do not meet all of these requirements, you must not access or use the Website.

Description of Services

The Company is a licensed Texas insurance brokerage providing insurance brokerage services, employee benefits consulting, group health insurance solutions, risk management guidance, and benefits program administration support. The Website provides general information about the services offered by the Company and is intended for informational purposes only. The information on this Website is not a substitute for individualized consultation with a qualified insurance professional. The availability of specific services may vary, and all services are subject to applicable terms and conditions.

Changes to the Terms of Use

We may revise and update these Terms of Use from time to time in our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them, and apply to all access to and use of the Website thereafter. However, any changes to the dispute resolution provisions set out in the Governing Law and Jurisdiction section will not apply to any disputes for which the parties have actual notice on or before the date the change is posted on the Website.

Your continued use of the Website following the posting of revised Terms of Use means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page from time to time so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding on you.

Accessing the Website and Account Security

We reserve the right to withdraw or amend this Website, and any service or material we provide on the Website, in our sole discretion without notice. We will not be liable if for any reason all or any part of the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period. From time to time, we may restrict user access, including registered user access, to some parts of the Website or the entire Website.

You are responsible for both:

·         Making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to the Website.

·         Ensuring that all persons who access the Website through your internet connection are aware of these Terms of Use and comply with them.

To access the Website or some of the resources it offers, you may be asked to provide certain registration details or other information. It is a condition of your use of the Website that all the information you provide on the Website is correct, current, and complete. You agree that all information you provide to register with this Website or otherwise, including, but not limited to, through the use of any interactive features on the Website, is governed by the Privacy Policy section of these Terms of Use, and you consent to all actions we take with respect to your information consistent with our Privacy Policy.

If you choose, or are provided with, a username, password, or any other piece of information as part of our security procedures, you must treat such information as confidential, and you must not disclose it to any other person or entity. You also acknowledge that your account is personal to you and agree not to provide any other person with access to this Website or portions of it using your username, password, or other security information. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to or use of your username or password or any other breach of security. You also agree to ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session. You should use particular caution when accessing your account from a public or shared computer so that others are not able to view or record your password or other personal information.

We have the right to disable any username, password, or other identifier, whether chosen by you or provided by us, at any time in our sole discretion for any or no reason, including if, in our opinion, you have violated any provision of these Terms of Use.

Intellectual Property Rights

The Website and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, video, and audio, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof) are owned by the Company, its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws.

These Terms of Use permit you to use the Website for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our Website, except as follows:

·         Your computer may temporarily store copies of such materials in RAM incidental to your accessing and viewing those materials.

·         You may store files that are automatically cached by your Web browser for display enhancement purposes.

·         You may print or download one copy of a reasonable number of pages of the Website for your own personal, non-commercial use and not for further reproduction, publication, or distribution.

·         If we provide desktop, mobile, or other applications for download, you may download a single copy to your computer or mobile device solely for your own personal, non-commercial use, provided you agree to be bound by our end user license agreement for such applications.

You must not:

·         Modify copies of any materials from this site.

·         Use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences, or any graphics separately from the accompanying text.

·         Delete or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices from copies of materials from this site.

You must not access or use for any commercial purposes any part of the Website or any services or materials available through the Website.

If you wish to make any use of material on the Website other than that set out in this section, please address your request to: info@ascentinsurancepartners.com.

If you print, copy, modify, download, or otherwise use or provide any other person with access to any part of the Website in breach of the Terms of Use, your right to use the Website will stop immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made. No right, title, or interest in or to the Website or any content on the Website is transferred to you, and all rights not expressly granted are reserved by the Company. Any use of the Website not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use is a breach of these Terms of Use and may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

Trademarks

The Company name, the terms: Ascent Insurance Partners, Ascent Benefits Consulting, the Company logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of the Company or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without the prior written permission of the Company. All other names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans on this Website are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Prohibited Uses

You may use the Website only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms of Use. You agree not to use the Website:

·         In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation (including, without limitation, any laws regarding the export of data or software to and from the US or other countries).

·         For the purpose of exploiting, harming, or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information, or otherwise.

·         To send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use, or re-use any material that does not comply with these Terms of Use or applicable laws.

·         To transmit, or procure the sending of, any advertising or promotional material without our prior written consent, including any “junk mail,” “chain letter,” “spam,” or any other similar solicitation.

·         To impersonate or attempt to impersonate the Company, a Company employee, another user, or any other person or entity (including, without limitation, by using email addresses or screen names associated with any of the foregoing).

·         To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the Website, or which, as determined by us, may harm the Company or users of the Website, or expose them to liability.

Additionally, you agree not to:

·         Use the Website in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the site or interfere with any other party’s use of the Website, including their ability to engage in real time activities through the Website.

·         Use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Website for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Website.

·         Use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Website, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in these Terms of Use, without our prior written consent.

·         Use any device, software, or routine that interferes with the proper working of the Website.

·         Introduce any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful.

·         Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Website, the server on which the Website is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Website.

·         Attack the Website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack.

·         Otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Website.

Reliance on Information Posted

The information presented on or through the Website is made available solely for general information purposes. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. We disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such materials by you or any other visitor to the Website, or by anyone who may be informed of any of its contents.

This Website may include content provided by third parties, including materials provided by third-party licensors, syndicators, aggregators, and/or reporting services. All statements and/or opinions expressed in these materials, and all articles and responses to questions and other content, other than the content provided by the Company, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the person or entity providing those materials. These materials do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Company. We are not responsible, or liable to you or any third party, for the content or accuracy of any materials provided by any third parties.

No Insurance Advice; No Broker-Client Relationship

Nothing on this Website constitutes professional insurance, financial, legal, or tax advice. The information provided on the Website is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for making insurance, financial, or other professional decisions.

Your use of this Website does not create a broker-client, advisory, or fiduciary relationship between you and Ascent Insurance Partners. No such relationship will be formed unless and until a written agreement has been executed between you and the Company.

You should consult with qualified insurance, financial, legal, or tax professionals before making any decisions regarding insurance coverage or employee benefits. Ascent Insurance Partners expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken or not taken based on information contained on this Website.

Any insurance products, coverage options, or premium information discussed on this Website are subject to the terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the applicable insurance policies. Ascent Insurance Partners does not guarantee the availability, pricing, or terms of any insurance product or coverage.

Changes to the Website

We may update the content on this Website from time to time, but its content is not necessarily complete or up-to-date. Any of the material on the Website may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no obligation to update such material.

Privacy Policy

Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”), in addition to other applicable federal, state, and local laws, generally prohibits any financial institution, directly or through its affiliates, from sharing nonpublic personal information about you with a nonaffiliated third party unless the institution provides you with a notice of its privacy policies and practices. In compliance with these requirements, the Company is providing you with this Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, store, and disclose your information in connection with the Website and the services we provide. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of these Terms of Use. By using the Website, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to information the Company may collect about you, including but not limited to information collected through the Website; in emails, texts, online forms, and other electronic messages between you and the Company; from third-party vendors, insurance carriers, employer clients, and public data sources; offline, via telephone calls, in-person meetings, or through any other means; and information shared with the Company that is necessary to provide our services.

 Information We Collect

We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:

·         Information we receive from you on applications, contact forms, or other forms, such as your name, address, email address, telephone number, Social Security number, date of birth, assets, income, and beneficiaries;

·         Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others, such as your insurance coverage, premiums, and payment history;

·         Information we receive related to providing employee benefits, group health insurance, and human resources services on behalf of your employer;

·         Information you provide through the Website, including through the “contact us” form, and information collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies; and

·         Information you give us in person, over the telephone, and via email.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to provide insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, group health insurance, risk management, and benefits program administration services; to process quotes, applications, enrollments, renewals, and claims assistance; to support due diligence and benefits analysis in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and private equity transactions; to communicate with you regarding your account, coverage, and services; to operate, maintain, and improve the Website; to personalize content and experiences; to advertise, market, and promote our services; to secure and protect our business; to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations; and to produce internal audits and reports.

Information We May Disclose to Third Parties

We may disclose nonpublic personal information about you to the following types of third parties: insurance entities, such as insurance carriers, intermediaries, claims adjusters, service providers, and wholesale brokers; financial service providers, such as premium-finance companies; third-party vendors we may use to assist in providing services to you, including those providing enrollment solutions, claims analytics, third-party administration, benchmarking, human resources, and employee benefits services; employer clients and group health plan sponsors for benefits administration purposes; data-analysis software companies; professional advisers, including legal counsel, accountants, and auditors; and government regulators, the Texas Department of Insurance, law enforcement, and other authorities as required by applicable law or legal process. We may also disclose information in connection with a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, or asset sale.

Our third-party affiliates, service providers, and successors to whom we disclose your information are required by law and/or contractual requirements to keep your information confidential and secure. The Company does not sell your personal information.

Cookies

A cookie is a small data file placed on your device by a web server. The Website may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activity, improve functionality, and enhance your user experience. You may manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies, although doing so may affect the functionality of the Website.

Confidentiality and Security

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees and service providers who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with applicable federal and state laws and regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, you may have certain rights with respect to your personal information under applicable state consumer privacy laws, including the right to access, correct, delete, or obtain a portable copy of your information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, targeted advertising, or certain profiling. The availability of these rights, and any exemptions that may apply (including exemptions for financial institutions regulated under the GLBA and data regulated under HIPAA), varies by state. To submit a privacy rights request, or if you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact us at info@ascentinsurancepartners.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Links from the Website

If the Website contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your convenience only. This includes links contained in advertisements, including banner advertisements and sponsored links. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. If you decide to access any of the third-party websites linked to this Website, you do so entirely at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for such websites.

Geographic Restrictions

The owner of the Website is based in the State of Texas in the United States. We provide this Website for use only by persons located in the United States. We make no claims that the Website or any of its content is accessible or appropriate outside of the United States. Access to the Website may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries. If you access the Website from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

Disclaimer of Warranties

You understand that we cannot and do not guarantee or warrant that files available for downloading from the internet or the Website will be free of viruses or other destructive code. You are responsible for implementing sufficient procedures and checkpoints to satisfy your particular requirements for anti-virus protection and accuracy of data input and output, and for maintaining a means external to our site for any reconstruction of any lost data. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY A DISTRIBUTED DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACK, VIRUSES, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGICALLY HARMFUL MATERIAL THAT MAY INFECT YOUR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, COMPUTER PROGRAMS, DATA, OR OTHER PROPRIETARY MATERIAL DUE TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE OR YOUR DOWNLOADING OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON IT, OR ON ANY WEBSITE LINKED TO IT.

YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETENESS, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE WEBSITE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY REPRESENTS OR WARRANTS THAT THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, ERROR-FREE, OR UNINTERRUPTED, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, THAT OUR SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT THE WEBSITE OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE WILL OTHERWISE MEET YOUR NEEDS OR EXPECTATIONS.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, THE COMPANY HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE INSURANCE QUOTES, BIND INSURANCE COVERAGE, OR GUARANTEE ANY PARTICULAR INSURANCE OUTCOME. ALL INSURANCE PRODUCTS REFERENCED ON THE WEBSITE ARE SUBJECT TO UNDERWRITING APPROVAL BY THE APPLICABLE INSURANCE CARRIER, AND COVERAGE IS GOVERNED SOLELY BY THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND EXCLUSIONS OF THE ISSUED POLICY. THE COMPANY MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY, COST, OR SCOPE OF ANY INSURANCE PRODUCT OR COVERAGE.

THE FOREGOING DOES NOT AFFECT ANY WARRANTIES THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

Limitation on Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE COMPANY, ITS AFFILIATES, OR THEIR LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR DIRECTORS BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE WEBSITE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO IT, ANY CONTENT ON THE WEBSITE OR SUCH OTHER WEBSITES, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, AND WHETHER CAUSED BY TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF FORESEEABLE.

THE FOREGOING DOES NOT AFFECT ANY LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, licensors, and service providers, and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms of Use or your use of the Website, including, but not limited to, any use of the Website’s content, services, and products other than as expressly authorized in these Terms of Use, or your use of any information obtained from the Website.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

All matters relating to the Website and these Terms of Use, and any dispute or claim arising therefrom or related thereto (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Texas without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Texas or any other jurisdiction).

Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of, or related to, these Terms of Use or the Website shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Texas, in each case located in the City of Austin and County of Travis County, although we retain the right to bring any suit, action, or proceeding against you for breach of these Terms of Use in your country of residence or any other relevant country. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.

Arbitration

At Company’s sole discretion, it may require you to submit any disputes arising from these Terms of Use or use of the Website, including disputes arising from or concerning their interpretation, violation, invalidity, non-performance, or termination, to final and binding arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration of the American Arbitration Association applying Texas law.

Limitation on Time to File Claims

ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE WEBSITE MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES; OTHERWISE, SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.

Waiver and Severability

No waiver by the Company of any term or condition set out in these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of the Company to assert a right or provision under these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms of Use will continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms of Use, including the Privacy Policy set forth herein, constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and Ascent Insurance Partners regarding the Website and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Website.

Contact Information

This website is operated by Ascent Insurance Partners, LLC, a Texas limited liability company located in Austin, Texas.

All feedback, comments, requests for technical support, and other communications relating to the Website should be directed to: info@ascentinsurancepartners.com.