17 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,F ebruary 14,2019 insidehalton.com Canadians do not trust sharing their personal data. We are among the leastWe are among the leastW trusting in the world. In my opinion, that is an excellent characteristic to have. Too many people are not diligent enough in pro- tecting their personal data, which can often result in crimes committed against them. Call it "modern-day theft". KPMG is a Canadian ac- counting firm. According to their December 2018 report: Me, my Canadian life, my wallet, Canadians are looking for a balance be- tween staying current with technology and maintain- ing their privacy. Almost two out of three Canadians do not trust any organization to see or hold their personal data, and one in four would rather lose their wallet than their phone. Much of everyday life is conducted through technol- ogy. In light of that, it isn't surprising that if customers share secure information it's with companies they trust. The most trusted sec- tors are healthcare provid- ers (63 per cent) and banks (61 per cent). The least trusted sectors include Telecom and media firms, with trust levels of 31firms, with trust levels of 31f and 33 per cent respectively. The KPMG report states that Canadians are also gen- erally more comfortable sharing their information with firms that will benefit them, and through experi- ences rather than physical products. Younger Canadians areYounger Canadians areY higher users of technology and are more concerned with privacy issues than most. Many people understand that companies collect in- formation anytime they canformation anytime they canf in order to profit from the data. The report shows that on the whole, Canadians are cynical about companies' motives for asking for their personal information. There is a privacy con- cern about important finan- cial data. There is also a con- cern about companies learning our preferences on what we purchase, how of- ten we shop, or how we spend our leisure time, in- cluding what we watch on television. There are several things we can learn about privacy. Determine what person- al information is private and should be kept private. Be careful what firms you share your private informa- tion with and make sure it is to your advantage to do so. Peter Watson, of Peter Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI offers a weekly financial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.peterwat- soninvestments.com CANADIANS LESS LIKELY TO TRUST SHARING PERSONAL DATA OPINION THAT'S A GOOD THING, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column YOUARE NOTALONE. The views expressed are those of Acclaim Health and do not necessarily reflect those of the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network, the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) or the Government of Ontario. Funded in part by the United Way Halton & Hamilton and the MH LHIN. Accredited by Accreditation Canada and Imagine Canada Standards program.Charitable Registration Number: 11928 4602 RR0001. 2370 Speers Rd, Oakville, ON L6L 5M2 905-827-8800 www.acclaimhealth.ca Meetothers caring for familymemberswithdementia.Shareexperiences and learn coping strategies. Findout about available community resources. 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Book a FREE* hearing test today. 888.408.7377 connecthearing.ca Staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle. Wehear you. • Latest, most discreet hearing technology on the market. • Canada's #1 physician referred† hearing healthcare provider. • Affordable monthly payment plans starting at $45**/month. • Over 130 locations across Canada. Everyday people walk through the doors of Kerr Street Mission in need of help, friendship and love. Recently, a young mother who didn't speak English walked through our doors looking for help. Through KSM's connection with the Halton Multicultural Council we were able to arrange for a translator, so that we could meet with her and understand her needs. After only a short discussion, we were able to connect her with the services she needed and even register her daughter for KSM's afterschool program. Knowing that we helped this mother and her family feel loved and more settled is wonderful. 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