Nonpublic Personal Information

Quick Answer

Nonpublic personal information is information that must be considered separately when a firm deals with customers, vendors, and associated persons. On the exam, recognize it as an information-protection issue within relationships and dealings, rather than confusing it with the method the firm uses to communicate.

After identifying how a firm communicates, separate the communication method from the information involved in the relationship.


A Separate Relationships-and-Dealings Consideration

  • Nonpublic personal information: Information identified as relevant to a firm's relationships and dealings.
  • The consideration applies when the firm deals with customers, vendors, and associated persons of the firm.
  • The party involved helps place the fact pattern in its relationships-and-dealings context.

Think of it this way: A communication method is the route a message takes. Nonpublic personal information is the information that may be involved. The route and the information are separate exam concepts, even when they appear in the same situation.