Yields

Fall 2017

Northwest Farm Credit: Rural, Real Estate, Operating Loans; Farm Loans; Country Home Loans; Lot Loans; Equipment Financing; Young and Beginning Producers; Crop Insurance; Business Management Education; Property Appraisals

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S E C U R I T Y A W A R E N E S S Northwest FCS data systems were not affected by the Equifax incident. We do not provide customer-member information to credit reporting agencies. We remain committed to the privacy and security of our customer-members' information. You may also want to visit the FTC website for further information concerning the Equifax data breach with helpful tips to protect your information: www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/0 9/equifax-data-breach-what-do Protect Yourself After the Equifax Data breach In September Equifax, one of the nation's three major credit-reporting agencies, reported a secu- rity breach. If you have a credit report, it may be likely that you're one of the 143 million American consumers whose sensitive personal information was exposed in this incident. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one of the federal agencies charged with protecting consumers, you can take several steps to protect your information from being misused. Some of these are outlined below. • Visit Equifax's website for more information. www.equifaxsecurity2017.com • Check your credit reports. You can check credit reports from Equi- fax, Experian and TransUnion for free by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity you don't recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit: www.IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do. • Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit report. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won't prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts. For credit freeze frequently asked questions visit: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs • Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely. Look for charges you don't recognize. Other clues that someone may have stolen your identity include withdrawals from your bank account that you can't explain and/or debt collectors calling you about debts that aren't yours. • Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. If you decide against a credit freeze, a fraud alert warns creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft and they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you. For information on placing a fraud alert visit: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs • File your taxes early. As soon as you have the tax information you need, file your taxes before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS. The IRS never asks taxpayers for personal information via e-mail, text messages or social media. For further information and what to do if you receive something suspicious visit: www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing • Learn more. Visit: www.Identitytheft.gov/databreach to learn more about protecting yourself after a data breach. John Whalen • Northwest FCS Director-Information Security security awareness ! fall 2017 14

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