WASHINGTON - In the aftermath of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, oil spills, droughts and other calamities that have occurred since 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than two million disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters for a total of $53.8 billion.

"During the past 62 years the SBA has expanded, updated and improved its disaster assistance operation, making it easier for disaster survivors to rebuild their lives and communities," said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.   "These two million loans demonstrate the tremendous impact SBA's disaster assistance program has made in terms of saving local jobs and supporting the long-term economic recovery."

SBA disaster loans are the only form of SBA assistance not limited to small businesses.  The two million loans approved represent the agency's recovery efforts in the aftermath of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.  Those events included:

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 (25,992 loans for $696 million)
The Northridge, California earthquake in 1994 (124,262 loans for $4 billion)
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005 (160,809 loans for $10.9 billion)
Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (36,913 loans for $2.5 billion).

The SBA makes low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and non-farm businesses of all sizes.  Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged real estate.  Individuals may borrow up to $40,000 to cover losses to personal property.

Non-farm businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged business assets and real estate.  Small businesses and non-profits that suffered economic losses as a result of the declared disaster may apply for a working capital loan of up to $2 million.

More information about SBA's disaster assistance program is available at www.sba.gov/disasterassistance.

PINE RIDGE, S.D., Sept. 29, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded nearly $20 million through 385 grants to help support the start-up or expansion of rural small businesses.

"These grants will strengthen the economic fabric of our rural small towns and communities by providing capital to small and emerging businesses," Vilsack said today during a visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

USDA is awarding the grants through the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program. Recipients may use the funds to provide technical assistance, training and job-creation activities.

The Value Added Agriculture Development Center, based in Pierre, S.D., is receiving a $49,500 grant to teach local businesses in Oglala Lakota County, which is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, how to commercially process and successfully market buffalo meat.

In April 2015, the Obama Administration designated the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation one of eight new Promise Zones. Promise Zones are high-poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other community-identified priorities.

While Secretary Vilsack was in South Dakota, he highlighted USDA's work to expand economic opportunities for Native Americans and rural residents throughout the state. For example, he announced that the Oglala Sioux Tribe is receiving a $1.85 million grant to construct a storage building and cell for a solid waste landfill.

Other RBDG recipients include Boyne City, Mich., which been selected to receive a $30,000 grant to provide equipment for an incubator kitchen for local foods. The Town of Princess Anne, Md., is receiving a $21,400 grant to buy furnishings and equipment for the historic Washington Hotel.

Funding of each award announced today is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement.

USDA's Rural Business Development Grant Program is one of several that support rural economic development. Since the start of the Obama administration, USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service has helped 85,000 rural businesses.

The City of Luverne, Minn., population 4,800, is an example of a small town USDA has helped. Luverne used a $99,000 USDA grant in FY 2013 to establish a revolving loan fund to provide affordable financing for downtown businesses. City leaders wanted to help downtown merchants upgrade their shops and eateries so they could attract more visitors and economic activity. Like many cities across the country, Luverne had lost shoppers to the region's larger towns and big box stores. So far, 13 businesses have been helped as a result of USDA's grant.

President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.

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By Nathaniel Sillin

A generation ago, most families didn't think about financial fraud. Today, it can come in many forms - over the phone, through the mail and increasingly, online. It's an equal opportunity crime that affects consumers of all ages.

For the 15th straight year, the Federal Trade Commission tapped identity theft as the number one source of consumer complaints in its 2014 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (https://www.ftc.gov) released in February. The agency also noted a "large increase" in so-called "imposter" scams - phone calls and emails from thieves purporting to represent the government as a way to steal data and money from unsuspecting adults.

Young people - particularly students - may be the fastest-growing group of fraud targets. Due to their dependence and sometimes unwitting use of computers and mobile devices, young people may be the greatest potential victims of financial fraud, according to a 2015 study (https://www.javelinstrategy.com) by Javelin Strategy & Research. More than 64 percent of respondents said they were not "very concerned" about identity fraud, but were far more likely to find out they were fraud victims long after the damage occurred, such as through a call from a debt collector or a rejection letter from a lender.

Most consumers under the age of 18 shouldn't have a credit record at all. But as digital thieves become more sophisticated and federal agencies become occasionally vulnerable to hackers, critical privacy data like Social Security numbers - which many parents obtain for their children in infancy to save or invest money or buy insurance on their behalf - could be at risk years before a child ever opens a bank account or applies for a loan.

For all of these reasons, it may be time to think about a family fraud plan. Here are some steps to consider.

• Check the accuracy of all family credit data. Parents should begin by checking their own credit reports (https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action) to make sure creditor data and loan balances are accurate and no inaccuracies or unfamiliar lenders have crept into their information. Once clear, adult children can make sure senior relatives are taking similar steps. As for minors, the three major credit agencies - TransUnion, Equifax and Experian - have their own website guidelines for confirming and evaluating a minor's credit data.
• Make sure mailboxes are safe from thieves and any document with an account number or identifying data is destroyed before it is placed in the trash. The same goes for tax returns that are no longer needed.
• Learn how to protect all mobile computer and handheld data and have a plan in place in case any family member loses a smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop computer. Tips are available online, from smartphone service providers and device manufacturers.
• Online, by phone and in person, be wary of collection demands or requests for Social Security numbers or other specific account data unless the identity of the caller can be verified. Fraudulent calls are called "vishing" scams, similar to "phishing" scams that involve fraudulent emails, texts and websites used to illegally collect personal data.
• Install all software security updates immediately on mobile devices and computers and ensure passwords are unique and frequently updated.
• Sign up for fraud alerts from banks, credit card issuers or investment companies to receive immediate word of unusual or potentially illegal activity on accounts.

Bottom line: Identity thieves and other financial fraudsters watch consumer behavior closely and are equally adept at stealing money and data in person, over the phone and online. Have a plan in place to protect the entire family.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after his legislation, the bipartisan E-Warranty Act of 2015 (H.R. 3154), was signed into law by President Obama. The legislation gives manufacturers the option of fulfilling their warranty notice requirements by posting the information on their website. Loebsack was the lead Democratic cosponsor and joined with Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) to introduce the bill.

"I am pleased this bipartisan legislation, which includes a commonsense update to our nation's decades old warranty requirements, is now law," said Loebsack. "This bill allows manufacturers to post warranty information online and give consumers easy access to written warranties."

If manufacturers choose to meet their warranty notification requirements by posting the information on their website, it must be in an accessible, conspicuous digital format. Manufacturers must also provide consumers with information on how to access the online warranty and obtain a paper copy, either by including instructions on the product packaging or in the product manual. The bill makes no changes to the rules regarding the content of warranty information.

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