Redwood Credit Union & RCU Services Group Privacy Disclosure

Redwood Credit Union (RCU)  and RCU Services Group (RCUSG) understand the importance of protecting the privacy of our Members, former Members and customers. We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of each Member’s and customer’s information, consistent with state and federal law. This document is provided to outline RCU and RCUSG’s privacy disclosure and your rights as a Member and customer.  RCU Services Group (doing business as RCU Auto Services and RCU Insurance Services) is a wholly owned affiliate of RCU and currently operates an auto dealership and provides various insurance products and services.

Part I: What This Disclosure Covers

This disclosure covers “non-public personal information,” which we call “information” in this disclosure. This means personally identifiable information that we obtain in the course of providing services to you. This disclosure does not cover information that is obtained from public sources such as county real estate property records or telephone directories. It does not include information that cannot be identified with you personally, such as general statistical information about our Members or customers.

Part II: Sources and Categories of Information We Collect

We collect information about you so that we can provide the products and services you request, develop new products and services, inform you about other products and services you may be interested in, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Examples of sources and types of information we collect include the following:

• From your applications for our services or other communications you have with us, we obtain information such as your name, address, Social Security Number, assets, income, other debt, and financial transactions.
• From our own records, we obtain information about your transactions and account experiences with us, such as account balances, payment history, parties to your transactions, and credit card use patterns.
• From consumer reporting agencies, we obtain information about your financial history with third parties.
• From third parties such as employers and other creditors, we verify information that you supply on your applications for our services.
• We verify information for third parties involved in transactions on your Credit Union accounts, such as merchants calling to verify checks that you write.
• We collect demographic information about our Members to help us develop and provide products and services.

Part III: Categories of Information We May Disclose About You

We may disclose any type of information we have about you to third parties to meet our reasonable business needs and to conduct your transactions.

Please be aware that Redwood Credit Union and RCUSG do not sell, share, trade or rent names or other information about our Members or customers to third-party marketers.

Part IV: Categories of Nonaffiliated Third Parties to Whom We Release Information to Conduct Our Business and as Required or Allowed by Law

We disclose information to non-affiliated third parties as necessary to conduct our business, to conduct your transactions, and as required or allowed by law. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Our state and federal regulators
• Our attorneys, accountants and other advisors
• Consumer reporting agencies
• Third parties involved in your Credit Union transactions, such as merchants or other financial institutions
• Third parties who make lawful information requests on your account, such as child support data matching programs

We will disclose any information we have about you to these parties as it is necessary to conduct our business, complete our transactions, or is required or permitted by law.

Part V: Other Nonaffiliated Third Parties to Whom We Release Information:Service Providers

We disclose information to third parties with which we have agreements to help us provide our products or services to you. We limit the information we supply to these third parties to what is necessary for the third parties to fulfill their agreements with us. Before we disclose information to these third parties, they must agree in writing to keep your information confidential and use it only for purposes we authorize. Examples of such third parties include:

• Companies with whom we have contracts to print and mail our Member statements
• Companies with whom we have contracts to process Member credit card transactions

Part VI: Disclosure of Information Subject to Opt-Out or Opt-In Rights

RCU and RCUSG do not disclose or share information regarding Members or other consumers in ways that give rise to "opt-out" or "opt-in" election rights that you may have heard about. If we change this disclosure so that you would have additional opt-out rights, we will notify you in advance. If you receive material from us promoting the products or services of third parties, we handle the promotion internally or by using one of our service providers without sharing information about you with the third party.

Part VII: Disclosure of Information about Former Members and Customers

We disclose information about former Members and former customers only as allowed or required by law. Subject to this limitation, we may disclose any category of information we have about you.

Part VIII: Our Protection of the Security of Your Information

Access to information about you is limited to those employees who provide products or services to you.  Our employees are trained and understand the importance of safeguarding your information.  We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.

Part IX: Our Right to Change This Disclosure

This disclosure is effective 07/01/2006. We can change this disclosure by notifying you in writing. If a new disclosure will be subject to opt-out or opt-in rights, we will give you at least 45 days advance notice before the new disclosure goes into effect, and we will disclose the means by which you can opt-out of disclosure of non-public personal information.

Information on Public Records

You may be aware that businesses can obtain certain consumer information, such as that related to mortgage loans, which is a matter of public record and available to anyone from the County Recorder’s Office. Unfortunately, this information is often used by companies to market their products and services directly to you. At times, they also make references to the Credit Union or its affiliates, which may imply that they obtained the information from us. The lenders’ names, as well as certain details of the loans are included in the public records, and that is where they obtain their data.

How to Remove Your Name from Credit Offers

If you prefer not to receive pre-approved credit solicitations, you can write to the credit reporting agencies listed at right, or call (888) 5OPT-OUT (888-567-8688). By removing your name, you will no longer receive unsolicited credit offers from the Credit Union, or other businesses, such as credit card companies, department stores and banks. When you call to remove your name from credit bureau lists, you will be given a choice to opt out for two years, or permanently. Even though your request becomes effective within a week of calling, it may take several months before you see a reduction in the amount of unsolicited offers of credit.

How to Reduce "Junk" Mail

For a $1 fee, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) sponsors Mail Preference Service (MPS), to help consumers limit the national advertising mail they receive. If you would like to reduce the amount of advertising you receive from companies, you may register via the DMA consumer website at www.dmachoice.org, or send a letter, including your name, home address and signature, plus a $1 check or money order (payable to DMA), to:

By registering for this service, your name will be removed for five years from lists used by direct mail companies that subscribe to MPS. Removing your name will not end all solicitations from businesses that do not subscribe to the service. To eliminate mail from those businesses, as well as mail addressed to "occupant" or "resident," write directly to each source. For more information, visit the DMA Consumer website at www.dmachoice.org.

Working Together to Protect Your Identity

Your Credit Union and its affiliates are committed to ensuring the protection of your personal information, as well as the safety of our Members' funds. If someone has fraudulently used your identity to establish credit, contact your Credit Union immediately and then report the incident as quickly as possible to each of the credit reporting agencies listed below. You may also want to find out if any additional credit accounts have been opened without your consent, or whether unauthorized charges were billed to your accounts. Contact the credit reporting agencies listed below to obtain a copy of your credit report.

• Equifax

  PO Box 740241
  Atlanta, GA 30374
  www.equifax.com
  To obtain your credit report: (800) 685-1111
  To report fraudulent activity: (888) 766-0008

• Experian

  PO Box 2002
  Allen, TX 75013
  www.experian.com
  To obtain your credit report, or report fraudulent activity: (888) 397-3742

• TransUnion

  PO Box 6790
  Fulleron, CA 92834
  www.transunion.com
  To obtain your credit report, or report fraudulent activity: (800) 680-7289

Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act), consumers can request and obtain one free credit report once every 12 months from each of the above credit reporting companies. To request your free report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

For Additional Information

Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve you. If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Disclosure, please contact us at (800) 479-7928.