View this email as a Web page.     Advantages of Direct Lending In today’s economic environment, safety and soundness of financial institutions continues to be a critical issue. According to Global Finance’s annual ranking of the 50 Safest Banks in the World1, U.S. Bancorp is among a handful of trusted institutions in the Unites States. Yet, when it comes to leasing, some businesses continue to deal directly with equipment vendors and independent third party lessors. Find out more about the advantages of dealing directly with a bank in this article.     Celebrating 40 years of Equipment Finance With nearly 1,000 employees located across the country and assets in the billions, U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance is celebrating our 40th anniversary. We’re proud to rank among the largest equipment financing providers in the United States, according to The Monitor. We are also thrilled to announce that the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) has selected Jerry Jordan1, Executive Vice President at U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance, to receive its 2011 Distinguished Service Award. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the association and the equipment finance industry.     Frances McCormick Financing Higher Education Technology We’d like to welcome and introduce Frances McCormick, Account Manager in the Southeast region. Frances is responsible for growing our higher education client base working with colleges and universities throughout the South. With over 14 years in financing, Frances has experience in this market with several other leasing institutions. Technology Finance Group continues to be a leading provider in the education market and we look forward to continued growth in this sector.     Obtain the economic perspectives of Keith Hembre, Nuveen Asset Management. His monthly publication, Review & Outlook, delivers detailed forecasts for a number of macro-economic data points — including gross domestic product growth, unemployment, Consumer Price Index, interest rates, and corporate earnings — as well as for domestic and international equity and fixed-income markets.     This year Fortune Magazines annual ranking of the world’s most admired companies ranked U.S. Bancorp #1 among Superregional Banks¹ and #5 in the world in Quality of Management¹. These rankings are a testament to our employees, managing committee and directors — and to our valued customers who make it all possible.     Please contact us to learn more or to discuss any financing needs: `eqf_name` | `eqf_title` U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance Technology Finance Group `eqf_email` | `eqf_phone`   > Q&A with Kyin Lok > ELFA Award: Jordan1 > Economic Perspectives > In the News1 > Contact > Special Offer Don’t miss out on historically low rates. Financing has never been more affordable. As 2011 winds down, make sure you’re taking advantage of historically low rates. Contact us today to establish a lease line so you’re pre-approved to take advantage of year-end vendor discounts. Act now.   1By selecting this link, you will leave U.S. Bank and enter a third-party Web site. U.S. Bank is not responsible for the content of, or products and services provided by this third party, nor does it guarantee the system availability or accuracy of information contained in the site. This Web site is not controlled by U.S. Bank. Please note that the third-party Web site may have privacy and information security policies that differ from those of U.S. Bank. Applications are subject to normal credit approval. Other conditions and restrictions may apply. Please see a U.S. Bancorp representative for details. U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance, Inc. is not offering legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Customers are encouraged to consult with their tax and accounting advisors for a clear understanding of how various equipment financing products could impact their specific business conditions. Deposit Products offered by U.S. Bank N.A. Member FDIC. To ensure that you continue to receive email from us, please add us to your Address Book (1800USBanks@usbank-email.com). Thank you. You are receiving this email as a courtesy from U.S. Bank. Please know that you can modify your preferences or be removed from our mailing list at any time. View the U.S. Bank Privacy Pledge. We will never send you an email asking for personal information. Learn more at usbank.com. U.S. Bank · EP-MN-L20D · 200 South 6th Street · Minneapolis, MN 55402 © 2011 U.S. Bancorp. All rights reserved.