Table of Contents Changes in interest rates or market liquidity conditions could adversely affect Cat Financial's and our earnings and/or cash flow. An increase in delinquencies, repossessions or net losses of Cat Financial customers could adversely affect its results. Currency exchange rate fluctuations affect our results of operations. Changes in interest rates and market liquidity conditions could have an adverse impact on Cat Financial's and our earnings and cash flows. Because a significant number of the loans made by Cat Financial are made at fixed interest rates, its business results are subject to fluctuations in interest rates. Certain loans made by Cat Financial and various financing extended to Cat Financial are made at variable rates that use LIBOR as a benchmark for establishing the interest rate. LIBOR is the subject of recent proposals for reform. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. On November 18, 2020, ICE Benchmark Administration ("IBA"), the administrator of USD LIBOR, announced plans to consult on its intention to cease the publication of all GBP, EUR, CHF and JPY LIBOR settings immediately following the LIBOR publication on December 31, 2021. On November 30, 2020, IBA, with the support of the United States Federal Reserve and the FCA, announced plans to consult on ceasing publication of USD LIBOR on December 31, 2021 for only the one week and two month USD LIBOR tenors, and on June 30, 2023 for all other USD LIBOR tenors. While the November 30th announcement extends the transition period to June 2023, the United States Federal Reserve concurrently issued a statement advising banks to stop new USD LIBOR issuances by the end of 2021. These reforms may cause LIBOR to cease to exist, new methods of calculating LIBOR to be established such that LIBOR continues to exist after 2021 or the establishment of an alternative reference rate(s). Several offerings of securities that include such an alternative reference rate have now been completed by other companies. The consequences of these developments cannot be entirely predicted and could have an adverse impact on the market value for or value of LIBOR-linked securities, loans, derivatives, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to Cat Financial, as well as the revenue and expenses associated with those securities, loans and financial instruments. Cat Financial has created a cross-functional team that will assess risk across multiple categories as it relates to the use of LIBOR in securities, loans, derivatives, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us. Other changes in market interest rates may influence Cat Financial’s borrowing costs and could reduce its and our earnings and cash flows, returns on financial investments and the valuation of derivative contracts. Cat Financial manages interest rate and market liquidity risks through a variety of techniques that include a match funding strategy, the selective use of derivatives and a broadly diversified funding program. There can be no assurance, however, that fluctuations in interest rates and market liquidity conditions will not have an adverse impact on its and our earnings and cash flows. If any of the variety of instruments and strategies Cat Financial uses to hedge its exposure to these types of risk is ineffective, this may have an adverse impact on our earnings and cash flows. With respect to Insurance Services' investment activities, changes in the equity and bond markets could result in a decline in value of its investment portfolio, resulting in an unfavorable impact to earnings. Inherent in the operation of Cat Financial is the credit risk associated with its customers. The creditworthiness of each customer and the rate of delinquencies, repossessions and net losses on customer obligations are directly impacted by several factors, including relevant industry and economic conditions, the availability of capital, the experience and expertise of the customer's management team, commodity prices, political events and the sustained value of the underlying collateral. Any increase in delinquencies, repossessions and net losses on customer obligations could have a material adverse effect on Cat Financial's and our earnings and cash flows. In addition, although Cat Financial evaluates and adjusts its allowance for credit losses related to past due and non-performing receivables on a regular basis, adverse economic conditions or other factors that might cause deterioration of the financial health of its customers could change the timing and level of payments received and necessitate an increase in Cat Financial's estimated losses, which could also have a material adverse effect on Cat Financial's and our earnings and cash flows. We conduct operations in many countries involving transactions denominated in a variety of currencies. We are subject to currency exchange rate risk to the extent that our costs are denominated in currencies other than those in which we earn revenues. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our results as expressed in U.S. dollars. There can be no assurance that currency exchange rate fluctuations will not adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. While the use of currency hedging instruments may provide us with protection from adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, by utilizing these instruments we potentially forego the benefits that might result from favorable fluctuations in currency exchange rates. In addition, our outlooks do not assume fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates from the date of our outlooks could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our outlooks and adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. 17