HSBC Credit Center, INC.

MEMBER HSBC GROUP

Privacy Statement

We're dedicated to keeping your personal information private

At HSBC Credit Center, Inc.("HSBC"), we are committed to protecting your privacy. To keep your personal, non-public information both personal and private, we maintain physical, procedural and electronic safeguards to assist us in preventing unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, your private personal information. All HSBC employees are required to keep your personal information confidential. We honor your preferences about the information we share with companies outside of the HSBC family of companies (Non-Affiliates) and within the HSBC family of companies (Affiliates). We continue to respect your privacy, even if our relationship ends.

If you have already notified us of your privacy preferences, you don't need to contact us again unless you want to change your preferences. We may change our privacy practices at any time as permitted by law, and if we do so we will provide you with notice as required.

If you have selected a credit-related insurance product, the Privacy Policy applicable to that credit insurance product is set forth at the end of this Privacy Policy

Why do we collect information?

We collect information about you for two important reasons:
1. To identify you when you are conducting financial transactions (so we can help prevent unauthorized access to your personal and financial information); and
2. To offer you products and services that can help you achieve your financial goals.

What kind of information do we collect?

When meeting your financial needs, we collect the following non-public personal information about you:
1. When you fill out forms and applications for HSBC products and services, we may collect information such as your name, address, social security number, e-mail address, age, income, and assets.
2. When you make transactions with the HSBC family of companies or others, or through online services such as Bill Pay, we may collect information on your account balances, payment history, account usage and employment history.
3. When you apply for credit, we may collect account information, and credit history from third parties such as credit bureaus.

Why do we share information within the HSBC family of companies?

To help us offer you valuable financial services, HSBC may share the types of information described above in "What kind of information do we collect?" within the HSBC family of companies (our Affiliates).

We may use Affiliates as service providers to perform services related to the operations of your accounts (such as data processing). We may also share this information with Affiliates to perform marketing services on our behalf or for their own products, for fraud protection or collections, as permitted by law or with your consent.

These Affiliates may be located in countries other than where you reside, including but not limited to the United Kingdom and India. Affiliates may include banking, consumer finance, insurance, mortgage, and brokerage companies. Some examples include companies doing business under the names HSBC, Household, Beneficial, HFC, or HSBC Mortgage Services.

How do we share information outside the HSBC family of companies?

We may share the kinds of information described above in "What kind of information do we collect?" with companies outside the HSBC family of companies (Non-Affiliates) to perform services necessary for the routine operation of your accounts (such as data processing). We may also share this information with service providers performing marketing services on our behalf, for fraud protection or collections, and with other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements (such as a mortgage banker), or with your consent.

In some cases, we are required or permitted by law to provide information about you to Non-Affiliates without your consent. Examples include responding to a subpoena or similar legal process, providing information to consumer reporting agencies, or providing information in connection with a proposed or actual sale of your accounts to another financial institution.

Whenever we share information with Non-Affiliates, they are required to maintain the confidentiality of that information.

We may share information with Non-Affiliates that are able to extend special offers that we feel might be of value to you. These companies may be financial services providers (such as mortgage bankers, insurance agents or a re-insurer) or they may be non-financial companies (such as retailers or marketing companies). These offers are typically for products and services that you might not otherwise hear about. The information that we may provide Non-Affiliates comes from the sources described above and might include your name, address, telephone number and information about your accounts with us. For California and Vermont residents, applicable law requires us to obtain your permission in order to share information about you with Non-Affiliates, and so we have chosen not to share your information in this way while you are a resident of California or Vermont. Also, see "Special notice for residents of California" toward the end of this policy.

What are your choices to limit sharing?

If you do not want us to share your credit report information with our Affiliates, please let us know by simply completing the attached Opt-Out Request Form and mailing it to HSBC Opt-Out PO Box 3425 Buffalo NY 14240-9733. This request will not apply to information about your transactions or experience with us (such as account information, account usage, or payment history).

If you ask us not to share your information, it will prevent you from receiving certain offers and discounts from HSBC and our Affiliates. It will not prevent unwanted solicitations from Non-Affiliates that received your information from other sources. We may continue to share information with our Affiliates relating to your account transactions and our experiences with you.

How can you opt-out of sharing information with companies outside of the HSBC family of companies (Except for residents of California and Vermont)?

If you do not want us to share your non-public personal information with companies outside of the HSBC family of companies (Non-Affiliates), please let us know by simply completing the attached Opt-Out Request Form and mailing it to HSBC Opt-Out PO Box 3425 Buffalo NY 14240-9733. Your opt-out request will only apply to the HSBC account you have designated by account number on the form

What are your choices to limit marketing?

The HSBC companies identified at the end of this Privacy Policy are providing this notice. Federal law gives you the right to limit some but not all marketing from our Affiliates. Federal law also requires us to give you this notice to tell you about your choice to limit marketing from our Affiliates. You may limit Affiliates, such as our [banking, credit card, insurance and consumer finance] Affiliates, from marketing their products or services to you based on your personal information that we collect and share with them. This includes information such as your income, your account history with us, and your credit score. Your choice to limit marketing offers from our Affiliates will apply until you tell us to change your choice. If you have previously informed us of your preference, you do not need to do so again.

HSBC Opt-Out

PO Box 3425

Buffalo NY 14240-9733

How are opt-outs applied for joint accounts?

For all opt-out types made available under this Privacy Policy, an opt-out request by any party on a joint account will apply to all parties on the joint account.

How do we collect and use online information?

Our Web site, www.hsbccreditcenter.com offers you the opportunity to view your current account information and make payments online, in addition to providing general information about our company and products. You may view our Privacy Policy when you visit www.hsbccreditcenter.com and click on the "Privacy" link.

To help us learn which products, services and sections of our Web site interest you, and to improve your experience, we sometimes use "cookies." A cookie is a small file that our Web server places on your hard drive to track activity on the site during a browsing session, and across multiple sessions. We also use a cookie to "remember" which online service you last logged into, so that we can pre-select that service on your next visit. The cookies we set contain no personal information, and are not shared with anyone. They can only track activity on our Web site, and cannot be read by any non-HSBC Web sites. We may also use online profiling to help us better understand your individual financial needs. This information does not identify you personally unless you voluntarily give us personal information while online.

We also work with other third parties to learn more about activity on our Web site. These vendors use "Web beacons," "tracking pixels," "third party cookies" and other similar technologies to gather user demographics and usage patterns, which help us improve the effectiveness of our marketing and of our Web site design. These vendors do not share any personally identifiable information about you.

Special notice for residents of California

If you are a California resident and we share information with Affiliates, or if we have entered into joint marketing agreements with non-affiliated financial companies, we will separately mail you a California Privacy Notice. If you do not want us to share your information with such companies, please let us know by simply completing the reply form contained in the California Privacy Notice and mailing it to the address provided.

Special notice for residents of Vermont

HSBC does not share your information with Affiliates, other than information relating to your account transactions and our experiences with you, except as permitted or required by applicable law.

Special notice for residents of Nevada

Pursuant to Nevada law, we are providing this notice, which applies to accounts with Nevada mailing addresses, to inform you that you may elect to be placed on our internal "do not call" list To be placed on the list, you may request in writing to:

HSBC Opt-Out

PO Box 3425

Buffalo NY 14240-9733

You may also contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Office of the Nevada Attorney General, 555 E. Washington Avenue, Suite 3900, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Telephone: (702) 486-3132 Email: BCPINFO@ag.state.nv.us.

Special notice for residents of Texas

Beneficial Financial I Inc. is licensed and examined under the laws of the State of Texas and by state law are subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. Any consumer wishing to file a complaint against the lender should contact the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner by: calling the Consumer Credit Hotline at (800) 538- 1579; through fax at (512) 936-7610; or by writing or visiting the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner at 2601 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78705-4207. E-mail: consumer.complaints@occc.state.tx.us. Web site: www.occc.state.tx.us.

This Privacy Policy applies to HSBC Credit Center Inc.

HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE GROUP HOLDING COMPANY **

Privacy Policy for Customers with Insurance

This paragraph applies only to customers with insurance products provided by Household Insurance Group Holding Company ("HIG"). HIG respects and protects your privacy. To administer the insurance requested by you or provided in connection with your account, HIG collects demographic information (like your name and address) and information related to insurance coverage (like information related to your account with HSBC or information related to your health). This information comes either directly from you, for instance from your application, or it may come from HSBC, such as information about your account, or it may come from a credit report or medical information bureau report. HIG takes great care to protect the privacy of this information. For example, the only employees or companies that can access such information are those who need it to provide services in connection with your insurance. Moreover, HIG maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect against unauthorized use or disclosure of that information. HIG does not disclose information about you to their respective affiliates or to third parties, except as permitted by law.

You have a right to see personal information collected about you and the right to correct any information, which may be wrong, by writing to us at the following address: Insurance Customer Service Operations, 90 Christiana Rd., New Castle, DE 19720

** Household Insurance Group Holding Company (also under the trade name of HSBC Insurance Services or HSBC Insurance) includes Household Insurance Group, Inc., Household Life Insurance Company, HSBC Insurance Company of Delaware (formerly known as Service General Insurance Company), First Central National Life Insurance Company of New York, Household Life Insurance Company of Delaware, BFC Insurance Agency of Nevada, HSBC Insurance Agency (USA) Inc., and such other companies Household Insurance Group Holding Company may subsequently acquire.

Opt-Out Request Form
Send to:
HSBC Opt-Out
PO Box 3425
Buffalo NY 14240-9733

Please do not include any other correspondence with your request, and do not include this form with your payment.

By checking the appropriate box(es) below, completing the requested information, and returning this form, you are requesting that we do not share your information (except as permitted or required by law), or that we do not allow our Affiliates to use your information for marketing purposes. This request applies only to the account number(s) designated below.

Sharing with our Affiliates: I do not want my credit information shared with other Affiliates. This request will not apply to the sharing of information about my transactions or experience with Affiliates account information, account usage, or payment history. Note: Credit information about Vermont residents is not shared with Affiliates.

Sharing with Non-Affiliates: I do not want my non-public personal information (e.g. name and address) shared with Non-Affiliates. I understand that this may prevent me from receiving valuable offers. This request will not apply to the sharing of information that is permitted or required by law. Note: Information about California and Vermont residents is not shared with Non-Affiliates.

Limiting marketing by Affiliates: I do not want your Affiliates to use my personal information for marketing purposes.

My account number is:

Please print clearly.

Name (as it appears on your account)
__________________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________________
City                                    State                                        Zip

(______)
__________________________________________________
Telephone Number

Please allow sufficient time for us to process your opt-out request(s).