Decision One Channel to Close

HSBC Holdings PLC
21 September 2007


The following news release was issued in the United States by HSBC Finance
Corporation, a 100 per cent indirectly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc.


            HSBC FINANCE EXITS NON-PRIME WHOLESALE MORTGAGE BUSINESS
                         Decision One channel to close

Prospect Heights, Ill. - As part of the continued review of its mortgage lending
business, HSBC Finance Corporation ("HSBC Finance") said today that it will
close its non-core wholesale lending channel, Decision One Mortgage, which
originates non-prime mortgages through brokers. HSBC Finance will focus on
originating and servicing loans through its consumer lending branch network
under the HFC and Beneficial brands.

"We are delivering the strategy put in place earlier this year to position HSBC
Finance's mortgage business for long-term success," said Brendan McDonagh, Chief
Executive Officer. "Today's market requires a strong and flexible business
platform, and we will focus on our branch network as the primary point to
provide our HSBC Finance customers with loans and mortgages."

"This is a small part of our U.S. business," said Michael Geoghegan, Group Chief
Executive, HSBC Holdings plc. "It's no longer sustainable and not the right
place to allocate capital in the future. We said we would make tough decisions
and we have done exactly that."

Approximately 750 Decision One employees, primarily in Fort Mill, S.C., Phoenix,
Ariz., and Charlotte, N.C., will be affected by the closure of the wholesale
non-prime channel. "We greatly appreciate the dedication and contribution of our
Decision One employees during these unique market conditions," said McDonagh.
HSBC Finance will continue to provide its contractual servicing and support
functions to manage down the current Decision One warehoused volumes, currently
standing at $349 million.

As a result of this decision, and when considered in conjunction with
management's decision in March 2007 to discontinue correspondent channel
acquisitions in its Mortgage Services business (of which Decision One is part)
HSBC Finance will record a non-cash charge to eliminate the goodwill allocated
to  this segment at the time of acquisition of HSBC Finance. As a result, it
will  record a non-cash after-tax goodwill impairment of approximately $880
million on  a U.S. GAAP basis. Further, it will incur approximately $65 million
of after-tax  charges for restructuring costs, including one-time employment
termination benefits,  fixed asset write-downs and facility closure costs. The
financial effects will be  incurred in the second half of 2007.

There will be no associated goodwill impairment recognized by HSBC Finance's
ultimate parent, HSBC Holdings plc.

About HSBC Finance Corporation

HSBC Finance Corporation is a subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc.,
one of the top ten financial organizations in the United States with assets
totalling more than $400 billion. HSBC Finance Corporation's subsidiaries
provide real estate secured loans, auto loans, MasterCard(R) and Visa(R) credit
cards, private label credit cards, personal non-credit card loans, taxpayer
financial services and specialty insurance products.

Notes to editors:

HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC Holdings plc serves over 125 million customers worldwide through around
10,000 offices in 83 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific
region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of some US$2,150
billion at 30 June 2007, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and
financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as 'the world's
local bank'.


                             
                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange                  RB