Bank Deposit Guarantee Protection

HSBC welcomes the actions taken by governments around the world to support the banking system. Consistent with many other countries around the world, the Australian Government announced deposit guarantee plans to foster greater confidence in the community, safeguard Australians from the global financial crises, and protect deposits in Australian banks.

As a local subsidiary of the HSBC Group, HSBC Bank Australia Limited is eligible for the Australian Government's deposit guarantee scheme.

Recent Changes to the Guarantee Scheme for Large Deposits and Wholesale Funding:

In light of recent Australian Government announcements, below are updates with specific reference to HSBC deposits and wholesale funding.

Effective 31 March 2010, the Australian Government has closed its Guarantee Scheme for Large Deposits and Wholesale Funding. Below are some important aspects of this closure:

• Depositors who have made arrangements prior to 31 March 2010 to cover their deposit balances above $1 million under the Guarantee Scheme will have those funds (above $1 million) covered to maturity, for term deposits up to five years, or until October 2015 for at call deposits.
• For at call accounts, the amount covered is capped at the closing guaranteed amount on 31 March 2010 and is subject to other conditions.
• Guarantee Scheme fees will continue to apply to maturity for wholesale liabilities.

Deposits per person with HSBC Bank Australia Limited up to and including $1 million (and changing to $250,000 from 1 February 2012) will continue to be covered for free by the Financial Claims Scheme ("FCS"). In September 2011 the Australian Government has made the following announcements:

• Effective from 12 October 2011, the FCS will no longer apply to foreign currency deposits and will only cover deposits denominated in Australian dollars.
• Effective from 1 February 2012, the cap of $1 million will be abolished and a new cap of $250,000 will apply.
• Existing term deposits that existed on 10 September 2011 will be covered up to $1 million until 31 December 2012 or until the deposit matures, whichever occurs sooner.

For more information, please refer to the Australian Government deposit guarantee website and the Financial Claims Scheme FAQ.