Variable Interest Entities

We consolidate variable interest entities (“VIEs”) in which we are deemed to be the primary beneficiary through our holding of a variable interest which is determined as a controlling financial interest. The controlling financial interest is evidenced by the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact their economic performance and obligations to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the VIEs that could be potentially significant to the VIEs. We take into account all of our involvements in VIEs in identifying (explicit or implicit) variable interests that individually or in the aggregate could be significant enough to warrant our designation as the primary beneficiary and hence require us to consolidate the VIEs or otherwise require us to make appropriate disclosures. We consider our involvement to be significant where we, among other things, (i) provide liquidity facilities to support the VIE's debt issuances, (ii) enter into derivative contracts to absorb the risks and benefits from the VIEs or from the assets held by the VIEs, (iii) provide a financial guarantee that covers assets held or liabilities issued, (iv) design, organize and structure the transaction and (v) retain a financial or servicing interest in the VIEs.

We are required to evaluate whether to consolidate a VIE when we first become involved and on an ongoing basis. In almost all cases, a qualitative analysis of our involvement in the entity provides sufficient evidence to determine whether we are the primary beneficiary. In rare cases, a more detailed analysis to quantify the extent of variability to be absorbed by each variable interest holder is required to determine the primary beneficiary.

Consolidated VIEs Historically, we have organized special purpose entities (“SPEs”) primarily to meet our funding needs through collateralized funding transactions. As part of these transactions, we transferred certain receivables to these trusts which in turn issued debt instruments collateralized by the transferred receivables. The entities used in these transactions are VIEs. As we are the servicer of the assets of these trusts and have retained the benefits and risks, we determined that we are the primary beneficiary of these trusts. Accordingly, we consolidate these entities and report the debt securities issued by them as secured financings in long-term debt. As a result, all receivables transferred in these secured financings remain and continue to remain on our balance sheet and the debt securities issued by them have remained and continue to be included in long-term debt. As all of our ongoing funding requirements have been integrated into the overall HSBC North America funding plans, we no longer use collateralized funding transactions to meet our funding needs.

The assets and liabilities of the consolidated secured financing VIE consisted of the following as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:



	March 31, 2016						December 31, 2015
	Consolidated Assets			Consolidated Liabilities			Consolidated Assets			Consolidated Liabilities
	(in millions)
Real estate collateralized funding vehicles:
Receivables, net:
Real estate secured receivables	$	1,305		$	—		$	1,654		$	—
Accrued interest income and other	56			—			76			—
Credit loss reserves	(71		)	—			(94		)	—
Receivables, net	1,290			—			1,636			—
Other liabilities	—			(22		)	—			(22		)
Long-term debt	—			694			—			879
Total	$	1,290		$	672		$	1,636		$	857

The assets of the consolidated VIE serve as collateral for the obligations of the VIE. The holders of the debt securities issued by these vehicles have no recourse to our general assets.

Unconsolidated VIEs We do not have any unconsolidated VIEs.