Exhibit 5

December 15, 2004

HSBC Finance Corporation
2700 Sanders Road
Prospect Heights, IL  60070

Re:  HSBC Finance Corporation
     Registration Statement of Form S-3
     For $15,000,000,000 of Debt Securities
     And Warrants to Purchase Debt Securities
     ----------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As Vice President, Deputy General Counsel-Corporate and Assistant Secretary of
HSBC Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (formerly Household
International, Inc.) ("HSBC Finance"), I am generally familiar with the
proceedings in connection with HSBC Finance's Registration Statement on Form S-3
(the "Registration Statement") in which $15,000,000,000 aggregate principal
amount of Debt Securities and Warrants to Purchase Debt Securities of HSBC
Finance are being registered. Each issuance of Debt Securities constituting
senior debt of HSBC Finance will be issuable under one of the following
Indentures, currently executed by the parties thereto: (i) an amended and
restated indenture dated as of December 15, 2004 between HSBC Finance and U.S.
Bank National Association, as Trustee (the "U.S. Bank Indenture"), (ii) an
amended and restated indenture dated as of December 15, 2004 between HSBC
Finance and J.P. Morgan Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee (the
"J.P. Morgan Indenture"), and (iii) an amended and restated indenture dated as
of December 15, 2004 between HSBC Finance and BNY Midwest Trust Company, as
Trustee (the "BNY Indenture"). Debt Securities constituting senior subordinated
debt of HSBC Finance will be issuable under an Indenture to be entered into
between HSBC Finance and BNY Midwest Trust Company, as Trustee (the "BNY
Subordinated Indenture"). The Warrants, if and when issued, will be issuable
under a warrant agreement between HSBC Finance and a national or state banking
institution (the "Warrant Agreement"). The foregoing Indentures and the form of
the Warrant Agreement have been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") as exhibits to the Registration Statement.



Based upon my review of the records and documents of HSBC Finance, I am of the
opinion that:

1.   HSBC Finance is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under
     the laws of the State of Delaware.

2.   The U.S. Bank Indenture, J.P. Morgan Indenture and BNY Indenture have been
     duly authorized, executed and delivered by HSBC Finance, and constitute
     valid and legally binding instruments of HSBC Finance enforceable in
     accordance with their terms, except as enforcement of the provisions
     thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other
     laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by
     general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
     considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

3.   The BNY Subordinated Indenture will, after being duly authorized, executed
     and delivered by HSBC Finance, constitute a valid and legally binding
     instrument of HSBC Finance enforceable in accordance with its terms, except
     as enforcement of the provisions thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
     insolvency, reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the
     enforcement of creditors' rights or by general principles of equity
     (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
     equity or at law).

4.   Any Warrant Agreement will, after being duly authorized, executed and
     delivered by HSBC Finance, constitute a valid and legally binding
     instrument of HSBC Finance enforceable in accordance with its terms, except
     as enforcement of the provisions thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
     insolvency, reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the
     enforcement of creditors' rights or by general principles of equity
     (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
     equity or at law).

5.   When the issuance of the Debt Securities and the Warrants to Purchase Debt
     Securities, as the case may be, has been duly authorized by appropriate
     corporate action, and such Debt Securities and Warrants to Purchase Debt
     Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered
     against payment of the agreed consideration therefor in accordance with the
     Indenture or the Warrant Agreement, and as described in the Registration
     Statement, including the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement relating to
     such Debt Securities and Warrants to Purchase Debt Securities, such Debt
     Securities and Warrants to Purchase Debt Securities will be legally and
     validly issued and will be the legal and binding obligations of HSBC
     Finance enforceable in accordance with their terms, except an enforcement
     of the provisions thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
     reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of
     creditors' rights or by general principles of equity (regardless of whether
     such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).



I hereby consent to the use of my name and my opinion in any Prospectus and
Prospectus Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424 of Regulation C of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), in connection with the
Registration Statement as amended by Amendment No. 1 filed with the Commission
on December 16, 2004, including any references to my opinions set forth in the
documents incorporated by reference therein, and to the filing of this consent
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent I do not
admit that I am in the category of persons whose consent is required under
Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commissions thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Patrick D. Schwartz
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Patrick D. Schwartz