Customer Protection

Mizuho gives first priority to our customers, and, based on the policy that earning the trust of our customers is the basis for ensuring sound management and earning the trust of other stakeholders, we will continuously verify and improve the operations of the Group from the perspective of customers in order to ensure adequacy of operations and improve customer convenience as well as compliance, and manage customer protection uniformly in the Group.

Management of Customer Protection

At Mizuho, management of customer protection refers to the management required for achieving the following from the perspective of improving the protection of our customers and improving customer convenience.

The President & Group CEO of MHFG generally oversees management of customer protection, and also heads the Compliance Committee in which related important matters are discussed. The division responsible for each customer management also provides centralized monitoring and customer protection management activities at the core group companies. The core group companies manage customer protection management at their own group companies.

Product Explanation Management

At Mizuho, the Mizuho Financial Group (the holding company) has defined standards for the management of product explanations in order to ensure a uniform understanding of product management conditions at major Group companies. From the standpoint of protecting customers and enhancing convenience, Mizuho takes the necessary steps to ensure products are described properly and sufficiently.

Major group companies clarify the procedures that need to be taken to build and maintain systems for managing product explanations, and raise awareness of these procedures internally.

Customer Service

Our Group, which has transactions with a wide range of customers, insists on responding appropriately to customer complaints and continues to work toward protecting and increasing convenience for its customers.

Regarding complaints, we also insist on responding quickly and politely and always require appropriate reports on such matters.

Furthermore, we regard customer feedback as important management assets and work continuously to improve our operations and prevent recurrences of issues for increasing customer satisfaction.

The Group establishes its own management structure by stipulating which divisions are in charge of drawing up and implementing proposals related to the supervision of customer service management. The divisions specified are responsible for centralized supervision and management of customer service in core group companies, and they report to management via the Compliance Committee, etc.

Each of the group companies has specified procedures for hearing complaints and related matters, preparing reports and records, and monitoring the administration of reports and responses. In addition, the divisions in charge also conduct centralized supervision and management of customer service and verify the appropriateness of responses to complaints including whether complaints have been solved to customers' satisfaction and understanding. In cases where the same complaints are recurring, the related divisions are required to formulate response policies, and the progress toward improvement is monitored. In addition, education and training courses are planned and implemented to ensure that employees observe matters related to customer service management.

Managing Customer Information

Accompanying progress in IT, the usage of information has increased substantially, but, on the other hand, cyberattacks have risen in number. This has led to closer scrutiny of the protection of personal information from a social standpoint. Mizuho, which provides comprehensive financial services in Japan and overseas, is aware information management that aims to appropriately protect and use information assets is of the highest importance. In our Group, we clarify our management systems for information assets, security management measures and information administration methods. Also, we train and raise the level of awareness of each and every employee regarding the proper protection of information assets, and work to strengthen our information management systems.

Managing Outsourcing

At Mizuho, the Mizuho Financial Group (the holding company) has put in place standards for managing the outsourcing of work in order to protect customers and ensure sound management.
Mizuho Bank, Mizuho Trust & Banking, Mizuho Securities, and Trust & Custody Services Bank have created their own standards for managing outsourcing in accordance with the aforementioned standards, and maintain systems for properly managing the outsourcing of work based on these standards.

In managing the outsourcing of work, Mizuho examines the aptitude of the external supplier for the work entailed, removes any suppliers unsuited for the work, selects appropriate suppliers, and ensures a proper relationship with the supplier for the outsourced work. When work is outsourced to other companies within the Group, Mizuho makes sure the transaction is properly conducted in strict accordance with arm's length rules.

Management of Conflicts of Interest

Mizuho focuses efforts on protecting customers and enhancing their convenience while addressing transactions that may involve conflicts of interest, in order to prevent the improper infringement of a customer's interests in its transactions with the customer.

Financial Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) System

In order to deal expeditiously, fairly, and appropriately with complaints, etc., from customers, each group company has concluded basic contracts for the implementation of dispute resolution procedures with various dispute resolution institutions.

MHBK and MHTB have concluded such contracts with the Japanese Bankers Association, which is a designated dispute resolution institution as defined in Japan's Banking Act. In addition, MHTB has concluded such a contract with the Trust Companies Association of Japan, and MHSC has conducted such a contract with the Financial Instruments Mediation Assistance Center (FINMAC) respectively. The designated dispute resolution institutions take steps toward resolution from a fair and neutral perspective in cases where the solutions to customers' complaints adopted by our group companies are not accepted.

The Designated Dispute Resolution Institution as Defined in Japan's Banking Act which MHBK and MHTB Concluded the Basic Contract with

The Designated Dispute Resolution Institution: the Japanese Bankers Association
Contact: Advisory Center of the Japanese Bankers Association
Tel.: +81–(0)3–5252–3772

The Designated Dispute Resolution Institution as Defined in Japan's Trust Business Act and Act on Concurrent Operation, etc. of Trust Business by Financial Institutions which MHTB Concluded the Basic Contract with

The Designated Dispute Resolution Institution: Trust Companies Association of Japan
Contact: Trust Consultation Center of the Trust Companies Association of Japan
Tel.: +81–(0)3–6206–3988