What do most agencies do with the information that is obtained during the initial screening? Is it a rude question to ask up front? The screening concept makes sense; however, providing personal information which ends up in a data file that may fall into the wrong hands in the future is a problem that concerns me.

The exact reason why many hobbyists choose independent ladies over agency gals. Independents have more to lose than an office worker at a big agency who gets careless.

You can ask but you won't get a straight answer. I use indies and I use agencies.  I have never had any trouble with either.  That being said, I know for a fact that a couple of indie girls I have seen in the past save my contact info since I have been contacted by them when they where in town.  I have never been contacted by an agency.

I'm sure that some agencies save your info. At the very least they have a list of names and phone numbers of guys who no-show or cause trouble.

Agencies are MORE likely to keep your information but some independents are not as discreet as they advertise. You take a risk either way, this hobby is risky and you can never be 100% sure of ANYTHING.

If an agency or independent asks for a deposit upfront, they will keep your information on hand. Paying with credit or debit also is a bad idea.