Press Release

Prospect Heights, IL -- January 21, 2003 - Household International (NYSE: HI), the $110 billion (managed assets) lender, today announced that its retail services business has signed an agreement to manage the private label credit card program for Menard, Inc., the third largest home improvement retailer in the United States.

Through the agreement, Menards retail customers will benefit from special financing options, low monthly payments, discounts, and other rewards. Household's program will also offer revolving credit lines to contractors, commercial and other businesses.

"As one of the nation's leading home improvement retailers, Menards has built a reputation for putting customers' needs first. We leveraged our expertise in private label credit card management to offer additional financing solutions for Menards customers," said Sandy Derickson, managing director and CEO, Household's retail services business.

As one of the nation's leading private-label credit card providers, Household's retail services business works with more than 70 partners at 63,000 locations across the country to help them attract new customers and build consumer loyalty. Committed to enhancing the customer experience in every single transaction, Household provides flexible, customized credit card and marketing solutions for many of the world's largest retailers and manufacturers including, Best Buy, CompUSA, Costco, GM Goodwrench, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, and Sony.

About Menards
Menards, a privately held company based in Eau Claire, Wis., is the third-largest home improvement chain in the US. Menards has over 170 stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Menards is owned by president and CEO John Menard, who founded the company in 1962.

About Household
Household's businesses are leading providers of consumer loan, credit card, auto finance, and credit insurance products in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, Household's largest business, founded in 1878, operates under the two oldest and most widely recognized names in consumer finance -- HFC and Beneficial. Household is also one of the nation's largest issuers of private-label and general-purpose credit cards, including the Best Buy Card, The GM Card® and the AFL-CIO's Union Plus® card. For more information, visit the company's Web site at household.com.

For more information
Contact Kathleen Morrison, Corporate Communications, Household, 847-564-6111, kamorrison@household.com