Press Release

Hayes, a senior, is a criminal justice major at Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., and hopes to become a special agent for the FBI after he graduates.

"After reading Justin's heartwarming letter to us, we did not have to debate too long about why he deserves one of our customer scholarships," said Bill Sargent, district general manager for Household in Memphis. "Justin is the perfect example of what our new scholarship program is all about."

HFC branch 3593 Riverdale in Memphis held a celebration and presented the check to Justin during a ceremony in late November. His family, friends and pastor attended the event.

The HFC and Beneficial customer scholarship program is an important component of Build Your Tomorrow, Household's nationwide consumer education initiative. The customer scholarship program is a unique four-year, $8 million initiative. Qualified HFC and Beneficial customers, and their dependents, are eligible to receive up to $5,000 per calendar year to further their education - be it through a two- or four-year college or university program, non-degree classes or an accredited vocational, technical or certification program. Scholarships are renewable up to four years, but are not available for graduate or post-graduate study.

Applications for spring 2004 programs are currently being accepted. To apply for a scholarship or to request more information on the program, HFC and Beneficial customers can visit www.scholarshipadministrators.net and enter code HFBEN, or call toll-free (877) 525-8491. Customers also can pick up an application at any of the 1,300-plus HFC or Beneficial branch offices located nationwide.

About Household International, Inc.
Household International, Inc., based in Prospect Heights, Ill., is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC), one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. Households businesses are leading providers of consumer loans, credit cards, auto finance and credit insurance products in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, Household companies operate under the two oldest and most recognized names in consumer finance - HFC and Beneficial. Additionally, Household's businesses are some of the nation's largest issuers of private label and general-purpose credit cards, including The GM Card® and the AFL-CIO's Union Plus® card. For more information, visit www.household.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Friedlander
Household International
(847) 564-6137
mrfriedlander@household.com