Press Release

"Household is delighted that our employee development initiatives have yet again been recognized by Training magazine," said Anne McIntosh, vice president of training and development. "At Household, training and development are key components of the Complete Reward package we offer employees, and contribute to our success as a company. We continually strive to develop programs that add value to our employees and help them achieve their career goals."

The publication's annual listing ranks companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. Included in the quantitative criteria are:

• Tuition reimbursement plan
• Total training budget
• Percentage of payroll (allocated to training)
• Recipients
• Training hours
• Evaluation
• Content

Qualitative criteria includes:

• How well training is strategically linked to business goals
• Training's contribution to real business metrics
• Flexibility
• Personal development
• Special methods
• Culture

"Through its comprehensive workforce development programs, Household International clearly understands that the ultimate prosperity of the organization is directly related to the extent that people are encouraged to develop their own potential," said Tammy Galvin, editor-in-chief of Training magazine. "What's more, Household does an exemplary job of ensuring that all of those development initiatives are tied to real business results."

Household provides a variety of training opportunities designed to benefit all employees, including internal and external seminars, computer-based training, and Web-based training. Specific initiatives and programming include, but are not limited to, the Accelerated Management Program (AMP) and Striving to Excel Program (STEP) which are specific business unit rotational programs that identify high potential entry- and mid-level employees and provide them with functional rotations; Leadership Curriculum, which involves a mix of required and "peak performance" courses, which support Household's success factors; and the General Management Training Program (GMTP) designed to ensure that rising stars have the knowledge and experience they need to become senior-level leaders.

Household employs more than 230 training professionals nationwide. Moreover, employees received an average of 50 hours of training per person in 2003. Household trainers strategically link the company's corporate strategy with all aspects of training and development curriculum.

Training opportunities are just one component of Household's Complete Reward package - a variety of industry-leading programs featuring benefits, compensation and incentives, employee services and discounts, and philanthropic programs. In addition to appearing on the Training Top 100, Household is also nationally recognized as an "employer of choice" by Working Mother, Computerworld, Money, Black Collegian and DiversityInc.com.

About Household International, Inc.
Household International, Inc., based in Prospect Heights, Ill., is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings, Inc., one of the top 10 financial services holding companies in the United States. Household's 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.