50,000 Americans (and counting)
Have Started Building a Brighter Financial Future
Household International encourages consumers to start the New Year off on the right financial track with the Your Credit Counts Challenge

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. - Since the Your Credit Counts Challenge started eight weeks ago, more than 6,000 people a week-for a total of more than 50,000 consumers nationwide-have visited YourCreditCounts.com® to take the first step toward improving their financial future.

Though tens of thousands more U.S. consumers are expected to take the challenge before it winds down on Jan. 9, 2004, its sponsor, Household International, Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC), continues to encourage people to visit the site and begin to build a brighter financial future for themselves and their families.

"The Your Credit Counts Challenge will help people financially prepare for the New Year by providing tools and tips to understand their credit score, an important first step toward setting and meeting personal financial goals," said Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett, who has teamed with Household on this important program. "In fact, Household's national survey revealed that while most U.S. consumers agree it is important to know their credit score, three out of four don't, and many people have never even seen their credit report."

The Challenge is a credit education campaign that encourages people to understand the importance of their credit score, helping them become better informed borrowers. Household launched the three-month Challenge in partnership with Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) in October 2003.

Consumers have until Jan. 9, 2004 to visit YourCreditCounts.com to:
Learn more about the importance of a credit score and find tips on how to improve their score.
Take the Credit Score Quiz, and be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a grand prize of $25,000, or one of 60 other cash prizes.
Obtain a complimentary online copy of their Equifax Score Power® report, which includes their Equifax Credit Profile, Fico® Credit Score - the score most lenders use - and a personalized score analysis valued at $12.95. (Limit one per person; reports only available in English.)

A credit score is a number based on an individual's credit history that helps a lender measure that person's credit risk. Credit scores are based on the information contained in a credit report at the time the score is requested and can vary over time and among credit reporting agencies. Credit scores make loan applications quicker, credit decisions fairer, and credit rates lower overall. Generally, the rule of thumb is the higher the credit score, the lower the risk.

"Credit education is an important undertaking in our society," said Robin Holland, senior vice president, customer service of Equifax. "Our goal is to provide solutions that enlighten, enable and empower consumers to manage their financial well-being. Consumers stand to benefit from the Your Credit Counts Challenge by taking a close look at their credit report and score, the most fundamental gauges of their financial well-being."

About Build Your Tomorrow
The Your Credit Counts Challenge is one of several consumer education initiatives being implemented by Household and its consumer finance companies, HFC and Beneficial, through its nationwide Build Your Tomorrow program. Build Your Tomorrow combines the power of financial education and new educational opportunities to provide consumers with the practical knowledge they can benefit from almost immediately.

Components of Build Your Tomorrow also include:
Financial education workshops - Through the end of 2004, Household will be hosting more than 120 free financial education workshops across the country. For more information, write to Household's community relations department at communityrelations@household.com.

Financial education grant program - In 2004, Household will award $1million in grants to grassroots organizations in Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix, Ariz.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Seattle. This will help local organizations enable their communities to obtain financial management tools and information. This is the third segment of a three-year nationwide financial education grant commitment totaling $3 million. For more information, visit the community section of www.household.com or write to communityrelations@household.com.

HFC and Beneficial customer scholarships - Household has committed $8 million to a new four-year scholarship program for HFC and Beneficial customers. For more information, visit www.scholarshipadministrators.net and enter code HFBEN, or call (877) 525-8491. Customers can also pick up an application at any of the 1,300-plus HFC or Beneficial brand offices located nationwide.

More information is available at www.household.com/buildyourtomorrow.

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. 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.