PeopleFirst.com Finances Record $1 Billion in Vehicle Loans; Loan Originations Increase More Than 300 Percent in 2000

    SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23 PeopleFirst.com, the largest online
vehicle lender, has announced it has financed a record $1 billion in auto and
motorcycle loans.  Of these loans, more than two-thirds were funded in 2000
alone.  This is an increase of more than 300 percent from a year ago,
indicating a substantial growth for the company and the online automotive
financing category overall.
    According to a recent study conducted by The Industry Standard and
Forrester, online financing continues to expect tremendous growth.  While only
five percent of all online users (about 2.2 million people) researched or
applied for their last auto loan online, more than 10 times that many,
approximately 30.8 million people, plan to use the Net the next time they need
a car loan.
    "This is a major accomplishment.  In just three short years, we are
celebrating a milestone as significant as $1 billion in loan originations,"
said Gary Miller, CEO and co-founder of PeopleFirst.com.  "Our growth is a
testament to the fact that, through the creation of our Blank Check(SM) loan
products, we are revolutionizing the financing and purchasing of vehicles in
this country by turning a traditionally painful process into an actually
pleasant experience.  The Internet enhances our efforts by allowing us to
deliver our products more efficiently, some of this efficiency we pass along
to our customer in the form of a lower interest rate.  A classic win/win
situation."

    About PeopleFirst.com
    Founded in 1995, PeopleFirst.com is the nation's largest online vehicle
lender originating and servicing consumer auto and motorcycle loans via the
Internet.  PeopleFirst.com is the pioneer of Blank Check(SM) vehicle lending,
an innovative finance option that gives loan recipients a no-obligation Blank
Check(SM) that can be used for the purchase of a new or used car or
motorcycle, as well as the refinancing of existing loans.
    PeopleFirst.com investors include American Express, Chrysalis Ventures,
DaimlerChrysler, JP Morgan Capital Corp., Madison Dearborn Partners, Mail
Boxes Etc., Moore Capital, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Venture Partners, and
Richland Ventures.
    PeopleFirst.com has marketing partnerships with Autobytel.com,
Autoweb.com, Edmunds.com, E*Trade Bank, Kelley Blue Book, LendingTree, and
NADA, among others.  The company presently offers auto and motorcycle loans in
48 states plus the District of Columbia.  To obtain more information about the
company, call PeopleFirst.com at (800) 689-1789 or visit the company's Web
site, http://www.peoplefirst.com.

    For further information, please contact Lauren Yacker of Ogilvy Public
Relations, 310-407-7922, lauren.yacker@ogilvypr.com, for PeopleFirst.com; or
Liz Deakin of PeopleFirst.com, 619-446-3445, lizd@peoplefirst.com.