For immediate release

What's an award-winning interior designer doing at Bankrate.com?
Bankrate.com and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse launch Alexander Julian's Fantasy Room Makeover Sweepstakes

NORTH PALM BEACH, FLA. -- Nov. 13, 2001 -- Bankrate.com, the Internet's leading consumer finance marketplace and flagship site of Bankrate, Inc., (OTCBB: RATE), and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, the home improvement choice of more than 6 million shoppers per week, announce the launch of a joint promotion -- Alexander Julian's "Fantasy Room Makeover Sweepstakes."

The new year is just around the corner. It's time for resolutions, reflections, and renewals. Why not let this year's New Year's resolution include a complete room makeover for your home? And in the process of helping you redesign the room of your choice, we'll lavish you with the ultimate royal treatment. This isn't just any room makeover. It's a regal experience. To enter today, go to http://www.lowes.com/roommakeover.

This incredible prize package offers everything you need to redecorate with style. Award-winning Alexander Julian's At Home line of paints, wallcoverings, carpets, rugs, laminate flooring, pillows and curtains are sold at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. Alexander Julian's decorating guide is available in all Lowe's stores and on lowes.com. The winner and a guest will receive round trip airfare to Alexander Julian's studio. Alexander Julian will work with the winner and provide a personal room makeover consultation. He will then accompany the winner on a personal shopping trip to Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. Lowe's and Bankrate will deliver a $3,000 Lowe's gift card to finance the room makeover shopping trip. In addition to a wonderful day of designing and shopping, the winner will be treated to transportation in a luxury limousine and will then be escorted to a charming Bed & Breakfast for the evening.

"While it's always fun to redecorate your home," explained Elisabeth DeMarse, president and CEO of Bankrate, "this sweepstakes has a broader goal. Both Bankrate.com and Lowe's want to take this time to thank our customers and offer them a sweepstakes that is both timely and relevant to today's economy. With the current rocky market and recent interest rate cuts, people are becoming more concerned about the safety of their finances. Many consumers are choosing to re-invest in their homes with home equity and improvement loans. Bankrate.com and Lowe's have partnered to offer a sweepstakes that ties these issues together -- finances and home. Bankrate can offer the financial information and Lowe's can offer the hardware and design expertise.

"We are thrilled to partner with Lowe's because it is a fantastic organization that is also very interested in their customers," continued DeMarse. "This sweepstakes allows both of our companies to thank our clients and let them know that we are both here to help -- whether that help comes in the form of home decorating ideas, an award-winning designer or personal finance information and tools that help consumers save and make money."

"Bankrate has always been there to help consumers make educated personal finance decisions," noted Beth Planakis, director of marketing for Bankrate, Inc. "Our site offers daily tips, suggestions, award-winning articles and rates on everything from mortgages to credit cards to home improvement loans. By partnering with Lowe's on this sweepstakes, we believe we have found the perfect companion to our personal finance tools and advice. If you're looking for a home equity loan, you're obviously interesting in improving the look of your house. That's where Lowe's steps in.

Alex Julian said, "I want to enable people to get comfortable about decorating. I've designed this program so the consumer chooses how much direction they want or need. We're also pleased to be able to offer consumers the Alexander Julian At Home Decorating Guide, available at Lowe's, filled with more than 40 pages of photography and 'coordination' information. They can pull directly from this guide or apply their own creativity, with the guide as a reference, and feel confident their choices will work. I've taken the risk out of layering textures, colors and patterns. There's nothing else like it under one roof."

"Investing in the growing value of the home is a top priority for many Americans," said Shaun Fowler, Internet marketing specialist for Lowe's. "This exciting program will make a lucky shopper's dreams come true."

This sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents 18 and older, and ends Dec. 31, 2001. Maximum entry limit is one entry per household per day. To enter today, go to http://www.lowes.com/roommakeover

About Bankrate.com
Bankrate.com is owned and operated by Bankrate, Inc. (OTCBB:RATE). Bankrate.com is the Internet's leading consumer banking marketplace, with an average of 4 million unique visitors per month connecting with more than 4,500 financial institutions in 173 markets in 50 states. Bankrate.com is a destination site of personal finance channels, including banking, investing, taxes and small business finance. It is the leading aggregator of more than 191 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used auto loans, money market accounts and CDs, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees.

Bankrate.com provides financial applications and information to a network of more than 100 partners including MSN (NASDAQ: MSFT), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), America Online (NYSE: AOL), and Smart Money. Bankrate.com's information is also distributed through more than 100 national and state publications.

About Lowe's
With more than 700 stores in 40 states, Lowe's is one of the nation's leading providers of home improvement, home decor and gardening products. Lowe's is the only place to find the complete Alexander Julian At Home collection of paints, wall coverings, carpets, rugs and laminate flooring. Lowe's offers in-store kitchen design, complete installation services, and free how-to clinics for the do-it-yourselfer. Plus, Lowe's Pros in every store offer expert advice. For more information, visit or shop lowes.com.

About Alexander Julian Inc.
Alexander Julian At Home is a comprehensive home furnishings and home improvement program based on the lifestyle and design philosophies of world famous fashion and home furnishings designer, Alex Julian. Alex is on top of how we really live and his casual, easy-going nature is the basis for all he creates. His philosophy on comfort transcends design to become a lifestyle. Alexander Julian At Home furniture, decorative accessories and soft home collections at specialty retail complement his home improvement and decorating program at Lowe's nationwide. Alexander Julian Inc. is located in Connecticut.

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Investors are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by such statements and are advised to consult our current SEC filings for additional information concerning risk factors that affect the company's business.

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