In Brief: Beneficial Brass Leave Household After Merger

-Beneficial Corp.'s two top executives abruptly left their posts after the subprime lender's merger into Household International last week.

Finn W. Casperson, the former Beneficial chairman and chief executive, who was slated to earn $2.5 million annually in his new role as chairman of the merged company, was no longer there by Thursday.

Analysts said that they had expected the move-which was first reported in Thursday's Wall Street Journal-and that it may help Household's stock price. This will send a message to shareholders who worried that Beneficial executives would be "milking" the new entity, said one.

A receptionist at Beneficial's executive headquarters in Wilmington, Del., said that neither Mr. Caspersen nor his secretary worked for the company, and that she could not discuss details.

Mr. Caspersen is said to be considering purchasing Beneficial National Bank, a unit that Household is planning on selling. Several calls to Household were not returned.

Former Beneficial chief financial officer Andy Halvorsen has also left the company. Callers to Mr. Halvorsen's office heard the message: "This is Andy Halvorsen. The merger is done, and I've left the company."

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