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WaFd Bank

WaFd Bank (formerly known as Washington Federal) is a regional bank based in Seattle, Washington. It operates 210 branches in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas.[1] It is on the list of largest banks in the United States.

History

The bank was founded on April 24, 1917 in Ballard, Washington as Ballard Savings and Loan by a group of businessmen. In 1958, it merged with Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association of Bothell. The bank took the name Washington Federal for "wider geographical acceptance".

The bank demutualized in 1982 and the present holding company structure was adopted in 1995.

In 2019, the bank was rebranded as WaFd Bank (pronounced Wah-Fed), a long-used nickname for the bank.[2]

In January 2025, WaFd Bank announced it would exit mortgage lending after more than a century in the market, citing rising regulatory burdens and limited profitability, and refocus its business model on small business banking and commercial lending.[3]

Acquisitions

  • Seattle Federal Savings and Loan, 1971
  • First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Mount Vernon, Washington, 1978
  • United First Federal, Boise, Idaho, 1987
  • Provident Federal Savings and Loan, Boise, 1987
  • Northwest Federal Savings and Loan, Boise, 1988
  • Freedom Federal Savings and Loan, Corvallis, Oregon, 1988
  • Family Federal Savings and Loan Association, Dallas, Oregon, 1990
  • First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 1991
  • Metropolitan Savings Association, Portland and Eugene, Oregon, 1991
  • First Federal Savings Bank, Salt Lake City, 1993
  • West Coast Mutual Savings Bank, Centralia, Washington, 1996
  • Metropolitan Bancorp, Seattle, November 29, 1996[4]
  • United Savings and Loan Bank (4 branches, based in Seattle) for $65 million in 2003. Founded on July 6, 1960, it was the first savings and loan owned by Asian Americans.[5]
  • First Mutual Bank, Bellevue, Washington, 2008[6]
  • Horizon Bank (18 branches), seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation after bank failure, Bellingham, Washington, 2010[7][8]
  • Charter Bank, 6 branches, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2011 [9]
  • South Valley Bancorp Inc., Klamath Falls, Oregon, 2012[10]
  • 51 branches from Bank of America in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and New Mexico, 2013
  • 23 branches from Bank of America in Arizona and Nevada, 2014[11]
  • Luther Burbank Savings in California and Washington, March 2024.[12]

External links

References

  1. Washington Federal, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K Annual Report U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission^
  2. Our Company - Our Promise, Difference & Values wafdbank, retrieved 2023-10-14^
  3. SUSAN WOOD. Why this buyer of Santa Rosa bank is exiting mortgage business after 117 years The North Bay Business Journal, 2025-02-12, retrieved 2025-06-26^
  4. Washington Federal to buy Metropolitan Bancorp Kitsap Sun, July 16, 1996^
  5. WASHINGTON FEDERAL TO BUY UNITED SAVINGS AND LOAN The New York Times, May 21, 2003^
  6. Washington Federal, Inc. to Acquire First Mutual Bancshares, Inc. Globe Newswire, July 2, 2007^
  7. FDIC Failed Bank Information for Horizon Bank, Bellingham, WA Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation^
  8. DAVE GALLAGHER, JOHN STARK. Regulators shut down Horizon Bank; Washington Federal takes over The Bellingham Herald, January 8, 2010^
  9. Washington Federal buys Charter Bank American City Business Journals, June 9, 2011, retrieved 2022-10-28^
  10. Matthew Kish. South Valley Bank sold to Washington Federal American City Business Journals, April 5, 2012^
  11. Tim Gallen. Washington Federal buys 23 retail branches in Arizona, Nevada from Bank of America American City Business Journals, January 24, 2014^
  12. New signs mark WaFd's buyout of Luther Burbank Savings in Santa Rosa March 4, 2024^