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2026 Who Brands. All information is provided for educational purposes. Brand names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners.

  1. Home
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  3. Finance & Fintech
  4. Wells Fargo Advisors
Wells Fargo Advisors logo
Finance & Fintech

Who Owns Wells Fargo Advisors?

Wells Fargo Advisors is the wealth management and brokerage arm of Wells Fargo & Company, a publicly traded American financial services company founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, trading on NYSE under ticker WFC. It is one of America's largest full-service wealth businesses, serving clients through a network of financial advisors in bank branches and standalone offices, plus the WellsTrade self-directed platform.

Parent Company

Wells Fargo & Company

Founded

1852

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

premiumpremiumUnited StatesunisexOfficial Website

Who Owns Wells Fargo Advisors?

  • Parent Company: Wells Fargo & Company
  • Ownership Type: Division
  • Company Type: Publicly Traded
  • Stock Ticker: NYSE: WFC
BrandParent CompanyOwnership Type
Wells Fargo AdvisorsWells Fargo & CompanyDivision

History of Wells Fargo Advisors

  • Founded: 1852
  • Founders: Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo offered investment services for more than a century, but the modern Wells Fargo Advisors was born from crisis-era consolidation. Wachovia had acquired the venerable St. Louis brokerage A.G. Edwards in 2007; when Wells Fargo bought Wachovia in 2008-2009, A.G. Edwards combined with Wachovia Securities and was renamed Wells Fargo Advisors.

The merged firm became one of the industry's largest advisor networks, combining branch-based advisors inside Wells Fargo banks with standalone brokerage offices. WellsTrade serves self-directed investors online, and First Clearing provides correspondent clearing services to independent broker-dealers.

Like the parent bank, the unit carried reputational damage from the scandal era, including referrals into unsuitable products and sales-practice reviews. Wells Fargo sold its asset management arm to GTCR in 2021, keeping the advisor network and brokerage as the core wealth business.

About Wells Fargo & Company

Who owns Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo & Company is a publicly traded corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WFC. No single shareholder holds a controlling stake. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders. Berkshire Hathaway, once the largest shareholder, has significantly reduced its position in recent years.

What is Wells Fargo's annual revenue?
Wells Fargo reported total revenue of $83.7 billion for fiscal year 2025, up 2% from $82.3 billion in 2024. Net income for FY2025 was $21.3 billion, or $6.26 per diluted share. The company's primary revenue driver is net interest income, which totaled $47.5 billion in FY2025, supplemented by $36.2 billion in noninterest income from fees, advisory services, and other sources.

Is the Wells Fargo asset cap still in place?
No. The Federal Reserve removed the asset growth restriction on June 3, 2025, after determining that Wells Fargo had met all required conditions under the 2018 enforcement action. On March 5, 2026, the Fed terminated the enforcement action entirely. The asset cap had limited Wells Fargo's total assets to approximately $1.95 trillion for seven years.

Who is the CEO of Wells Fargo?
Charlie Scharf has served as Chief Executive Officer since October 2019. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Scharf was CEO of Visa and Bank of New York Mellon. Under his leadership, Wells Fargo has focused on improving risk management, terminating multiple consent orders, reducing costs, and investing in digital capabilities. Mike Santomassimo serves as Chief Financial Officer.

How many employees does Wells Fargo have?
Wells Fargo employed approximately 205,000 people as of December 31, 2025, with approximately 76% based in the United States. The company's workforce has declined from approximately 268,000 in 2020, reflecting efficiency initiatives and severance programs under CEO Charlie Scharf. The global workforce was 50% female and 50% male as of the end of 2025.

What are Wells Fargo's main business segments?
Wells Fargo operates through four reportable segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth and Investment Management. Consumer Banking and Lending is the largest segment by revenue, providing checking and savings accounts, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, and auto loans to individual consumers.

Is Wells Fargo a systemically important financial institution?
Yes. Wells Fargo is classified as a systemically important financial institution by U.S. regulators and is one of the "Big Four" U.S. banks alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. This designation subjects the company to enhanced regulatory oversight, including higher capital requirements and stress testing requirements.

What was the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal?
In September 2016, Wells Fargo was fined $185 million by the CFPB, OCC, and the City and County of Los Angeles for creating approximately 2 million unauthorized bank and credit card accounts in customers' names. The scandal led to the resignation of CEO John Stumpf, a $3 billion DOJ/SEC settlement in 2020, and a Federal Reserve asset cap in 2018 that lasted until June 2025.

  • Founded: 1852
  • Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
  • Company Type: Publicly Traded
  • Stock: NYSE: WFC
  • Revenue: $83.7B (FY2025)
  • Employees: ~205,000

Visit Wells Fargo & Company website

View full company profile for Wells Fargo & Company

Where Is Wells Fargo Advisors Made / Based?

  • Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Manufacturing / Operations: United States

Wells Fargo Advisors Categories & Tags

Wealth ManagementFinancial AdvisorBrokerageInvestingRetirement

Wells Fargo Advisors Sustainability & Ethics

The unit operates under the parent's compliance framework, which underwent extensive overhaul following the scandal era. Advisors offers ESG and values-aligned portfolios, and the business absorbed consent-order remediation covering unsuitable recommendations and referral practices.

Awards & Recognition

Wells Fargo Advisors advisors regularly appear on Barron's and Forbes advisor rankings. The firm's Clearing Services platform is a recognized provider for independent broker-dealers.

Wells Fargo Advisors Recalls & Controversies

Sales practices: The unit absorbed fallout from the bank-wide scandal era, including reviews of account referrals and product suitability, and enforcement actions covering recordkeeping and off-channel communications common across large brokerages.

Brands Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo AutoFinance Fintech

Wells Fargo Auto

Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Auto lending division of Wells Fargo providing dealer-financed car loans and lease-related financing through thousands of dealership relationships nationwide.

auto-loanscar-financingdealer-financing
Wells Fargo BankFinance Fintech

Wells Fargo Bank

Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Flagship retail and commercial banking brand of Wells Fargo, serving tens of millions of customers through approximately 4,000 branches and 11,000 ATMs nationwide.

bankingretail-bankchecking
Wells Fargo Home MortgageFinance Fintech

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Mortgage origination and servicing business of Wells Fargo, historically America's largest home lender, serving borrowers through its branch network and digital channels.

mortgagehome-loansrefinancing
Wells Fargo Private BankFinance Fintech

Wells Fargo Private Bank

Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Private banking and wealth management division of Wells Fargo serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions.

private-bankingwealth-managementtrust-services
View all brands owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo Advisors Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

  • +Referral engine from 4,000-branch bank network
  • +Scale advisor force with both branch and standalone models
  • +Full-service breadth from self-directed WellsTrade to private wealth
  • +Clearing services subsidiary adds institutional revenue

Considerations

  • -Advisor attrition to independent RIAs has been a persistent trend
  • -Parent's scandal-era reputation complicates recruiting and retention
  • -Compensation trails wirehouse peers in some markets
  • -Bank-tied model less flexible than independent platforms

Frequently Asked Questions About Wells Fargo Advisors

Sources & Further Reading

  • [Wells Fargo Advisors](
  • [Wells Fargo Investor Relations](
  • [Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management](

Competitors to Wells Fargo Advisors

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

BrandParent CompanyCountryFoundedMarket PositionPrimary MarketGender Target
Merrill LynchMerrill Lynch
Bank Of America
USA
1914
PremiumUnited statesUnisex
Charles SchwabCharles Schwab
Charles Schwab
USA
1971
Mass marketUnited statesAll Genders
E*TRADEE*TRADE
Morgan Stanley
USA (Morgan Stanley)
1982
Market leaderUnited statesAll-consumers
Smith BarneySmith Barney
Morgan Stanley
USA
1873
Mass marketUnited statesAll Genders
thinkorswimthinkorswim
Charles Schwab
USA
1999
PremiumUnited statesAll Genders

Learn More About Competitors

Merrill LynchFinance Fintech

Merrill Lynch

Owned by Bank of America Corporation

American wealth management brand founded in 1914, serving millions of clients through advisor-led and digital investing services under Bank of America.

wealth-managementinvestingfinancial-advisor
Charles SchwabFinance Fintech

Charles Schwab

Owned by The Charles Schwab Corporation

American brokerage and wealth management brand serving 38.5 million active accounts and $11.90 trillion in client assets, flagship of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

brokerageinvestingwealth-management
E*TRADEFinance Fintech

E*TRADE

Owned by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley's digital retail brokerage brand, acquired in 2020 for approximately $13 billion, offering self-directed investing, trading, and banking to millions of clients.

online-brokerageinvestingtrading
Smith BarneyFinance Fintech

Smith Barney

Owned by Morgan Stanley

Historic American brokerage and wealth management brand, now part of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

wealth-managementbrokerageinvestment-advisory
thinkorswimFinance Fintech

thinkorswim

Owned by The Charles Schwab Corporation

Professional-grade trading platform created in 1999, owned by Charles Schwab since the 2020 TD Ameritrade acquisition and used by active traders for options, futures, and equities.

trading-platformoptions-tradingbrokerage

Competitive Analysis

Market Positioning: Wells Fargo Advisors competes with 5 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.

Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.

Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.

Independent Alternatives to Wells Fargo Advisors

Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Wells Fargo & Company, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.

Charles SchwabFinance Fintech

Charles Schwab

Owned by The Charles Schwab Corporation

American brokerage and wealth management brand serving 38.5 million active accounts and $11.90 trillion in client assets, flagship of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

brokerageinvestingwealth-management
Publicly Traded

Charles Schwab operates independently without a large parent corporation.

Trading 212Finance Fintech

Trading 212

Owned by Trading 212

UK-based commission-free trading platform offering stocks, ETFs, and crypto to over 4.5 million clients across Europe.

tradinginvestingfintech
Privately Owned

Trading 212 is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Advisors which is under a publicly traded parent company.

BaringsFinance Fintech

Barings

Owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)

Global asset management firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and subsidiary of MassMutual, managing investments across fixed income, real estate, and private markets.

asset-managementinvestmentsfixed-income
Privately Owned

Barings is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Advisors which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Bloomberg TerminalFinance Fintech

Bloomberg Terminal

Owned by Bloomberg L.P.

Industry-standard financial data and analytics platform used by approximately 325,000 subscribers at banks, hedge funds, and institutional investors worldwide.

financial-datamarket-dataanalytics
Privately Owned

Bloomberg Terminal is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Advisors which is under a publicly traded parent company.

MastercardFinance Fintech

Mastercard

Owned by Mastercard Incorporated

Flagship card brand and payment network of Mastercard Incorporated, the world's second-largest payment network, covering credit, debit, and prepaid cards globally.

credit-cardspayment-networkdebit-cards
Publicly Traded

Mastercard operates independently without a large parent corporation.

Merrill LynchFinance Fintech

Merrill Lynch

Owned by Bank of America Corporation

American wealth management brand founded in 1914, serving millions of clients through advisor-led and digital investing services under Bank of America.

wealth-managementinvestingfinancial-advisor
Publicly Traded

Merrill Lynch is owned by Bank of America Corporation, offering a different ownership alternative.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Information

Jobs at Wells Fargo & Company

Latest News About Wells Fargo Advisors

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Last reviewed: September 25, 2026 · Reviewed by Who Brands Editorial Team