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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 Auto
Wells Fargo Auto logo
Finance & Fintech

Who Owns Wells Fargo Auto?

Wells Fargo Auto is the auto lending business 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. The division finances vehicle purchases through a nationwide dealer network under the Wells Fargo Auto brand, operating within the company's Consumer Banking and Lending segment.

Parent Company

Wells Fargo & Company

Founded

1852

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

San Francisco, California, USA

mid rangemass marketUnited StatesunisexOfficial Website

Who Owns Wells Fargo Auto?

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

History of Wells Fargo Auto

  • Founded: 1852
  • Founders: Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo built its auto finance business through organic growth and acquisition, expanding into one of the country's largest indirect auto lenders by the 2010s. The core model finances purchases originated at franchised dealerships, with dealers submitting applications and Wells Fargo funding approved loans.

The business drew heavy scrutiny during the scandal era: a 2018 OCC consent order found Wells Fargo had force-placed unnecessary collateral protection insurance on auto borrowers, pushing thousands toward default or repossession. The bank paid roughly $1 billion in combined OCC and CFPB penalties and committed to refunding harmed customers, with remediation continuing into 2022.

Under CEO Charlie Scharf, the auto book was deliberately shrunk from its scandal-era peak as the bank reduced risk and improved returns. The division remains a meaningful indirect auto lender, though smaller than at its pre-2018 height, operating under tightened underwriting and dealer oversight standards.

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 Auto Made / Based?

  • Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
  • Manufacturing / Operations: United States

Wells Fargo Auto Categories & Tags

Auto LoansCar FinancingDealer FinancingLendingBanking

Wells Fargo Auto Sustainability & Ethics

The division operates under the bank's responsible lending framework. The CPI scandal is the defining ethics event: force-placed insurance on hundreds of thousands of auto borrowers produced regulatory penalties, customer remediation, and lasting reputational harm within the bank's broader scandal narrative.

Awards & Recognition

Wells Fargo Auto's dealer services platform has ranked among the top indirect auto lenders for dealer satisfaction in industry studies, and its servicing operation remains one of the largest in US bank auto lending.

Wells Fargo Auto Recalls & Controversies

Force-placed insurance (2018): The OCC and CFPB fined Wells Fargo a combined $1 billion for charging auto borrowers for unnecessary collateral protection insurance, which pushed borrowers into default and repossession. The bank refunded affected customers and overhauled the practice.

Brands Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo AdvisorsFinance Fintech

Wells Fargo Advisors

Owned by Wells Fargo & Company

Wealth management and brokerage business of Wells Fargo, serving clients through thousands of financial advisors and the bank's branch network.

wealth-managementfinancial-advisorbrokerage
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 Auto Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

  • +Indirect dealer model accesses purchase-point demand without retail overhead
  • +Bank funding costs allow competitive rates on prime borrowers
  • +Integrated servicing keeps customers inside the Wells Fargo ecosystem
  • +Post-cap normalization restores flexibility to grow the book selectively

Considerations

  • -CPI scandal history weighs on brand trust and regulatory standing
  • -Deliberate book shrinkage ceded share to captives and credit unions
  • -Indirect model depends on dealer relationships rather than direct loyalty
  • -EV transition and rate volatility pressure auto lending economics

Frequently Asked Questions About Wells Fargo Auto

Sources & Further Reading

  • [Wells Fargo Auto](
  • [Wells Fargo Investor Relations](
  • [OCC 2018 Consent Order](

Competitors to Wells Fargo Auto

No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Wells Fargo Autooperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.

Independent Alternatives to Wells Fargo Auto

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.

TD BankFinance Fintech

TD Bank

Owned by TD Bank, N.A.

TD Bank is the U.S. retail banking brand of Toronto-Dominion Bank, operating about 1,100 East Coast branches as "America's Most Convenient Bank" under a federal asset cap since 2024.

bankingretail-bankfinancial-services
Privately Owned

TD Bank is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Auto which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Bank of AmericaFinance Fintech

Bank of America

Owned by Bank of America Corporation

Consumer and commercial banking brand serving roughly 70 million clients through approximately 3,500 financial centers and industry-leading digital banking.

bankingconsumer-bankingretail-bank
Publicly Traded

Bank of America operates independently without a large parent corporation.

Capital OneFinance Fintech

Capital One

Owned by Capital One Financial Corporation

Capital One is the flagship consumer banking and credit card brand of Capital One Financial, the largest U.S. card issuer behind Venture, Savor, Quicksilver, and Capital One Cafes.

credit-cardsbankingfintech
Publicly Traded

Capital One operates independently without a large parent corporation.

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.

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 Auto 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 Auto which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Information

Jobs at Wells Fargo & Company

Latest News About Wells Fargo Auto

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