
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is the mortgage origination and servicing 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. Wells Fargo has historically been America's largest mortgage lender by origination volume and services one of the largest US mortgage portfolios, though it has narrowed its footprint in recent years to focus on existing bank customers.
Parent Company
Founded
1852
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Home Mortgage | Wells Fargo & Company | Division |
Wells Fargo's mortgage business grew steadily through the twentieth century but vaulted to national scale in 1998 when Norwest acquired Wells Fargo and kept its name, bringing Norwest's large mortgage operation with it. The 2008 Wachovia acquisition deepened the franchise during the housing crisis.
For most of the 2000s and 2010s, Wells Fargo was the largest US mortgage originator and the largest mortgage servicer, funding roughly one in three American home loans at its peak. That dominance also produced the scandal era's collateral damage: improper rate-lock extension fees disclosed in 2017 and forced mortgage remediation cost the bank hundreds of millions.
Under CEO Charlie Scharf, Wells Fargo deliberately shrank the mortgage business starting in 2023, exiting correspondent lending and scaling servicing to reduce capital intensity, repositioning home lending toward existing bank customers while remaining one of the largest US originators.
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.
The mortgage unit operates under the bank's fair lending commitments and was part of earlier enforcement actions covering mortgage servicing errors and rate-lock fees, plus a 2022 CFPB order covering broader consumer remediation including mortgage accounts.
Wells Fargo historically topped Inside Mortgage Finance origination rankings for most of two decades and retains top-tier servicer scale, with its digital mortgage application tools recognized in industry evaluations.
Rate-lock fees (2017): The bank improperly charged borrowers rate-lock extension fees for delays it caused, refunding tens of millions and fueling the broader sales-practices scandal narrative.
Mortgage servicing errors: Enforcement actions and remediation covered failures in mortgage modifications and escrow handling, contributing to a 2022 CFPB consent order totaling $3.7 billion in penalties and consumer redress across multiple product lines.
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Wells Fargo Home Mortgageoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
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.
Finance FintechOwned 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.
TD Bank is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Home Mortgage which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechOwned 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.
Bank of America operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Finance FintechOwned 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.
Capital One operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Finance FintechOwned 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.
Barings is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Home Mortgage which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechOwned 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.
Bloomberg Terminal is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Home Mortgage which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Finance FintechOwned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
American asset management brand with about $1.4 trillion in assets under management, operating as the investment management arm of TIAA since 2014.
Nuveen is privately owned, unlike Wells Fargo Home Mortgage which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Discover popular brands and companies in the Finance & Fintech category and related searches from other users.

Block's buy-now-pay-later brand, offering interest-free installment payments across a global merchant network, acquired in 2022 for $29 billion.

Comprehensive investment management technology platform developed by BlackRock, providing portfolio management, risk analytics, and trading solutions for institutional investors and asset managers.

Apple's mobile payment and digital wallet service enabling contactless payments and financial transactions on Apple devices.