WaFd Bank


Washington Federal Bank is a bank based in Seattle, Washington. It operates 210 branches in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas. 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, a long-used nickname for the bank.
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.

Acquisitions