Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, U.S.-based financial services company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852 by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, the firm has evolved from its origins in express delivery and pioneer-era banking into one of the largest full-service banks in the United States. The company provides a broad range of financial products and services to individual, small business, commercial, and institutional clients. Charles W. Scharf serves as chief executive officer.
Wells Fargo operates across several core business segments, including consumer banking and lending, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth and investment management. Its product mix encompasses deposit accounts, savings and checking, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage origination and servicing, credit and debit cards, treasury and payment solutions, asset-based and equipment financing, securities brokerage and advisory services, retirement and trust services, and various insurance products offered through affiliates. The company distributes these services through an extensive branch and ATM network supplemented by digital and mobile banking platforms, as well as through specialized brokerage and investment banking channels.
While Wells Fargo’s primary footprint is within the United States, it also serves corporate and institutional clients internationally through its global banking and markets operations. The firm includes a number of operating subsidiaries, such as Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Securities, which support its retail, wealth-management and capital-markets activities. In recent years the company has undertaken organizational and operational initiatives aimed at strengthening risk management, compliance and customer service after heightened regulatory scrutiny. Wells Fargo continues to invest in technology and process improvements to support its broad range of banking and financial services offerings.