Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company is the fourth-largest bank in the United States by total assets ($1.9 trillion), serving approximately 70 million customers with 4,900+ branches and 12,000 ATMs across 36 states. Founded in 1852 in San Francisco (originally as an express and banking company serving Gold Rush territory), Wells Fargo is headquartered in San Francisco with major operations in Des Moines, Charlotte, and New York. Wells Fargo offers retail checking/savings, credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, and wealth management. It is the #1 mortgage originator in the US. Key consumer products include Wells Fargo Active Cash (2% flat cash back — one of the best no-annual-fee cards), Wells Fargo Autograph (travel rewards), and Wells Fargo Reflect (0% APR balance transfer). Wells Fargo's reputation was significantly damaged by its 2016 fake accounts scandal, in which employees opened millions of unauthorized accounts. The bank operates under a Federal Reserve asset cap imposed in 2018 (limiting assets to ~$1.95 trillion) until remediation is complete.