Banking, finance, and taxes

Wells Fargo to Pay $575 Million to Resolve Civil Claims

Peppinuzzo / Shutterstock.com

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) shares were up slightly on Friday despite the megabank announcing that it would make a massive payment to resolve civil claims that it had created phony accounts and other customer abuses.

Specifically, Wells Fargo reached an agreement with attorneys general in all 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding previously disclosed retail sales practices, auto collateral protection insurance and Guaranteed Asset/Auto Protection, and mortgage interest rate lock matters.

Note that the agreement covers retail sales practices and auto and mortgage issues for which the company already is remediating customers. Wells Fargo said in the release that it has been engaged with its federal regulators to address these issues.

Under the terms of the agreement, Wells Fargo will:

  • Pay a total of $575 million to resolve civil claims that the state Attorneys General otherwise might bring arising out of or related to the covered conduct prior to the effective date of the agreement.
  • Maintain designated teams to review and respond to customer inquiries on the covered issues.
  • Create and maintain a website that describes the issues and Wells Fargo’s existing remediation efforts, and identifies contact information for consumers to utilize if they have any questions or concerns about the covered issues.

Tim Sloan, CEO and president of Wells Fargo, added:

This agreement underscores our serious commitment to making things right in regard to past issues as we work to build a better bank.

Shares of Wells Fargo were last seen up about 1.5% at $46.21, in a 52-week range of $43.02 to $66.31. The consensus analyst price target is $61.26.

The Average American Is Losing Their Savings Every Day (Sponsor)

If you’re like many Americans and keep your money ‘safe’ in a checking or savings account, think again. The average yield on a savings account is a paltry .4% today, and inflation is much higher. Checking accounts are even worse.

Every day you don’t move to a high-yield savings account that beats inflation, you lose more and more value.

But there is good news. To win qualified customers, some accounts are paying 9-10x this national average. That’s an incredible way to keep your money safe, and get paid at the same time. Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other one time cash bonuses, and is FDIC insured.

Click here to see how much more you could be earning on your savings today. It takes just a few minutes and your money could be working for you.

 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.