Faces of Commercial Banking

Celebrating its 105th year business in 2022, WaFd Bank is a national bank with more than 200 branches. Since its founding, WaFd Bank has helped build thriving communities, all while delivering simple, straightforward banking solutions to its clientele, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2021, WaFd was named one of the Best Banks in America by Forbes, and in 2021 and 2022 was named Best Big Bank by Newsweek in four of its eight state markets. Forbes also named WaFd one of America’s Best Mid-Size Employers in 2022. WaFd currently reports nearly $20 billion in assets. Its fourth-quarter earnings per share of $.071 is an all-time quarterly high, excluding non-recurring gains. In 2021, WaFd exceeded $1 billion in Texas in commercial loan originations.

“We had a great year, and what set us apart in terms of loan growth since the pandemic started is forward thinking,” says Tony Barnard, regional president of WaFd Bank Texas. “While other banks pulled back, we leaned in to support our current client base as well as recruit new ones. After 105 years in business, we are still considered a top portfolio lender.”

Through the years, WaFd has earned a reputation much like a reliable next-door neighbor. Two-thirds of WaFd Texas’ loan originations are commercial loans, and one-third are residential mortgages. Barnard adds, “We continued with our community reinvestment through Washington Federal Foundation and put money back into our community and into many causes. For instance, 234 grants were awarded to organizations just shy of $1 million across the bank’s footprint. Last year we were also able to generate record new loan originations and record high core deposit balances. Our Texas leadership senior management group played a significant role in these achievements. For us, it’s not the first deal or the first loan we originate with someone that matters most—it’s the opportunity to help again in the future.”

*All loans subject to credit approval.