$2.09 billion. That’s how much Wells Fargo was ordered to pay in penalties for its involvement in the 2008 housing crisis in 2018, according to the Department of Justice.
The Federal Reserve ordered Wells Fargo to maintain its assets below $1.95 trillion in 2018 until the bank resolved its ongoing issues, according to Reuters. Chairman Jerome Powell noted in September that the Federal Reserve will continue to hold the asset cap until “widespread and pervasive” problems are controlled.
Wells Fargo has continued to be sanctioned by U.S. regulators for violations of consumer protection law since the bank admitted to creating 3.5 million fake accounts for existing customers without their consent. After being fined $100 million for opening unauthorized accounts, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3 billion in a 2020 settlement with the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to its sales practices, Bloomberg reported in March this year the bank had disproportionately denied mortgage refinancing applications from Black customers. Responding to the bank’s recent troubles, CEO Charlie Scharf said the bank has “made significant progress” since its 2020 settlement while it remains “committed to doing the right thing for our customers and working closely with regulators and others to deal appropriately with any issue that arises.”