Fed hobbles Wells Fargo growth for controls failures

Responding to recent and widespread consumer abuses and other compliance breakdowns by Wells Fargo & Company (WFC), the Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced that it has restricted the growth of the firm until it sufficiently improves its governance and controls. Concurrently with the Board's action, Wells Fargo will replace three current board members by April and a fourth board member by the end of the year. In addition to the growth restriction, the Board's consent cease and desist order with Wells Fargo requires the firm to improve its governance and risk management processes, including strengthening the effectiveness of oversight by its board of directors. Until the firm makes sufficient improvements, it will be restricted from growing any larger than its total asset size as of the end of 2017. The Board required each current director to sign the cease and desist order.

• Federal Reserve letter to WFC directors
• Federal Reserve letter to Stephen Sanger, lead director at WFC, 2012–2016.
• Federal Reserve letter of John Stumpf, former chair of WFC board