Wells Fargo Extends Fee Waivers in Areas Struck by Hurricane Sandy, Reopens More than 1,000 Wells Fargo Stores

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) said today it has extended certain ATM and consumer loan fee waivers to Nov. 3 in areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and has reopened more than 1,000 stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia as part of its overall storm recovery efforts.

“Our teams are working diligently to resume normal hours and remain operational so we can meet our customers’ financial needs.”

The efforts build on previously announced plans to contribute $1 million to Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts ($250,000 for the American Red Cross and $750,000 for grassroots recovery efforts) and to offer customers the opportunity to make direct donations to the Red Cross via the company’s ATMs across the country.

“We expect many stores to reopen for business as the week continues but some areas were more impacted by the storm than others,” said Michelle Lee, Northeast regional president for Wells Fargo Community Banking. “Our teams are working diligently to resume normal hours and remain operational so we can meet our customers’ financial needs.”

Store closures continued in parts of New Jersey, New York (Manhattan, Long Island, and Westchester County), coastal Connecticut, and Pennsylvania as Hurricane Sandy’s wake continued to include power outages, flooding and structural damage. All stores were open in Delaware, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland.

The company also said approximately 450 ATMs are currently unavailable in storm-affected areas, with machines expected to be brought back online as power and networks are restored. In some storm affected areas, Wells Fargo is deploying mobile ATMs to reach customers in need of service.

The company also is providing continuous updates on store operations and storm recovery efforts at @WellsFargo, its official Twitter handle. Other updates are being made available at Wells Fargo’s Facebook page. Customers can also check the status of their local stores at the company’s store locator at www.wellsfargo.com.

Fees waivers extended through Nov. 3

Wells Fargo has extended to Saturday, Nov. 3, its fee waiver for the fees it normally charges its customers for using another bank’s ATMs. This fee waiver applies in the storm-affected states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Additionally, Wells Fargo is continuing to waive late fees on credit cards, certain small business and consumer loans, including home-equity, auto and student loans until Saturday, Nov 3. This waiver applies to the states mentioned above, as well as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

More relief efforts begin in the wake of Hurricane Sandy

Separately, Wells Fargo announced on Tuesday that it will donate $1 million for relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. A portion of the funds, $250,000, will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support relief efforts the agency is directing throughout impacted areas in the region. The remaining $750,000 will go to support nonprofits conducting grassroots relief and recovery efforts in affected areas.

Wells Fargo customers also can donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at Wells Fargo ATMs across the U.S. (with the exception of Kansas, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., due to local restrictions) from October 31 through November 13. Customers will not be charged a fee for using this service and 100 percent of the donations will be sent to the American Red Cross.

Mobile deposit services expanded to customers in impacted states

To further aid customers impacted by the hurricane, Wells Fargo also expanded Wells Fargo Mobile deposit service beyond New York, Connecticut and Virginia to include customers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. Using this service, customers can deposit most checks directly into their eligible Wells Fargo checking or savings account using the Wells Fargo Mobile App supported on Apple and Android devices.

Mortgage customer assistance

Wells Fargo mortgage customers affected by Hurricane Sandy in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and District of Columbia should contact Wells Fargo right away to discuss mortgage payment arrangements or to get assistance with handling property insurance loss claims. The mortgage customer service team is specially-trained in disaster response and can offer guidance and information about loans and assistance programs. Visit Wells Fargo’s Get Help with Disaster Recovery web page for additional detail.

All Wells Fargo customers who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy and need assistance should call 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers can also visit their nearest Wells Fargo store when normal hours of operation resume.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2012 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. In 2011, the Company invested $213.5 million in grants in 19,000 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.5 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.