Mar 1, 2020 4 min read

Washington Financial Bank is proud to have remained the largest locally owned and managed financial institution headquartered in Washington County. The Bank has stayed the course for 120 years while growing the assets of the Bank to over $1.2 billion, with ten full-service locations, and two stand-alone loan centers. Washington Financial remains a mutual organization committed to serving the entire southwestern Pennsylvania region.

The Bank ended another record fiscal year in June 2019, with solid growth in assets as well as earnings. Washington Financial’s exceptional capital position continues to earn the Bank a 5-Star rating, the highest level awarded for financial strength by Bauer Financial, the Nation’s Premier Rating firm.

“We believe the key to our success is our commitment to remaining financially strong and independent while providing the services our customers need,” said Bank President and CEO Brian J. Smith. “We remain dedicated to creating true value in our relationships and to adhering to our core values of respect and integrity. At Washington Financial, we do what we say we will do – for our customers and our communities,” said Smith.

While Washington Financial is headquartered in Washington, Pa., the Bank continually looks for opportunities to expand its geographic footprint, not only to grow its customer base but to ensure the highest level of convenience. Due in large part to the warm reception by leaders and residents of South Fayette, the Bank’s expansion into Allegheny County has been successful. As competitors continue to close offices and reduce in-person transactions, Washington Financial looks for opportunities to increase services, geographically and digitally.

“As we expand our markets, we keep a clear focus on providing our customers the financial solutions they need with the exceptional service they’ve come to expect,” said Smith. “We are particularly proud of our extensive suite of Business Cash Management Solutions, which allows us to offer state-of-the-art technology utilizing best-in-class security features.” In addition to the traditional commercial banking services, Washington Financial’s business clients can now use a smartphone app to approve transactions, and the Bank will soon launch an enhanced Remote Deposit System, which further increases convenience and security.

On the retail side, the Bank’s Rebellion Checking Rewards Suite continues to grow, offering customers higher interest rates, cash-back options and ATM fee refunds. As debit card usage increases, Washington Financial looks for ways to increase their convenience as well, offering instant issuance of custom cards and the optional payment of overdrafts that may have previously been declined.

One of the most critical issues facing the industry today is the security of financial information. “You trust us to keep your information secure, and we place the highest priority on doing just that, “said Michael L. Chaido, Senior Vice President/Chief Operations Officer. “We take pride in providing industry-leading technologies and employ a team of experts in the field. In fact, the vast majority of our technology investment over the past several years has been spent to ensure we have best-in-class security features in place.”

In 2019, Washington Financial made a significant investment to install state-of-the-art card readers at all ATMs, virtually making the installation of skimming devices obsolete. The Bank also recently changed its website and email addresses from the .com to washfin.bank. Because the .bank domain address is only granted after strict due diligence has been performed to ensure the authenticity of the request, Washington Financial customers can rest assured they are communicating with the Bank using the most secure electronic channel available.

“As a mutual organization, Washington Financial Bank is in a unique position to freely invest in the communities we serve,” said Brian J. Smith. “We are extremely proud of our efforts, both in monetary contributions and in employee volunteer hours, that help our local non-profit organizations.” Through the Bank’s Foundation and charitable giving program, millions of dollars have been re-invested in support of health and human service needs, community redevelopment and education. The Bank continues to sponsor financial literacy programs in local school districts and offers a robust scholarship program for qualified students.

“As we enter our 121st year, we do so with gratitude and trust for our loyal customers,” said Brian J. Smith. “We look forward to the future with great optimism and excitement as we continue to serve your financial needs and the needs of our community.”