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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is hosting a free Home Preservation Workshop in Fort Lauderdale for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wells Fargo Financial, Wachovia Mortgage and Wells Fargo Home Equity customers facing financial hardships.Wells Fargo has invited more than 15,000 South Florida mortgage customers to the workshop that will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, December 7-8 from 9 a.m. a" 7 p.m., at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A, located at 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

"We're pleased to provide our home mortgage customers the opportunity to attend this Home Preservation Workshop and learn about the options that are available to them to help avoid foreclosure."

How to register for Wells Fargoas Fort Lauderdale Home Preservation Workshop

Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is strongly recommended in order to guarantee the ability to meet one-on-one with a representative. Sign up by Monday, December 5 at [ www.wfhmevents.com/leadingthewayhome ]. For more information call 1-800-405-8067.

"South Florida's housing market and economy have been hit hard by the economic downturn," said Frank Newman, Wells Fargo regional president in South Florida. "We're pleased to provide our home mortgage customers the opportunity to attend this Home Preservation Workshop and learn about the options that are available to them to help avoid foreclosure."

Approximately 150 Wells Fargo homeretention team members a" including bilingual specialists a" will be on hand at the upcoming workshop to assist customers. Where possible, borrowers will receive a decision on a workout, loan modification, or other options, on site or shortly following the workshop. Options include Wells Fargoas own loan modification program and the federal governmentas Home Affordable ModificationProgram (HAMP). This is the 47^th such workshop that Wells Fargo has held since September 2009. Wells Fargo has met with more than 28,000 customers at its 46 Home Preservation Workshops.

aWells Fargo wants its customers to succeed financially and keeping those struggling with their mortgage payments in their homes is a top priority,a said Hugh Rowden, Wells Fargoas regional servicing director. aThis workshop gives Wells Fargo and Wachovia home mortgage customers, who are faced with payment challenges, the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our home preservation specialists to explore and discuss the options available for them.a

Wells Fargo to Host More Home Preservation Workshops to Assist Homeowners

In addition to the Fort Lauderdale Home Preservation Workshop a" the fourth such workshop held in Florida this year a" Wells Fargo will host its 32^nd workshop of 2011 in Charlotte on December 15 and 33^rd in Hartford, CT on December 20. Wells Fargo plans at least 33 Home Preservation Workshops across the country in 2012.

About Wells Fargoas Home Loans

• Wells Fargo originates one in every four home loans in the country, and services one of every six.
• In the third quarter of 2011, more than 92 percent of Wells Fargoas mortgage customers remained current on their loan payments.
• Since January 2009 through September 2011, the company had 716,176 active trial and completed modifications. Of those modifications, 85 percent were done through Wells Fargoas own modification programs and 15 percent were through the federal governmentas Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).
• As of the second quarter in 2011, Wells Fargoas delinquency and foreclosure rates remain significantly below the industry average.
• Less than 2.0 percent of the loans secured by owner-occupied homes and serviced by Wells Fargo resulted in a foreclosure sale in the last 12 months.
• Just 7.44 percent of the first mortgage and home equity loans Wells Fargo services were past due or in foreclosure in the second quarter of 2011 compared to an industry average of 10.58 percent, according to the Sept. 2 edition of Inside Mortgage Finance. Wells Fargoas totals are down from a peak of 8.96 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 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 wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With approximately 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortuneas 2011 rankings of Americaas largest corporations. Wells Fargoas vision is to satisfy all our customersa financial needs and help them succeed financially.