Webster Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Jul 26, 2005

WATERBURY, Conn., July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE: WBS), the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A., announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $.25 per common share.

The dividend is payable on August 22, 2005 to shareholders of record on August 8, 2005. This is the 72nd consecutive quarterly dividend since Webster first paid a dividend in 1987.

Webster Financial Corporation is the holding company for Webster Bank, National Association and Webster Insurance. With $17.5 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, insurance, financial planning, trust and investment services through 153 banking offices, 291 ATMs, telephone banking and the Internet. Webster Bank owns the asset-based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation, the insurance premium finance company Budget Installment Corp., Center Capital Corporation, an equipment finance company headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut and provides health savings account trustee and administrative services through HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank.

For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest Annual Report, visit the Webster website at www.websteronline.com.

SOURCE Webster Financial Corporation

CONTACT: Media:
Clark Finley, +1-203-578-2287,
cfinley@websterbank.com
Investors:
Terry Mangan, +1-203-578-2318
tmangan@websterbank.com
Web site: http://www.websteronline.com