Webster Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Oct 17, 2005

WATERBURY, Conn., Oct. 17 /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 November 14, 2005 to shareholders of record on October 31, 2005. This is the 73rd 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 154 banking offices, 293 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
http://www.websteronline.com.

Media Contact
Clark Finley 203-578-2287
cfinley@websterbank.com
or
Investor Contact
Terry Mangan 203-578-2318
tmangan@websterbank.com


SOURCE  Webster Financial Corporation
    -0-                             10/17/2005
    /CONTACT:  Media Contact
               Clark Finley 203-578-2287
               cfinley@websterbank.com
               or
               Investor Contact
               Terry Mangan 203-578-2318
               tmangan@websterbank.com   /
    /Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050421/NYTH039LOGO /
    /Web site: http:/www.websteronline.com /
    (WBS)

CO:  Webster Financial Corporation; Webster Bank, N.A.
ST:  Connecticut
IN:  FIN
SU:  DIV

AS
-- NYM251 --
4943 10/17/2005 14:16 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com