COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 522292

Mortgage Companies

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

29companies1727–1986founding years29still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc
1727
FoundedFleetBoston Financial Corporation
1791
FoundedThe Woolwich plc
1847
FoundedCheltenham & Gloucester PLC
1850
FoundedLloyds TSB Group plc
1865
FoundedGrupo Financiero Banamex S.A.
1884
FoundedGeneral Electric Company
1892
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedUBS AG
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGeneral Motors Corporation
1916
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedH & R Block, Incorporated
1955
FoundedLend Lease Corporation Limited
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedHovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
1959
FoundedCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedBradford & Bingley PLC
1964
FoundedWells Fargo & Company
1968
FoundedFreddie Mac
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedSynovus Financial Corp.
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedMountain States Mortgage Centers, Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc →
Active · founded 1727 · United Kingdom
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc ranks as the leading Scotland-based banking group and the number three bank in the…
FleetBoston Financial Corporation →
Active · founded 1791
FleetBoston Financial Corporation is the eighth largest bank in the United States and the largest in New England, with…
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited →
Active · founded 1835 · Australia
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) is the second largest of the "Big Four" banks in Australia,…
The Woolwich plc →
Active · founded 1847 · United Kingdom
The Woolwich plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading financial services providers, with over £30 billion in assets.
Cheltenham & Gloucester PLC →
Active · founded 1850 · United Kingdom
Cheltenham & Gloucester PLC (C&G) is the third largest mortgage bank in the United Kingdom and represents the home…
Credit Suisse Group →
Active · founded 1856 · Switzerland
Credit Suisse Group, which began as a commercial bank in 1856, at a time when Switzerland was first embracing the…
Lloyds TSB Group plc →
Active · founded 1865 · United Kingdom
Lloyds TSB Group plc is one of the Big Four British clearing banks in the United Kingdom.
GreenPoint Financial Corp. →
Active · founded 1868
GreenPoint Financial Corp.
Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A. →
Active · founded 1884 · Mexico
Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A.
General Electric Company →
Active · founded 1892
The history of General Electric Company is a significant part of the history of technology in the United States.
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1906
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm.
UBS AG →
Active · founded 1912 · Switzerland
UBS AG was formed from the 1998 megamerger of Swiss Bank Corporation and Union Bank of Switzerland.
General Motors Corporation →
Active · founded 1916
General Motors Corporation (GM) is the world's largest full-line vehicle manufacturer and marketer.
Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer S.A. →
Active · founded 1932 · Mexico
Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer S.A.
H & R Block, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1955
The name of H & R Block, Incorporated has become synonymous with the business of preparing income tax returns, and…
KB Home →
Active · founded 1957
KB Home is the largest home builder in the United States, in terms of units built.
Lend Lease Corporation Limited →
Active · founded 1958 · Australia
Lend Lease Corporation Limited, one of Australia's top public companies, is a leading integrated global real estate…
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
New Jersey-based Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
Malayan Banking Berhad →
Active · founded 1960 · Malaysia
Malayan Banking Berhad is the holding company overseeing Malaysia's largest bank, Maybank and a range of financial…
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce →
Active · founded 1961 · Canada
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) is Canada's third largest bank, trailing only Royal Bank of Canada and…
Bradford & Bingley PLC →
Active · founded 1964 · United Kingdom
Once Britain's second largest building society, Bradford & Bingley PLC has transformed itself into the country's tenth…
Clayton Homes Incorporated →
Active · founded 1968
Clayton Homes Incorporated is a leading retailer of manufactured homes in the United States.
Wells Fargo & Company →
Active · founded 1968
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company, ranking as the seventh largest bank holding company…
Macquarie Bank Ltd. →
Active · founded 1969 · Australia
Macquarie Bank Ltd.
Freddie Mac →
Active · founded 1970
Freddie Mac, a stockholder-owned corporation, is regulated by the U.S.
Synovus Financial Corp. →
Active · founded 1972
Synovus Financial Corp.
Advanta Corporation →
Active · founded 1974
Advanta Corporation originates, services, and sells small business credit card and home equity loans.
Mountain States Mortgage Centers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Mountain States Mortgage Centers is a large mortgage banking firm that originates and services residential mortgage…
Norwich & Peterborough Building Society →
Active · founded 1986 · United Kingdom
One of the largest of Britain's remaining mutual aid building societies, Norwich & Peterborough Building Society has…
Build It Today

Starting a mortgage companies company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.