COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 6162

Mortgage Banks

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

15companies1847–1984founding years13still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBoatmen's Bancshares Inc.
1847
1857
EconomyThe Panic of 1857 spreads through banks and railroads.
FoundedGrupo Financiero Serfin, S.A.
1864
FoundedHSBC Holdings plc
1865
1873
EconomyThe Panic of 1873 triggers a global depression.
FoundedCommercial Federal Corporation
1887
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedStarrett Corporation
1922
FoundedHousehold International, Inc.
1925
FoundedBayBanks, Inc.
1928
FoundedBeneficial Corporation
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.
FoundedU.S. Home Corporation
1954
FoundedGreat Western Financial Corporation
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedSignet Banking Corporation
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedCountrywide Credit Industries, Inc.
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedAmerican Residential Mortgage CorporationFoundedShearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
1983
FoundedBarclaysAmerican Mortgage Corporation
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.
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

Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. →
Active · founded 1847
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc.
Grupo Financiero Serfin, S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1864 · Mexico
Grupo Financiero Serfin, S.A.
HSBC Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1865 · United Kingdom
A significant force in international banking, HSBC Holdings plc (also referred to as the HSBC Group) operates in some…
Commercial Federal Corporation →
Active · founded 1887
Commercial Federal Corporation is the largest financial institution based in Nebraska and is that state's largest…
Starrett Corporation →
Active · founded 1922
Starrett Corporation is a construction manager or general contractor of buildings, mainly in the metropolitan New York…
Household International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Household International, Inc.
BayBanks, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
BayBanks, Inc., is one of the largest and most successful bank holding companies in New England.
Beneficial Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1929
Beneficial Corporation is one of the oldest and largest consumer finance companies in the United States.
U.S. Home Corporation →
Active · founded 1954
U.S.
Great Western Financial Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
True to its name, Great Western Financial Corporation is one of the largest financial services companies in the western…
Signet Banking Corporation →
Active · founded 1962
Signet Banking Corporation is a registered multi-bank, multi-state holding company with 24-hour telebanking, 240…
Countrywide Credit Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Countrywide Credit Industries, Inc.
American Residential Mortgage Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
American Residential Mortgage Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Residential Holding Corporation, is…
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
BarclaysAmerican Mortgage Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
BarclaysAmerican Mortgage Corporation is one of the largest home loan servicers in the United States.
Build It Today

Starting a mortgage banks company now

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