Webster Declares Quarterly Common Stock Dividend

    Business Editors

    WATERBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2005--Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE: WBS), the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A., announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $.23 per common share.
    The dividend is payable on February 28, 2005, to shareholders of record on February 14, 2005. This is the 70th 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 $17.0 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, insurance, financial planning, trust and investment services through 152 banking offices, 289 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., and Center Capital Corporation, an equipment finance company headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websteronline.com.

--30--KB/ny*

CONTACT: Webster Financial Corporation Media Contact Meghan Thompson, 203-578-2287 mthompson@websterbank.com or Investor Contact Terry Mangan, 203-578-2318 tmangan@websterbank.com

KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE BANKING DIVIDEND SOURCE: Webster Financial Corporation

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