Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

        The Company's management, with the participation of the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or furnishes under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

        Management reviews and evaluates the design and effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures on an ongoing basis, which may result in the discovery of deficiencies, and improves its controls and procedures over time, correcting any deficiencies, as needed, that may have been discovered.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

        Management reviews and evaluates the design and effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting on an ongoing basis, which may result in the discovery of deficiencies, some of which may be significant. Management changes its internal control over financial reporting as needed to maintain its effectiveness, correcting any deficiencies, as needed, in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. There have not been any changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of 2007 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting. For management's assessment of the Company's internal control over financial reporting, refer to Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting on page 98.

Overview

        Washington Mutual, through its subsidiaries, is one of the nation's leading consumer and small business banks. At December 31, 2007, Washington Mutual and its subsidiaries had assets of $328 billion. The Company has a history dating back to 1889 and its subsidiary banks currently operate nearly 2,500 consumer and small business banking stores throughout the nation. When we refer to "the Company," "we," "our" and "us" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we mean Washington Mutual, Inc. and subsidiaries. When we refer to "the Parent," we mean Washington Mutual, Inc.

        The Company's sources of revenue are net interest income and noninterest income. Net interest income is generated by interest received from loans, investment securities and other interest-earning assets, less rates paid on deposits and borrowings. The primary sources of noninterest income are revenue from loan sales and servicing and fees from financial services provided to customers. A summary of the Company's key financial results are presented below:

        The Company recorded a net loss for 2007 of $67 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared with net income of $3.56 billion, or $3.64 per diluted share, in 2006. The decline was primarily the result of significant credit deterioration in the Company's single-family residential mortgage loan portfolio and significant disruptions in the capital markets, including a sudden and severe contraction in secondary mortgage market liquidity for nonconforming residential loan products. These conditions also contributed to the impairment of all goodwill associated with the Company's Home Loans business near the end of 2007.

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        Reflecting the significant credit deterioration, the Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $3.11 billion in 2007, an increase of $2.29 billion from 2006 and about twice the level of 2007 net charge-offs, which totaled $1.62 billion. Adverse trends in key housing market indicators, including growing inventories of unsold homes, rising foreclosure rates and a significant contraction in the availability of credit for nonconforming mortgage products continued to deteriorate throughout 2007 and exerted significant downward pressure on home prices, particularly in areas of the country in which the Company's lending activities have been concentrated. Nationwide sales volume of existing homes in December 2007 was 22% lower than in December 2006, leading to a supply of unsold homes of approximately 9.7 months, a 47% increase from December 2006, while the national median sales price for existing homes declined by 7% between those same periods. Housing market weakness was also evident from the change in the national volume of foreclosure filings, which increased by 75% in 2007 compared with 2006. With the downturn in the housing market, single-family residential mortgage delinquency levels have increased substantially and loss severity rates have grown significantly. These conditions are reflected in the Company's nonperforming assets to total assets ratio, which increased from 0.80% at December 31, 2006 to 2.17% at December 31, 2007. Net mortgage loan charge-offs as a percentage of the average balance of the real estate loan portfolio increased from 0.09% in 2006 to 0.55% in 2007, and on an annualized basis, from 0.14% in the fourth quarter of 2006 to 1.08% in the fourth quarter of 2007, reflecting the accelerating pace of deterioration in the credit quality of the mortgage loan portfolio. The increase in loss severity rates was particularly evident in the subprime mortgage channel and home equity loans and lines of credit portfolios. With early indicators in 2008 suggesting that the housing market is continuing to deteriorate, the Company expects that it will experience significantly higher credit costs throughout its single-family residential mortgage portfolios.

        Net credit card charge-offs as a percentage of the average balance of the credit card portfolio were 3.08% in 2006 and 3.69% in 2007, reflecting a gradual downturn in credit quality as the U.S. economy softened. The national unemployment rate, which held steady in a range of 4.4% to 4.7% for most of 2007, increased to 4.9% in January 2008, while average net job growth for the three months ending January 31, 2008 was 42,000, compared with 121,000 for the three months ending January 31, 2007. The Company expects net credit card charge-off rates will continue to rise if the economy is pressured further by higher unemployment levels and sluggish job growth.

        Noninterest income was $6.04 billion in 2007, compared with $6.38 billion in 2006. Deteriorating credit conditions also caused significant disruptions in the secondary mortgage market, which adversely affected the Company's noninterest income results. Gain from home mortgage loans and originated mortgage-backed securities, net of hedging and risk management instruments, totaled $59 million in 2007, compared with $735 million in 2006. Credit quality concerns created uncertainty in the market for subprime mortgage products during the first half of 2007. Those concerns intensified during the second half of the year and spread into the broader secondary market, resulting in a severe contraction of secondary market liquidity as investors avoided purchasing all mortgage products backed by nonconforming loan collateral. Because of this disruption, the Company transferred approximately $17 billion of real estate loans to its loan portfolio in the third quarter of 2007, representing substantially all of the Company's nonconforming loans that had been designated as held for sale. Illiquid secondary market conditions also affected the valuations of the Company's trading assets, which are primarily comprised of interests retained from mortgage loan and credit card securitizations. Widening credit spreads on these retained interests were primarily responsible for the loss on trading assets of $673 million in 2007, compared with a loss of $154 million in 2006. The Company also recognized other-than-temporary impairment losses of $375 million in the available-for-sale securities portfolio during the second half of 2007 on certain mortgage-backed securities.

        Partially offsetting the losses in noninterest income were gains from mortgage servicing rights ("MSR") valuation and risk management of $205 million in 2007, compared with a loss of $393 million in 2006, as gains from the Company's MSR risk management instruments outpaced the decline in MSR

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fair value. While lower mortgage interest rates during the latter part of 2007 increased expected loan prepayment speeds, their effect on the MSR value was softened by the weakening housing market and the severe contraction in home mortgage credit availability, both of which significantly reduced home loan refinancing volume.

        Noninterest expense totaled $10.60 billion in 2007, compared with $8.81 billion in 2006. The unprecedented challenges in the mortgage and credit markets during 2007 also had a significant effect on the Company's noninterest expense results. Noninterest expense in 2007 includes the fourth quarter effects from a $1.78 billion pre-tax impairment loss related to all goodwill associated with the Home Loans business. This non-cash charge did not affect the Company's tangible equity or regulatory capital ratios, or its liquidity position. With the fundamental shift in the mortgage market from credit disruptions and the expectation of a prolonged period of secondary mortgage market illiquidity, the Company took actions in the fourth quarter of 2007 to resize its home loans business in anticipation of continued declines in loan volume within the home mortgage industry, and to accelerate the direction of the home loans business to mortgage lending conducted through the Company's retail banking stores and other retail distribution channels. Among the actions taken by the Company were:

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Discontinuing all remaining lending through the subprime mortgage channel;



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Initiating the closure of WaMu Capital Corp., the Company's institutional broker-dealer business;



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Winding-down the Company's mortgage banker finance warehouse lending operations;



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Eliminating approximately 2,600 positions in the Home Loans business and approximately 550 corporate and other support positions; and



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Closing various home loan centers, sales offices, and home loan processing and call centers.

        The Company recorded $143 million of additional noninterest expense in the fourth quarter of 2007 as a result of these actions, which are expected to generate approximately $500 million of expense savings during 2008.

        Net interest income on a taxable-equivalent basis was $8.19 billion in 2007, compared with $8.13 billion in 2006. The increase was due to the expansion of the net interest margin, which increased, on a taxable-equivalent basis, from 2.60% in 2006 to 2.86% in 2007. The increase in the margin was primarily due to increases in the yields of mortgage loan products tied to short-term interest rate indices and the sales of lower-yielding mortgage loans. With the increasing deterioration in the housing market and the general softening of the economy, the Federal Reserve reduced the target Federal Funds rate by 100 basis points during the second half of 2007, and lowered this benchmark rate by another 125 basis points in January 2008, bringing the target rate down to 3.00%. As the Company's wholesale borrowing rates are usually correlated with interest rate policy changes made by the Federal Reserve and reprice to current market levels faster than most of the Company's interest-earning assets, the actions taken by the Fed are expected to further expand the margin in 2008.

        To bolster its capital levels and liquidity position, the Company issued a total of $3.9 billion of Tier 1 capital in the fourth quarter of 2007, comprised of $2.9 billion, net, of noncumulative, perpetual convertible preferred stock issued by the Parent and $1 billion of noncumulative, perpetual preferred shares issued by Washington Mutual Preferred Funding LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Washington Mutual Bank. Additionally, commencing in the first quarter of 2008, the Company reduced its quarterly cash dividend rate on the Company's common stock to 15 cents per share. At December 31, 2007, the Company's estimated total risk-based capital to total risk-weighted assets ratio was 12.34% and its estimated Tier 1 capital to average total assets ratio was 6.84%, exceeding the minimum regulatory guidelines of 8% and 4%, respectively, while the Company's tangible equity to total tangible assets ratio was 6.67%, well above its established target of 5.50%.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

        The preparation of financial statements in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make a number of judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, income and expenses in the financial statements. Various elements of the Company's accounting policies, by their nature, involve the application of highly sensitive and judgmental estimates and assumptions. Some of these policies and estimates relate to matters that are highly complex and contain inherent uncertainties. It is possible that, in some instances, different estimates and assumptions could reasonably have been made and used by management, instead of those the Company applied, which might have produced different results that could have had a material effect on the financial statements.

        The Company has identified four accounting estimates that, due to the judgments and assumptions inherent in those estimates, and the potential sensitivity of its financial statements to those judgments and assumptions, are critical to an understanding of its financial statements. These estimates are: the fair value of certain financial instruments and other assets; the allowance for loan losses and contingent credit risk liabilities; other-than-temporary impairment losses on available-for-sale securities; and the determination of whether a derivative qualifies for hedge accounting.

        Management has discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company believes that the judgments, estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of its financial statements are appropriate given the facts and circumstances as of December 31, 2007. The nature of these judgments, estimates and assumptions are described in greater detail in subsequent sections of Management's Discussion and Analysis and in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies."

        The discussion below presents information about the nature of the Company's critical accounting estimates:

Fair Value of Certain Financial Instruments and Other Assets

        A portion of the Company's assets are carried at fair value, including: mortgage servicing rights, trading assets including certain retained interests from securitization activities, available-for-sale securities and derivatives. In addition, loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value. Changes in fair value of those instruments that qualify as hedged items under fair value hedge accounting are recognized in earnings and offset the changes in fair value of derivatives used as hedge accounting instruments.

        Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Generally, for assets that are reported at fair value, the Company uses quoted market prices or internal valuation models to estimate their fair value. These models incorporate inputs such as forward yield curves, loan prepayment assumptions, market volatilities and pricing spreads utilizing market-based inputs where readily available. The degree of management judgment involved in estimating the fair value of a financial instrument or other asset is dependent upon the availability of quoted market prices or observable market value inputs. For financial instruments that are actively traded in the marketplace or whose values are based on readily available market value data, little judgment is necessary when estimating the instrument's fair value. When observable market prices and data are not readily available, significant management judgment often is necessary to estimate fair value. In those cases, different assumptions could result in significant changes in valuation.

        During the latter half of 2007, deteriorating credit conditions caused significant disruptions in the secondary mortgage market. Credit quality concerns prompted market participants to avoid purchasing

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mortgage investment products backed by nonconforming loan collateral. As market activity slowed, the availability of observable market prices was reduced. Accordingly, there was less market data available for use by management in the judgments applied to key valuation inputs.

        The following financial instruments and other assets require the Company's most complex judgments and assumptions when estimating fair value:

Mortgage Servicing Rights and Certain Other Retained Interests in Securitizations

        In June 2007, the Company implemented a model that is based on an option-adjusted spread ("OAS") valuation methodology to estimate the fair value of substantially all of its MSR asset. The model projects cash flows over multiple interest rate scenarios and discounts these cash flows using risk-adjusted discount rates. Additionally, an independent broker estimate of the fair values of the mortgage servicing rights is obtained quarterly along with other market-based evidence. Management uses this information together with its OAS valuation methodology to estimate the fair value of the MSR. Models used to value MSR assets, including those employing an OAS valuation methodology, are highly sensitive to changes in certain assumptions. Different expected prepayment speeds, in particular, can result in substantial changes in the estimated fair value of MSR. If actual prepayment experience differs materially from the expected prepayment speeds used in the Company's model, this difference may result in a material change in MSR fair value.

        Changes in MSR value are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the noninterest income caption "Revenue from sales and servicing of home mortgage loans." Additional discussion regarding the estimation of MSR fair value, including limitations to the MSR fair value measurement process, are described in the subsequent section of Management's Discussion and Analysis – "Earnings Performance from Continuing Operations." Key economic assumptions and the sensitivity of MSR fair value to immediate changes in those assumptions are described in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Mortgage Banking Activities."

        For other retained interests in securitization activities (such as interest-only strips and residual interests in mortgage and credit card securitizations), the discounted cash flow model used in estimating fair value utilizes projections of expected cash flows that are greatly influenced by expected prepayment speeds and, in some cases, expected net credit losses or finance charges related to the securitized assets. Key economic assumptions and the sensitivity of retained interests fair value to immediate changes in those assumptions are described in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Securitizations." Changes in those and other assumptions used could have a significant effect on the valuation of these retained interests. Changes in the value of other retained interests in securitization activities are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the noninterest income caption "Loss on trading assets" and in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as "Trading assets."

Loans held for sale

        The fair value of loans designated as held-for-sale is generally based on observable market prices of securities that have loan collateral or interests in loans that are similar to the held-for-sale loans or whole loan sale prices if formally committed. If market prices are not readily available, fair value is based on a discounted cash flow model, which considers expected prepayment factors and the degree of credit risk associated with the loans and the estimated effects of changes in market interest rates relative to the loans' interest rates. When the estimated fair value of loans held for sale is lower than their cost, including adjustments to cost if the loans were in a fair value hedge relationship under Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities , as amended ("Statement No. 133"), a valuation adjustment that accounts for this difference is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income as a component

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within the noninterest income caption "Revenue from sales and servicing of home mortgage loans" for home loans. Valuation adjustments for consumer loans held for sale are recorded under the noninterest income caption "Revenue from sales and servicing of consumer loans." Valuation adjustments for multi-family and commercial real estate loans held for sale are recorded under the noninterest income caption "Other income."

Fair Value of Reporting Units and Goodwill Impairment

        Under FASB Statement No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets , goodwill must be allocated to reporting units and tested for impairment. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or circumstances, such as adverse changes in the business, indicate that there may be justification for conducting an interim test. Impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level (which is the same level as the Company's four major operating segments identified in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Operating Segments"). The first part of the test is a comparison, at the reporting unit level, of the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value is less than the carrying value, then the second part of the test is needed to measure the amount of potential goodwill impairment. The implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill is calculated and compared with the actual carrying value of goodwill recorded within the reporting unit. If the carrying value of reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, then the Company would recognize an impairment loss for the amount of the difference, which would be recorded as a charge against net income.

        The fair value of the reporting units are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models based on each reporting unit's internal forecasts. In addition, analysis using market-based trading and transaction multiples, where available, is used to assess the reasonableness of the valuations derived from the discounted cash flow models.

        For additional information regarding the carrying values of goodwill by operating segment, see Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets."

Allowance for Loan Losses and Contingent Credit Risk Liabilities

Allowance for Loan Losses

        The allowance for loan losses represents management's estimate of incurred credit losses inherent in the Company's loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. Determining the appropriateness of the allowance is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the loan portfolio, in light of the factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the allowance for loan losses in future periods.

        The estimate of the allowance is based on a variety of factors, including past loan loss experience, the current credit profile of borrowers, adverse situations that have occurred that may affect a borrower's ability to meet his financial obligations, the estimated value of underlying collateral, general economic conditions, and the impact that changes in interest rates and unemployment levels have on a borrower's ability to repay adjustable-rate loans.

        The Company allocates a portion of the allowance to the homogeneous loan portfolios and estimates this allocated portion using statistical estimation techniques. Loss estimation techniques used in statistical models are supplemented by qualitative information to assist in estimating the allocated allowance. When housing prices are volatile, lags in data collection and reporting increase the likelihood of adjustments being made to the allowance.

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        The Company also estimates an unallocated portion of the allowance that reflects management's assessment of various risk factors that are not fully captured by the statistical estimation techniques used to determine the allocated component of the allowance. The following factors are routinely and regularly reviewed in estimating the appropriateness of the unallocated allowance: national and local economic trends and conditions (such as gross domestic product and unemployment trends); market conditions (such as changes in housing prices); industry and borrower concentrations within portfolio segments (including concentrations by metropolitan statistical area); recent loan portfolio performance (such as changes in the levels and trends in delinquencies and impaired loans); trends in loan growth (including the velocity of change in loan growth); changes in underwriting criteria; and the regulatory and public policy environment.

        The allowance for loan losses is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and the provision for loan losses is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

        The estimates and judgments are described in further detail in the subsequent section of Management's Discussion and Analysis—"Credit Risk Management" and in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements—"Summary of Significant Accounting Policies."

Contingent Credit Risk Liabilities

        In the ordinary course of business, the Company sells loans to third parties and in certain circumstances, such as in the event of early or first payment default, retains credit risk exposure on those loans. The Company may also be required to repurchase sold loans when representations and warranties made by the Company in connection with those sales are breached. Under certain circumstances, such as when a loan sold to an investor and serviced by the Company fails to perform according to its contractual terms within the six months after its origination or upon written request of the investor, the Company will review the loan file to determine whether or not errors may have been made in the process of originating the loan. If errors are discovered and it is determined that such errors constitute a violation of a representation or warranty made to the investor in connection with the Company's sale of the loan, then the Company will be required to either repurchase the loan or indemnify the investor for losses sustained if the violation had a material adverse effect on the value of the loan.

        Reserves are established for the Company's exposure to the potential repurchase or indemnification liabilities described above as such liabilities are initially recorded at fair value. Throughout the life of these repurchase or indemnification liabilities, the Company may learn of additional information that can affect the assessment of loss probability or the estimation of the amounts involved. Changes in these assessments can lead to significant changes in the recorded reserves. Repurchase and indemnification liabilities are recorded within other liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, and losses are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the noninterest income caption "Revenue from sales and servicing of home mortgage loans."

Impairment of Securities

        The Company monitors securities in its available-for-sale investment portfolio for impairment. Impairment may result from credit deterioration of the issuer, from changes in market rates relative to the interest rate of the instrument, or from changes in prepayment speeds. The Company considers many factors in determining whether the impairment is other than temporary, including but not limited to adverse changes in expected cash flows, the length of time the security has had a fair value less than the cost basis, the severity of the unrealized loss, the Company's intent and ability to hold the security for a period of time sufficient for a recovery in value and issuer-specific factors such as the issuer's financial condition, external credit ratings and general market conditions. The determination of

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other-than-temporary impairment is a subjective process, requiring the use of judgments and assumptions in interpreting relevant market data. Other-than-temporary valuation losses on available-for-sale securities are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the noninterest income caption "Loss on other available-for-sale securities." For additional information regarding the amortized cost, unrealized gains, unrealized losses, and fair value of securities, see Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Available-for-Sale Securities."

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

        The Company enters into derivative contracts to manage the various risks associated with certain assets, liabilities, or probable forecasted transactions. When the Company enters into derivative contracts, the derivative instrument is designated as: (1) a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or of an unrecognized firm commitment (a "fair value" hedge); (2) a hedge of the variability in expected future cash flows associated with an existing recognized asset or liability or a probable forecasted transaction (a "cash flow" hedge); or (3) held for other risk management purposes ("risk management derivatives").

        All derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, are recorded at fair value as either assets or liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Changes in fair value of derivatives that are not in hedge accounting relationships (as in (3) above) are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income in the period in which the change in value occurs. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated as cash flow hedges (as in (2) above), to the extent such hedges are deemed highly effective, are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings when the earnings effect of the hedged cash flows is recognized. Changes in the fair value of derivatives in qualifying fair value hedge accounting relationships (as in (1) above) are recorded each period in earnings along with the change in fair value of the hedged item attributable to the risk being hedged.

        The determination of whether a derivative qualifies for hedge accounting requires complex judgments about the application of Statement No. 133. Additionally, this Statement requires contemporaneous documentation of the Company's hedge relationships. Such documentation includes the nature of the risk being hedged, the identification of the hedged item, or the group of hedged items that share the risk exposure that is designated as being hedged, the selection of the instrument that will be used to hedge the identified risk, and the method used to assess the effectiveness of the hedge relationship. The assessment of hedge effectiveness requires calculations that utilize standard statistical methods of correlation that must support the determination that the hedging relationship is expected to be highly effective, during the period that the hedge is designated, in achieving offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows attributable to the hedged risk. If the Company's assessment of effectiveness is not considered to be adequate to achieve hedge accounting treatment, the derivative is treated as a free-standing risk management instrument.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

        Refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies."

Discontinued Operations

        In December 2006, the Company exited the retail mutual fund management business and completed the sale of WM Advisors, Inc. WM Advisors provided investment management, distribution and shareholder services to the WM Group of Funds. This former subsidiary has been accounted for as a discontinued operation and, accordingly, its results of operations have been removed from the Company's results of continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 in the

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Consolidated Statements of Income and in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – "Operating Segments."