WFS Financial Inc Sets January 6, 2006 Special Meeting Date

WFS Financial Inc (Nasdaq:WFSI) today announced that a
special meeting for WFS Financial shareholders has been set for 10:30
a.m. PT, Friday, January 6, 2006 at WFS Financial's headquarters at 23
Pasteur, Irvine, California 92618. The record date for determining the
WFS Financial shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the
WFS Financial special meeting is November 17, 2005.
   At the special meeting, WFS Financial shareholders will be asked
to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the Agreement and Plan
of Merger, as amended and restated, dated as of September 12, 2005,
among Wachovia Corporation ("Wachovia"), Westcorp, Western Financial
Bank and WFS Financial, and to approve the merger of WFS Financial
with a newly formed subsidiary, with WFS Financial as the surviving
corporation, among other items.
   This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such
statements include, among other things, information regarding the
proposed merger. The following factors, among others, could cause
actual results to differ materially from that expressed in such
forward-looking statements: (i) receipt of the approval of the merger
agreement by Westcorp and WFS Financial shareholders; (ii) receipt of
requisite regulatory approvals, including the approval of applicable
banking regulators; (iii) receipt of opinions as to the tax treatment
of the WFS Financial merger and the acquisition of Westcorp by
Wachovia, pursuant to the merger of Westcorp with and into Wachovia,
with Wachovia the surviving corporation (the "Westcorp Merger"); (iv)
listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., subject to notice of
issuance, of Wachovia's common stock to be issued in the Westcorp
Merger and the WFS Financial merger; (v) actual or potential
litigation; and (vi) satisfaction of certain other conditions.
Additional factors that could cause WFS Financial's results to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can
be found in WFS Financial's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC. All forward-looking statements in this document are made as of
the date hereof, based on information available to WFS Financial as of
the date hereof, and WFS Financial assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statement.

   Additional Information

   The proposed WFS Financial merger will be submitted to WFS
Financial's shareholders for their consideration and the Westcorp
Merger will be submitted to Westcorp's shareholders for their
consideration. Wachovia has filed a registration statement, which
includes a preliminary joint proxy statement-prospectus for each of
Westcorp and WFS Financial, and each of Wachovia, Westcorp and WFS
Financial may file other relevant documents concerning the proposed
mergers with the SEC. The registration statement and preliminary joint
proxy statement-prospectus are not yet final and will be further
amended. Shareholders are urged to read the definitive joint proxy
statement-prospectus when it is available and any other relevant
documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements
to those documents, because those documents will contain important
information about Wachovia, Westcorp, WFS Financial, the proposed
mergers and transactions contemplated thereby and related matters. You
can obtain a free copy of the definitive joint proxy
statement-prospectus once it is available, as well as other filings
containing information about Wachovia, Westcorp and WFS Financial, at
the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). You will also be able to
obtain these documents, free of charge, at Wachovia's website
(http://www.wachovia.com) under the tab "Inside Wachovia -- Investor
Relations" and then under the heading "Financial Reports -- SEC
Filings." Copies of the definitive joint proxy statement-prospectus
once it is available, and SEC filings that are incorporated by
reference therein, can also be obtained, free of charge, by directing
a request to Wachovia Corporation, Investor Relations, One Wachovia
Center, 301 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28288-0206,
(704)-374-6782; or to Westcorp or WFS Financial, Attn: Investor
Relations, 23 Pasteur, Irvine, CA 92618, (949)-727-1002.
   Wachovia, Westcorp and WFS Financial and their respective
directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in
the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Westcorp and/or
WFS Financial in connection with the proposed mergers. Information
about the directors and executive officers of Wachovia is set forth in
the proxy statement for Wachovia's 2005 annual meeting of
shareholders, as filed with the SEC on a Schedule 14A on March 14,
2005. Information about the directors and executive officers of
Westcorp is set forth in the proxy statement for Westcorp's 2005
annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on a Schedule
14A on March 28, 2005, and information about the directors and
executive officers of WFS Financial is set forth in the proxy
statement for WFS Financial's 2005 annual meeting of shareholders, as
filed with the SEC on a Schedule 14A on March 28, 2005. Additional
information regarding the interests of those participants and other
persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be
obtained by reading the definitive joint proxy statement-prospectus
once it is available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as
described in the preceding paragraph.