CALABASAS, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) released operational data for the month ended August 31, 2006. Key operational results included the following:

  *  Mortgage loan fundings for the month of August were $40 billion, a
     decrease of 24 percent from August 2005.  Year-to-date fundings of
     $296 billion were down by 4 percent from $309 billion last year.
     -  Monthly purchase volume in August was $19 billion as compared to
        $25 billion for August 2005.  Year-to-date purchase activity was
        $138 billion as compared to $148 billion last year.
     -  Adjustable-rate loan fundings for the month of August were
        $18 billion as compared to $27 billion in August 2005.  Year-to-date
        adjustable-rate volume was $143 billion as compared to $166 billion
        last year.
     -  Home equity loan fundings for August were $4.1 billion, essentially
        flat from August 2005.  Year-to-date home equity fundings were
        $31 billion, 14 percent higher than last year.
     -  Nonprime loan fundings in August were $3.7 billion, compared with
        $4.5 billion for the year-ago period.  Year-to-date nonprime loan
        funding volume of $27 billion was down 3 percent from the comparable
        period last year.
     -  Consolidated pay-option loan fundings for the month of August were
        $5.4 billion, compared with $10.4 billion in August of last year.
        Year-to-date pay-option fundings were $49.7 billion, as compared to
        $60.2 billion from the same period last year.
     -  It should be noted that the various mortgage loan funding categories
        listed above are not mutually exclusive and are not intended to
        total 100 percent of total fundings.
  *  Average daily mortgage loan application activity in August was
     $2.6 billion, down 17 percent from last year.  The mortgage loan
     pipeline was $64 billion at August 31, 2006 as compared to $78 billion
     at August 31, 2005.
  *  The mortgage loan servicing portfolio totaled $1.2 trillion at
     August 31, 2006, an increase of 20 percent from August 31, 2005.
  *  Total assets for Banking Operations were $87 billion at August 31,
     2006, an increase of 21 percent from last year.
  *  Securities trading volume in the Capital Markets segment of
     $353 billion for the month of August 2006 was up from $346 billion in
     August 2005.  Year-to-date securities trading volume reached
     $2.5 trillion, an increase of 8 percent from last year.
  *  Net earned premiums from the Insurance segment were $111 million for
     August 2006, compared with $69 million for the year-ago period.
     Year-to-date net earned premiums were $769 million, rising 36 percent
     from last year.

"Total mortgage loan fundings were up 12 percent sequentially, but declined year over year as a result of the expected industry slowdown," said Angelo R. Mozilo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While purchase funding volume was down significantly from August 2005, purchase volume year-to-date was down only 6 percent from 2005 which was an all-time high. The servicing portfolio continued its growth, increasing $208 billion from last year to reach $1.2 trillion at the end of August. Other business segments also demonstrated year-over-year growth with Banking Operations' assets rising $15 billion, Capital Markets securities trading volume increasing $7 billion, and Insurance net earned premiums advancing $42 million from August 2005."

Founded in 1969, Countrywide Financial Corporation is a diversified financial services provider and a member of the S&P 500, Forbes 2000, and Fortune 500. Through its family of companies, Countrywide: originates, purchases, securitizes, sells, and services prime and nonprime loans; provides loan closing services such as credit reports, appraisals and flood determinations; offers banking services which include depository and home loan products; conducts fixed income securities underwriting and trading activities; provides property, life and casualty insurance; and manages a captive mortgage reinsurance company. For more information about the Company, visit Countrywide's website at http://www.countrywide.com/.

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding management's beliefs, estimates, projections, and assumptions with respect to, among other things, the Company's future operations, business plans and strategies, as well as industry and market conditions, all of which are subject to change. Actual results and operations for any future period may vary materially from those projected herein and from past results discussed herein. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated include, but are not limited to: competitive and general economic conditions in each of our business segments; changes in general business, economic, market and political conditions in the United States and abroad from those expected; loss of investment grade ratings that may result in an increase in the cost of debt or loss of access to corporate debt markets; reduction in government support of homeownership; the level and volatility of interest rates; changes in interest rate paths; changes in generally accepted accounting principles or in the legal, regulatory and legislative environments in the markets in which the Company operates; the ability of management to effectively implement the Company's strategies; and other risks noted in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "promise," "plan," and other expressions or words of similar meanings, as well as future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may" are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

                             (tables follow)



            COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
                         OPERATING STATISTICS(1)
                          (Dollars in Millions)

                                             Month Ended        Year-to-Date
                                        August 31,  August 31,   August 31,
                                           2006        2005         2006
  LOAN PRODUCTION
   Number of Working Days in the
    Period                                     23          23          169
   Average Daily Mortgage Loan
    Applications                           $2,645      $3,168       $2,599
   Mortgage Loan Pipeline
    (loans-in-process)                    $64,125     $78,062
   Commercial Real Estate Loan
    Pipeline (loans-in-process)              $296        $458

   Loan Fundings:
     Consumer Markets Division            $14,021     $16,133     $102,916
     Wholesale Lending Division             8,193      10,855       66,413
     Correspondent Lending Division        16,185      23,744      113,264
     Capital Markets                        1,782       2,335       13,346
       Total Mortgage Loan Fundings        40,181      53,067      295,939
     Commercial Real Estate Fundings          273         397        2,663
       Total Loan Fundings                $40,454     $53,464     $298,602

     Bank Mortgage Loan Fundings (2)      $13,233      $5,309      $61,740

    Loan Fundings in Units:
     Consumer Markets Division             88,698     102,357      666,286
     Wholesale Lending Division            40,740      51,526      322,949
     Correspondent Lending Division        82,777     117,470      567,804
     Capital Markets                        6,978       8,148       51,279
       Total Mortgage Loan Fundings
        in Units                          219,193     279,501    1,608,318
     Commercial Real Estate                    39          30          310
       Total Loan Fundings in Units       219,232     279,531    1,608,628

     Bank Mortgage Loan Units (2)          82,746      44,162      428,081

    Mortgage Loan Fundings: (3)
     Purchase                             $19,368     $25,079     $138,368
     Non-purchase                          20,813      27,988      157,571
       Total Mortgage Loan Fundings       $40,181     $53,067     $295,939

    Mortgage Loan Fundings by Product:
     Government Fundings                   $1,161      $1,114       $8,400
     ARM Fundings                         $17,978     $27,267     $143,285
     Home Equity Fundings                  $4,141      $4,122      $31,463
     Nonprime Fundings                     $3,722      $4,504      $27,487

  MORTGAGE LOAN SERVICING (4)
    Volume                             $1,228,518  $1,020,416
    Units                               7,890,954   7,089,887
    Subservicing Volume (5)               $23,179     $28,868
    Subservicing Units                    209,126     259,688
    Prepayments in Full                   $19,783     $25,111     $138,982
    Bulk Servicing Acquisitions              $534      $3,393         $740
    Portfolio Delinquency - CHL (6)          4.15%       3.68%
    Foreclosures Pending - CHL (6)           0.50%       0.42%

  LOAN CLOSING SERVICES (units)
    Credit Reports                        920,379     914,659    6,922,299
    Flood Determinations                  302,948     318,626    2,260,329
    Appraisals                            117,367     123,082      835,183
    Automated Property Valuation
     Services                             939,734     750,312    5,504,996
    Other                                  19,918      16,786      133,229
       Total Units                      2,300,346   2,123,465   15,656,036

  CAPITAL MARKETS
    Securities Trading Volume (7)        $353,106    $345,998   $2,544,422

  BANKING
    Banking Operations Assets
     (in billions)                            $87         $72

  INSURANCE
    Net Premiums Earned:
     Carrier                                $92.1       $53.7       $624.7
     Reinsurance                             18.7        14.8        144.1
       Total Net Premiums Earned           $110.8       $68.5       $768.8


  Period-end Rates
    10-Year U.S. Treasury Yield              4.74%       4.02%
    FNMA 30-Year Fixed Rate MBS Coupon       5.93%       5.15%


  (1) This data reflect current operating statistics and do not constitute
      all factors impacting the quarterly and annual financial results of
      the Company.  All figures are unaudited and monthly figures may be
      adjusted in the reported financial statements of the Company.  Such
      financial statements are provided by the Company quarterly.  The
      Company makes no commitment to update this information for changes in
      circumstances or events which occur subsequent to the date of this
      release.
  (2) These loans are processed for Countrywide Bank by the Company's
      Mortgage Banking production divisions and are included in "Total
      Mortgage Loan Fundings" above.  The amounts include loans funded for
      both investment purposes and for sale.  The Company will report the
      amount of such loans subsequently sold on a quarterly basis.
  (3) Purchase fundings include first trust deed and home equity loans used
      as purchase money debt in the acquisition of a home. Non-purchase
      fundings include first trust deed refinance loans, home equity
      refinance loans, and stand-alone home equity loans.
  (4) Includes loans held for sale, loans held for investment, and loans
      serviced for others, including those under subservicing agreements.
  (5) Subservicing volume for non-Countrywide entities.
  (6) Expressed as a percentage of the total number of loans serviced,
      excluding subserviced loans and portfolios purchased at a discount due
      to their non-performing status.
  (7) Includes trades with Mortgage Banking Segment.
Mortgage Loan