<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000936528-15-000019.txt : 20150708
<SEC-HEADER>0000936528-15-000019.hdr.sgml : 20150708
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20150526202254
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000936528-15-000019
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20150526

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			WASHINGTON FEDERAL INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000936528
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SAVINGS INSTITUTION, FEDERALLY CHARTERED [6035]
		IRS NUMBER:				911661606
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			WA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0930

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		425 PIKE STREET
		CITY:			SEATTLE
		STATE:			WA
		ZIP:			98101
		BUSINESS PHONE:		2066247930

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		425 PIKE ST
		CITY:			SEATTLE
		STATE:			WA
		ZIP:			98101
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
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		<title>Correspondence 05.26.15</title>
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<a name="s4edfaa87e2ea48208488feda506598d3"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">WASHINGTON FEDERAL, INC.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">425 Pike Street</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Seattle, WA  98101</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Telephone:  (206) 777-8259</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Facsimile:    (206) 624-2334</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:13px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:13px;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">Via Edgar</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:13px;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">May 26, 2015</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Dietrich A. King</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Assistant Director</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">US Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Washington, D.C.  20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:11pt;padding-left:0px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Re:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Washington Federal, Inc.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2014</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Filed November 26, 2014</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Dear Mr. King:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Washington Federal, Inc. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;) appreciates the opportunity to respond to your comment letter dated May 5, 2015, concerning the disclosure of incentive-based compensation targets for named executive officers in the Company&#8217;s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed December 9, 2014.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">In our future filings, to the extent there are payouts on short-term and long-term incentive compensation, the Company&#8217;s proxy will include the targets established by the Compensation Committee that were applicable to assessing the performance of its named executive officers.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Consistent with Commission guidance, the Company reserves the right to assess each year if (i) the performance targets involve confidential trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information and (ii) whether their disclosure would result in competitive harm to the Company.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">The Company acknowledges its responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in our filings, understands that staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to a filing and may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Sincerely,</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">WASHINGTON FEDERAL INC.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#32;/s/  Roy M. Whitehead       </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Roy M. Whitehead</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Chairman, President and</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Chief Executive Officer</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
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