Jefferson Bancshares is the holding company for Jefferson Federal Bank, which has about a dozen locations in eastern parts of the Volunteer State. Founded in 1963, the bank serves individuals and businesses in Hamblen, Knox, Sullivan, and Washington counties, offering standard services such as checking and savings accounts, CDs, and IRAs. Lending activities primarily consist of commercial real estate loans and one- to four-family residential mortgages, which together account for a majority of the company's loan portfolio. In 2008 Jefferson Bancshares acquired State of Franklin Bancshares, a community bank hurt by the national mortgage crisis.