Advest



                             CONSENT OF ADVEST, INC.

         We hereby  consent to the filing of our  opinion  to  People's  Savings
Financial Corp. as an exhibit to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus  included in the
Registration  Statement on Form S-4 of Webster Financial  Corporation and to the
references to us and to our opinion in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus that forms
part of the  Registration  Statement.  In giving this  opinion we do not concede
that we are within any  category  of persons  whose  consent is  required in the
Registration Statement.

                                                   ADVEST, INC.


                                                   /s/ Thomas G. Rudkin
                                                   -----------------------------
                                                   Thomas G. Rudkin
                                                   Managing Director
                                                   Financial Institutions Group

New York, NY
June 18, 1997

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