POWER OF ATTORNEY



Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Sandor E, Samuels, Susan Bow, Gerard Healy, Chuck Quon, Becky Bailey and
Becky MacKinnon signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-
fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an executive officer of Countrywide Financial Corporation ( the
"Corporation") Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5
and timely filing of such form with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority: and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.


The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact or his substitute
or substitutes shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of
Attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges
that the forgoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request
of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Corporation assuming, any of
the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force until the undersigned is no
longer required to file SEC Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's
holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Corporation, unless
earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this day February 24, 2005.






Print Name:       James S. Furash