Great Western Financial’s earnings fell 59% to...

Great Western Financial’s earnings fell 59% to $31.7 million, or 22 cents a share, in the third quarter as the company set aside $129 million for real estate-related problems.

The Chatsworth-based thrift, which earned $77.3 million in the same period a year earlier, described the move as part of an aggressive attempt to clear its books of non-performing commercial real estate assets.