Fifth Third Bank Explained

Fifth Third Bancorp
Type:Public
Trade Name:Fifth Third Bank
Predecessor:Bank of the Ohio Valley, Third National Bank, Fifth National Bank
Founded:, in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. (as Bank of the Ohio Valley)
Hq Location:Fifth Third Center
Hq Location City:Cincinnati, Ohio
Location Country:U.S.
Locations:1,088 branches and 2,104 automated teller machines
Area Served:Regional
Key People:Timothy N. Spence (chairman, CEO and president)
Bryan D. Preston (CFO)
Products:Consumer banking, corporate banking, private banking, financial analysis, insurance, investment banking, mortgage loans, private equity, wealth management, credit cards
Net Income: US$2.212 billion (2023)
Assets: US$214.574 billion (2023)
Equity: US$19.172 billion (2023)
Num Employees:18,724 (December 2023)
Footnotes:[1]

Fifth Third Bank (5/3 Bank), the principal subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp, is a bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fifth Third operates 1,088 branches and 2,104 automated teller machines, which are in 11 states: Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.[1] It is on the list of largest banks in the United States and is ranked 321st on the Fortune 500.[2] The name "Fifth Third" is derived from the names of the bank's two predecessor companies, Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank, which merged in 1909.

History

Pre-merger (1858-1908)

On June 17, 1858, the Bank of the Ohio Valley, founded by William W. Scarborough, opened in Cincinnati, Ohio. On June 23, 1863, the Third National Bank was organized. On April 29, 1871, Third National Bank acquired Bank of the Ohio Valley. In 1888, Queen City National Bank changed its name to Fifth National Bank.[3]

Merger of Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank (1908)

On June 1, 1908, Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank merged to become the FifthThird National Bank of Cincinnati; the hyphen was later dropped. The merger took place when prohibitionist ideas were gaining popularity, and it is a legend that "Fifth Third" was better than "Third Fifth", which could have been construed as a reference to three fifths of alcohol.[4] The name went through several changesthe most recent being Fifth Third Union Trust Company[5] until March 24, 1969, when it was changed to Fifth Third Bank.

Post-merger

In 1999, the bank acquired Emerald Financial for $204 million.[6]

In November 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury invested $3.4 billion in the company as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and in February 2011, the company repurchased the investment from the Treasury.[7] [8]

In 2009, Fifth Third completed the corporate spin-off of Fifth Third Processing Solutions, which was acquired by Worldpay, Inc. in 2012.[9]

In May 2018, Fifth Third acquired MB Financial in a $4.7 billion transaction.[10]

In August 2020, the bank signed a partnership with Trust & Will.[11]

In May 2022, Fifth Third acquired Dividend Finance, a San Franciscobased residential solar power lender.[12] [13]

In May 2023, the bank acquired Rize Money.[14] Also in May 2023, the bank acquired Big Data Healthcare.[15]

Lawsuits

In December 2016, small business owners sued Fifth Third, along with Vantiv and National Processing Company, for violating telemarketing laws. On August 4, 2022, a $50 million settlement was finalized.[16]

On March 9, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) charged Fifth Third with illegal crossselling; the suit was resolved in 2024 with the bank paying $20 million and taking remedial actions.[17] A class action suit was filed on behalf of former MB Financial shareholders, alleging that the crossselling strategy artificially inflated Fifth Third's stock price and thus MB Financial's shareholders were not honestly compensated when the purchase occurred. The case was settled on September 14, 2023, with Fifth Third paying former MB Financial shareholders $5.5 million.[18]

In September 2015, the US Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced an $18 million settlement to resolve allegations that Fifth Third Bank engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against AfricanAmerican and Hispanic borrowers in its indirect auto lending business.[19]

On April 27, 2023, a jury sided with Fifth Third in a lawsuit filed by customers of its Early Access loan program. The program charged a 10% flat fee. While Fifth Third listed an APR estimate of 120%, the actual APR would be higher if the loan was paid off early due to the fee structure. While the jury agreed Fifth Third breached its loan agreement, it also agreed that customers were fully aware of the fee and thus were not awarded any damages.[20]

On March 8, 2024, the Minnesota Attorney General filed suit against Fifth Third subsidiary Dividend Finance and three other lending companies (GoodLeap, Sunlight Financial, and Solar Mosaic), following an investigation that uncovered they charged Minnesotans $35 million in hidden fees on nearly 5,000 loans to finance sales of residential solar panels. The lawsuit alleges the lenders violated Minnesota state laws against deceptive trade practices, deceptive lending, and illegally high rates of interest.[21] [22] [23]

Notable corporate buildings

Naming rights and sponsorships

Fifth Third owns corporate naming rights to the following:

Fifth Third Bank is a sponsor of the following:

External links

NASDAQ:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fifth Third Bancorp 2022 Annual Report (Form 10-K) . . February 27, 2024.
  2. Web site: Fifth Third Bancorp . .
  3. Web site: Fifth Third Bank Celebrates 165 Years of Service, Innovation, Impact . Columbus Chamber of Commerce . June 22, 2023.
  4. Web site: Organization: Fifth Third Bank . Cbonds . May 1, 2024.
  5. News: That funny name for a bank has grown on us . Homer . Brickey . . April 2, 2002.
  6. News: Fifth Third to acquire Emerald Financial; become Ohio's . March 1, 1999.
  7. News: Fifth Third Repays Bailout Funds . Ben . Protess . . February 2, 2011 . limited.
  8. News: Fifth Third Bancorp repays TARP debt . . February 2, 2011.
  9. Web site: Welcome to the new Worldpay . Worldpay, Inc..
  10. News: Fifth Third spends $4.7 billion for Chicago's MB Financial . Alexander . Coolidge. . . May 21, 2018.
  11. News: Fifth Third Bank and Trust & Will Announce Strategic Relationship to Help Customers Protect and Secure Their Families' . . July 16, 2020.
  12. News: Fifth Third Bancorp completes acquisition of Dividend Finance . Jasmine . Castroverde . . 11 May 2022.
  13. Fifth Third Completes Acquisition of Dividend Finance, Leading Lender in High Growth Solar, Sustainable Solutions . . May 10, 2022.
  14. News: Fifth Third targets payments expansion with Rize Money acquisition . Jordan . Stutts . . May 22, 2023 . subscription.
  15. News: Fifth Third Bank completes acquisition of Big Data Healthcare . . May 16, 2023 . subscription.
  16. Web site: Judge finalizes $50M settlement with Fifth Third, Vantiv over recorded telemarketing calls . Scott . Holland . Cook County Record . August 10, 2022.
  17. Web site: CFPB Takes Action Against Fifth Third for Wrongfully Triggering Auto Repossessions and Opening Fake Bank Accounts . . July 9, 2024.
  18. Web site: Fox v. Fifth Third Bancorp. March 1, 2024 .
  19. Web site: Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Auto Lending Discrimination by Fifth Third Bank . . September 28, 2015.
  20. News: Federal jury awards zero damages in Fifth Third loan case . Dan . Monk . WCPO . April 28, 2023 .
  21. Attorney General Ellison sues solar lenders over $35M in deceptive hidden fees . Office of the Attorney General of Minnesota . March 8, 2024 . May 27, 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240520083259/www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2024/03/08_SolarLending.asp . 20 May 2024.
  22. Web site: Minnesota v. GoodLeap LLC, Sunlight Financial LLC, Solar Mosaic LLC, and Dividend Solar Finance LLC . Office of the Attorney General of Minnesota . 5 April 2024 . 27 May 2024 . US District Court for the District of Minnesota . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240527081147/https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2024/docs/SolarLending_Complaint.pdf. 27 May 2024.
  23. Web site: Weaver. John Fitzgerald . Minnesota sues GoodLeap, Sunlight, Mosaic and Dividend over dealer fees . PV Magazine . 26 April 2024 . 27 May 2024 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240430093355/https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/04/26/minnesota-sues-goodleap-sunlight-mosaic-and-dividend-over-dealer-fees/ . 30 April 2024.
  24. News: Fifth Third Bank Extends Sponsorship of RLL through 2025. Indycar.com. 2023-03-27. 2022-08-07.
  25. News: Fifth Third Bank lands naming rights to new stadium, tennis . . April 4, 2024 . subscription.