Financial Empowerment Tours to Boost Local Communities

Fifth Third Bank today announced that its Financial Empowerment Mobile, commonly known as the eBus, is returning to the road after a COVID-19 pandemic hiatus. Following Centers for Disease Control and regional and local health protocols, the eBus is resuming community stops through the 11-state market that Fifth Third serves.

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Fifth Third Bank's Financial Empowerment Mobile, eBus, is returning to the road to deliver financial access and capability services to the communities it serves. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We could not be more excited about the return of our eBus to our local neighborhoods,” said Stefanie Steward-Young, senior vice president and chief corporate social responsibility officer, Fifth Third Bank. “While we have continued to keep our branches open for service and created online eBus events during the pandemic, nothing is better than being physically present with our community members and helping them empower their lives financially. We can’t wait to be with everyone again to see how we can best serve them and meet their needs.”

The eBus will kick-off its new community schedule on July 29, 2021 in Chicago. In collaboration with the Chicago Urban League, the eBus will be present at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. In addition to the ability to get vaccinated against COVID-19, residents will be able to board the Fifth Third Bank eBus for the following services:

• Credit reports and scores and a report review with a professional banker
• Personal evaluation of finances
• Financial education modules
• Internet banking and bill payment tutorials
• Online job searches
• Online account openings
• Loan application referrals

“We are thrilled to have the Fifth Third eBus at our ‘Don’t Miss Your Shot!’ vaccination event,” said Karen Freeman-Wilson, president and CEO, Chicago Urban League. “Our two organizations understand the clear connection between physical and financial health. The Urban League embraces the opportunity to underscore this with one of our most committed partners. Health equity and financial empowerment are two hallmarks of the League’s efforts to reduce the racial wealth gap.”

The Fifth Third eBus is a key component of the Bank’s financial empowerment mobile strategy that seeks to address the gap caused by banking deserts and the lack of financial services for low- and moderate-income communities. The eBus is a mobile classroom equipped with 12 desktop computer stations and Wi-Fi capabilities. Community members are greeted by Fifth Third Bank employee volunteers and community partner representatives at eBus events. Fifth Third also has a “Banking to Go” pop-up shop that can be set up at various venues and events. Banking to Go events also are included in the eBus tour schedule where similar services are available. Nearly half a million people have visited the eBus since 2004.

Following the “Don’t Miss Your Shot!” event in Chicago on July 29, the eBus has additional scheduled stops in Chicago and then heads to Dayton and Cincinnati in Ohio before returning to Chicago in August. Banking to Go will be at the Café Indy Far Eastside Festival on August 7 in Indianapolis and at the Black Family Reunion in Cincinnati on Aug. 20. The full eBus schedule can be found online.

Fifth Third is a leader in financial education programming. In addition to its financial empowerment mobile strategy, the Fifth Third L.I.F.E. (Lives Improved through Financial Empowerment®) programs have helped educate 2.6 million people in the ways of personal finance over the past 17 years. Programs include the Bank’s newly updated Young Bankers Club® and Fifth Third Finance Academy, which teaches teens financial foundations and entrepreneurship. More about the Bank’s commitment to financial empowerment programs and services can be found in the Social section of the Bank’s 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2021, the Company had $205 billion in assets and operates 1,096 full-service Banking Centers, and 2,369 Fifth Third branded ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2021, had $483 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $61 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.”

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