Fifth Third Bancorp Introduces New Fifth Third Bank Young Bankers Club

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fifth Third Bancorp today announced the introduction of a completely new version of the Fifth Third Bank Young Bankers Club (YBC). Originally launched in 2004, YBC is Fifth Third’s signature financial educational program for elementary students.

“YBC is a fun and educational journey that will start them on a path of success. We offer the free program because it will have a lasting impact on the individual lives of thousands of fifth-grade students.”

The Young Bankers Club teaches fifth-grade youth the basics about money: what it is, how it’s earned, and how it’s used. The lessons were developed to help students establish a sound foundation in money management as well as instill an appreciation for saving and financial education. YBC lessons are taught in school classrooms, often by a Fifth Third Bank employee serving as a mentor for the program. Students who finish are awarded a certificate of completion. The YBC is part of Fifth Third Bank’s innovative programming designed to financially empower people of all ages.

“The new Young Bankers Club is an exciting and creative way for students who attend school in our markets to be engaged,” said Gregory Imm, senior vice president and director of Community Affairs, Fifth Third Bancorp. “YBC is a fun and educational journey that will start them on a path of success. We offer the free program because it will have a lasting impact on the individual lives of thousands of fifth-grade students.”

YBC features a comprehensive curriculum that meets national and state educational standards for fifth-grade mathematics. It includes 10 lessons covering such topics as Money Basics, Money Matters, Spending Money, Budgeting, Personal Banking, Credit Cards and Interest, Investments, and Starting Your Own Business—all written at an age-appropriate level and incorporating standards-based, real-world math problems.

The Club’s most innovative feature is the new vault video game challenge that encourages students to complete money-related activities to unlock levels of a vault. After all levels have been passed, students will uncover what resides inside. As students play the game and complete the program, they will:

Identify what money is.
Understand the difference between wants and needs.
Make basic money calculations.
Explore various careers and how much income they can earn.
Learn the basics of the stock market.
Understand the operations of a bank branch or financial center.
Create budgets and study spending.
Examine interest and credit cards.
Practice managing a bank account.
Learn how to create a business plan for a small business.

The updated program incorporates greater flexibility for teachers who now have the option to utilize a Fifth Third employee where available, or to teach it themselves with the new Instructor Guide. Teachers also can choose a five- or 10-week program or tailor it to work within their current curriculum. The flexibility enables Fifth Third Bank to deploy the program into more schools and throughout each of its 12 states of operation.

Interested schools located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Pennsylvania are encouraged to contact their local Fifth Third Bank CRA Manager.

Fifth Third Bank’s commitment to financial empowerment spans multiple generations, with programming designed to help people at every stage of life make smart financial decisions. Signature programming includes Young Bankers Club as well as sponsorship of the American Bankers Association’s Teach Children to Save program and Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance high school curriculum. Fifth Third Bank also offers multiple programs for adult financial empowerment, including its Fifth Third Financial Empowerment Mobiles, featuring two 40-foot retrofitted buses equipped with Internet accessible computer workstations. These eBuses travel into underserved communities and bankers are available to provide access to quality financial services. For more information, visit www.53.com/financial-empowerment.

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $122 billion in assets and operates 15 affiliates with 1,324 full-service Banking Centers, including 106 Bank Mart® locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,409 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 33% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of December 31, 2012, had $308 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $27 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® National Global Select Market under the symbol "FITB." Fifth Third Bank. Member FDIC.