SpringFour Partner of the Month: Fifth Third

Expanding access to financial health in local communities across the U.S.

Imagine a bus pulling into a neighborhood where the nearest bank branch is miles away. Inside, residents can open a checking account on the spot, step into a private consultation pod, or meet with a credit counselor. And with SpringFour integrated directly into the experience, a quick zip code search instantly surfaces local financial assistance resources for housing, food, employment, childcare, and more. What might otherwise take hours is resolved in minutes.

That’s the Financial Empowerment Mobile, or eBus. And it’s what makes our partnership with Fifth Third a tangible expression of financial health win-wins in action.

A bank that shows up that its community members

Fifth Third has been serving individuals, families, and businesses since 1856 and was recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies this year. Its footprint across the Midwest, with continued growth in the Southeast, reflects a longstanding commitment to expanding opportunity and removing barriers to economic mobility, and that commitment shows up in how Fifth Third delivers support.

The problem we’re solving together

Around 19 million U.S. households are underbanked, according to the FDIC. Bank deserts, food insecurity, and other logistical and economic barriers make consistent financial support hard to come by for too many communities. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, household debt balances reached $18.8 Trillion at the end of 2025.

SpringFour and Fifth Third are a solution to these challenges, connecting customers under financial stress to timely, local, vetted resources, a good practice and a win-win for both customers and the business.

“We know if we can touch two to three people on the bus with resources like we’re going to give through SpringFour, we can make a life-changing impact,” said Aleta Young, vice president and corporate social responsibility strategies director at Fifth Third in Banking Dive.

What our partnership looks like on the ground

Since its 2024 tour, the eBus, with SpringFour’s integration, has traveled thousands of miles across Fifth Third’s 11-state footprint, stopping in 18 communities, especially in areas where traditional access points are limited. (See the partnership launch featured in Banking Dive and Tearsheet.)

The model is simple and effective: bring the tools, guidance, and resources into the same space and remove friction that might make financial services feel inaccessible. Since the beginning of the partnership, Fifth Third has delivered thousands of financial health referrals in categories such as food savings, financial counseling, housing counseling, rental resources, and down payment assistance.

Celebrating Fifth Third Day with Community Engagement

May 3, Fifth Third Day, is a fitting moment to celebrate what this partnership has built and where it’s headed. Now in its third year, the work continues to evolve with a consistent focus on expanding access and creating financial opportunity for those who need it.

Congratulations to the Fifth Third team for proving that banking can meet people where they are, and for making a measurable difference when it does.