Company: FITBI
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000035527-25-000079
Chunk: 393

Company: FIFTH THIRD BANCORP
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 393
---
 adversely affect Fifth Third’s reputation and could result in limitations on Fifth Third’s ability to do business in certain jurisdictions. Additionally, in some cases, regulatory authorities may take supervisory actions that are considered to be confidential supervisory information which may not be publicly disclosed.

Each of the matters described above may result in material adverse consequences, including without limitation, adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other actions, amendments and/or restatements of Fifth Third’s SEC filings and/or financial statements, as applicable, and/or determinations of material weaknesses in its disclosure controls and procedures. In addition, responding to information-gathering requests, reviews, investigations and proceedings, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the matter, could be time-consuming and expensive.

Like other large financial institutions and companies, Fifth Third is also subject to risk from potential employee misconduct, including non-compliance with policies and improper use or disclosure of confidential information. Substantial legal liability or significant regulatory or other enforcement action against Fifth Third could materially adversely affect its business, financial condition or results of operations and/or cause significant reputational harm to its business. The outcome of lawsuits and regulatory proceedings may be difficult to predict or estimate. Although Fifth Third establishes accruals for legal proceedings when information related to the loss contingencies represented by those matters indicates both that a loss is probable and that the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, Fifth Third does not have accruals 

30 Fifth Third Bancorp 

for all legal proceedings where it faces a risk of loss. In addition, due to the inherent subjectivity of the assessments and unpredictability of the outcome of legal proceedings, amounts accrued may not represent the ultimate loss to Fifth Third from the legal proceedings in question. Thus, Fifth Third’s ultimate losses may be higher, and possibly significantly so, than the amounts accrued for legal loss contingencies, which could adversely affect Fifth Third’s results of operations.

In addition, there has been a trend of public settlements with governmental agencies that may adversely affect other financial institutions, to the extent such settlements are used as a template for future settlements. The uncertain regulatory enforcement environment makes it difficult to estimate probable losses, which can lead to substantial disparities between legal reserves and actual settlements or penalties.

For further information on specific legal and regulatory proceedings, refer to Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Fifth Third may be required to repurchase residential mortgage loans or reimburse investors and others as a result of breaches in contractual representations and warranties. 

Fifth Third sells residential mortgage loans to various parties, including