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News October 23, 2025

Fifth Third’s $178m Tricolor hit - NDFI fears spread

Fifth Third’s $178m Tricolor hit - NDFI fears spread

Fifth Third recorded a $178 million third quarter charge-off tied to bankrupt subprime auto lender Tricolor, amplifying investor concern over banks’ exposure to non-depository financial institutions. Similar hits and fraud-linked loans disclosed by peers

Fifth Third logged a $178 million net charge-off in the third quarter related to bankrupt subprime auto lender Tricolor, intensifying scrutiny of regional banks’ exposure to non-depository financial institutions.

The Cincinnati lender joined a list of banks acknowledging ties to Tricolor or to bankrupt auto-parts maker First Brands, after saying last month it had uncovered alleged external fraudulent activity at a commercial borrower that could result in an impairment of up to $200 million.

Other regionals, including Zions and Western Alliance, disclosed bad loans linked to alleged fraud this week.

On Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase reported a separate $170 million Tricolor charge-off, which CEO Jamie Dimon called “not our finest moment,” adding, “When you see one cockroach, there are probably more.”

Those remarks crystallised market anxiety. “Investors are now squarely focused on NDFI risks – and little else ever matters for banks when credit questions emerge,” UBS analyst Nicholas Holowko wrote in a Friday note.

Fifth Third executives characterised Tricolor as an isolated, fraud-driven event but said they completed an end-to-end review of their asset-backed finance portfolio.

“We identified a couple of things that we’ll start to implement from an enhancement standpoint, and we’ll continue to reinforce ongoing monitoring in that space,” Chief Credit Officer Greg Schroeck said on Friday’s earnings call.

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