Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) announced that its industry‑first free wills program will be extended to customers in Texas, Arizona and California when the bank completes its integration of Comerica in September. The expansion builds on a first‑year rollout that has already protected an estimated $10 billion in estate value for more than 39,000 will creators and 3,000 trust creators. By making attorney‑approved wills freely available to every retail client, Fifth Third is turning a traditionally costly legal service into a digital‑wellness benefit that aligns with its broader mission of helping people protect what matters most.
Expansion Linked to Comerica Integration
The rollout will occur as Comerica customers gain access to Fifth Third’s digital platform in September. The bank said the extension will reach “hundreds of thousands of additional customers,” adding the three new states to the program’s existing footprint of existing Fifth Third markets. This geographic growth is directly tied to the Comerica integration, which brings Comerica’s retail base onto Fifth Third’s online banking and wealth‑management suite. As a result, new users in Texas, Arizona and California will be able to start the free‑will process through the same portal that existing Fifth Third clients use today—simply by visiting 53.com/trustandwill. Fifth Third remains the only U.S. bank that offers free, attorney‑approved wills to its entire customer base, a distinction it highlights as a core component of its consumer‑digital strategy.
Program Performance and Partnership with Trust & Will
Since its launch in May 2025, the program—delivered in partnership with Trust & Will—has enabled more than 39,000 customers to create wills and 3,000 to establish trusts. Fifth Third estimates that participants have saved $12.6 million in legal fees. Completion rates from registration to finalized wills are near 65%, a figure the bank describes as “significantly exceeding typical digital completion benchmarks.” Erin Crawford, Vice President and head of Consumer Digital, Payments and Money Management at Fifth Third, said the initiative “removes barriers and gives families the tools to plan ahead with confidence.”
Relevance for Financial Institutions
The offering addresses a persistent financial‑planning gap: over half of Americans lack basic estate documents, exposing families to probate delays, legal costs and frozen assets. By embedding free estate‑planning tools within a trusted banking relationship, Fifth Third provides a concrete digital‑wellness service that aligns with broader consumer‑financial‑health strategies. The partnership with Trust & Will demonstrates how banks can leverage specialist fintech providers to deliver regulated, attorney‑approved products at scale without developing the capability in‑house.
Key Takeaways
- Fifth Third will extend its free wills program to Texas, Arizona and California when the Comerica integration closes in September.
- The program has already helped more than 39,000 customers create wills and 3,000 establish trusts, protecting an estimated $10 billion in estate value.
- Completion rates are about 65%, and participants have saved roughly $12.6 million in legal costs since the May 2025 launch.
FinanceInsyte's Take
The expansion shows how a traditional bank can use a fintech partnership to deliver a regulated, high‑engagement consumer service at scale. While adoption metrics are strong, the program’s impact on broader financial‑wellness outcomes remains to be measured as it reaches new markets. Executives should monitor enrollment trends in the added states and assess whether similar embedded services could address other underserved consumer needs.
Source: Businesswire
