1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 Commission File Number 333-856 THE FIFTH THIRD BANK AUTO TRUST 1996-B (Issuer with respect to the Certificates and Notes) THE FIFTH THIRD BANK (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Ohio 31-0854434 (State or other jurisdiction of (IRS Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 38 Fountain Square Plaza Cincinnati, Ohio 45263 (Address of principal executive offices) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (513) 579-5300 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes: /X/ No: / / The registrant has no officer, director or beneficial owner of more than 10% of equity securities to whom Section 16(a) of the Act applies and consequently Item 405 of Regulation S-K does not apply. The registrant does not have any voting stock, has not been involved in bankruptcy proceedings during the past five years and is not a corporate registrant. No documents are incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. 2 PART I Item 3. Legal Proceedings None. Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders None. PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters At December 31, 1997, CEDE & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), was the registered holder of the Asset Backed Certificates ("Certificates"). There are 31 parties registered on the books of DTC as record owner of Certificates. There is no established public market in which the Certificates are traded. Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure None. PART III Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management At December 31, 1997, the Certificates were registered in the name of (i) The Fifth Third Bank and (ii) CEDE & Co., as nominee of DTC. The books of DTC indicate that the 9 DTC participant institutions listed below are record owners of in excess of five percent (5%) of the Certificates issued. Only such participants, however, know the identity of the beneficial owners of interests in such Certificates. TITLE OF NAME AND ADDRESS AMOUNT AND NATURE OF PERCENT CLASS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF CLASS - -------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------- 6.45% Asset Chase Manhattan Bank $172,300,000 -Principal 44.9% Backed Certificates, 4 New York Plaza amount of Certificates Class A New York, New York 10004 6.45% Asset SSB Custodian Global Proxy Unit $53,388,000 - Principal 13.9% Backed Certificates, PO Box 1631 amount of Certificates Class A Boston, Massachusetts 02105-1631 6.45% Asset Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. $50,560,000 - Principal 13.2% Backed Certificates, Three Mellon Bank Center amount of Certificates Class A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15259 6.45% Asset SSB Bank Portfolio Capital Markets Division $21,445,000 - Principal 5.6% Backed Certificates, 225 Franklin Street amount of Certificates Class A Boston, Massachusetts 02110 6.45% Asset PNC National Association $19,735,000 - Principal 5.1% Backed Certificates, 1835 Market Street amount of Certificates Class A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 3 6.70% Asset Bank One Trust Company N.A. - State $10,000,000 - Principal 34.6% Backed Certificates, 30 West Spring Street amount of Certificates Class B Columbus, Ohio 43266-0581 6.70% Asset Chase Manhattan Bank $10,000,000 - Prinicpal 34.6% Backed Certificates, 4 New York Plaza amount of Certificates Class B New York, New York 10004 6.70% Asset M & I Marshall & Ilsley Bank $7,302,000 - Principal 25.3% Backed Certificates, 1000 North Water Street amount of Certificates Class B Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 6.70% Asset First Bank, N.A. $1,590,000 - Principal 5.5% Backed Certificates, 71 Executive Blvd. amount of Certificates Class B Farmingdale, New York 11735 Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions None. PART IV Item 14. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K (a) Exhibit 20 - Monthly Servicing Report for December 1997. (b) Reports on Form 8-K. During the fourth quarter of 1997, the Servicer, on behalf of the Issuer, filed reports on Form 8-K on October 20, 1997, November 20, 1997 and December 22, 1997. Supplemental Information to be Furnished With Reports Filed Pursuant to Section 15 (d) of the Act by Registrants Which Have Not Registered Securities Pursuant to Section 12 of the Act: None SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following person on behalf of the Issuer and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. March 30, 1998 THE FIFTH THIRD BANK AUTO TRUST 1996-A (Issuer with respect to the Certificates and Notes) By: THE FIFTH THIRD BANK (Originator and the Issuer and Registrant) By: /s/Roger W. Dean ----------------- Roger W. Dean Senior Vice President & Controller