UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Schedule TO

Tender Offer Statement under Section 14(d)(1) or 13(e)(1)

Of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

CIT Group Inc.

(Name of Subject Company (Issuer) and Filing Person (Offeror))

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

125591108

(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

Stuart Alderoty

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

CIT Group Inc.

11 West 42^nd Street

New York, New York 10036

(212) 461-5200

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

with a copy to:

John E. Estes, Esq.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

125 Broad Street

New York, New York 10004

(212) 558-4000

(Name, address and telephone number of person authorized to receive notices and

communications on behalf of the filing persons)

CALCULATION OF FILING FEE

Check the appropriate boxes below to designate any transactions to which the statement relates:

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the results of the tender offer:   ☐

If applicable, check the appropriate box(es) below to designate the appropriate rule provision(s) relied upon:

This Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO (“Schedule TO”) is being filed by CIT Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CIT” or the “Company”), pursuant to Rule 13e–4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), in connection with the Company’s offer to purchase for cash up to an aggregate purchase price of $500,000,000 of shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), at a per Share price not greater than $56.00 and not less than $50.00, net to the tendering stockholder in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, dated April 26, 2018 (the “Offer to Purchase”), a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit (a)(1)(A), and in the related Letter of Transmittal, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit (a)(1)(B) (which together, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, constitute the “Offer”). This Schedule TO is being filed in accordance with Rule 13e–4(c)(2) under the Exchange Act.

All information in the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in answer to all items in this Schedule TO, and as more particularly set forth below.

The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” is incorporated herein by reference.

(a) The name of the issuer is CIT Group Inc. The address of the Company’s principal executive offices is 11 West 42nd Street, New York, New York 10036. The Company’s telephone number is (212) 461-5200.

(b) This Schedule TO relates to the Shares of CIT, which are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CIT”. As of April 24, 2018, there were 127,062,112 issued and outstanding Shares (and 8,719,210 Shares reserved for issuance upon the vesting of restricted stock units and performance stock units). The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Introduction” is incorporated herein by reference.

(c) The information set forth in Section 8 (“Price Range of Shares; Dividends”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a) CIT Group Inc. is the filing person and issuer. The information set forth in Item 2(a) is incorporated herein by reference. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(i) The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and “Introduction,” and in Section 1 (“Aggregate Purchase Price for Shares; Priority of Purchase; Proration”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(ii) The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and “Introduction,” and in Section 1 (“Aggregate Purchase Price for Shares; Priority of Purchase; Proration”), Section 5 (“Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price”) and Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(iii) The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and “Introduction,” and in Section 1 (“Aggregate Purchase Price for Shares; Priority of Purchase; Proration”),

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Section 3 (“Procedures for Tendering Shares”) and Section 14 (“Extension of the Offer; Termination; Amendment”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(iv) Not applicable.

(a)(1)(v) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 14 (“Extension of the Offer; Termination; Amendment”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(vi) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 4 (“Withdrawal Rights”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(vii) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 3 (“Procedures for Tendering Shares”) and Section 4 (“Withdrawal Rights”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(viii) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 3 (“Procedures for Tendering Shares”) and Section 5 (“Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(ix) The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and “Introduction” and in Section 1 (“Aggregate Purchase Price for Shares; Priority of Purchase; Proration”) and Section 5 (“Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(x) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(xi) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(1)(xii) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 3 (“Procedures for Tendering Shares”) and Section 13 (“Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(2)(i–vii) Not applicable.

(b) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Introduction” and in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(e) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

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(a) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(b) The information set forth in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(c)(1–10) The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and “Introduction” and in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”), Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”), Section 10 (“Certain Information Concerning the Company”) and Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a), (b) and (d) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Summary Term Sheet” and in Section 7 (“Conditions of the Offer”) and Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a) and (b) The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a) The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase titled “Introduction” and in Section 15 (“Fees and Expenses; Dealer Manager; Information Agent; Depositary”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(a)(1) The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors, Executive Officers and Affiliates; Recent Securities Transactions; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(2) The information set forth in Section 12 (“Certain Legal Matters; Regulatory Approvals”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.

(a)(3) Not applicable.

(a)(4) Not applicable.

(a)(5) None.

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(c) The information set forth in the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal, copies of which are filed as Exhibits (a)(l)(A) and (a)(l)(B) hereto, respectively, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time, is incorporated herein by reference. The Company will amend this Schedule TO to include documents that the Company may file with the SEC after the date of the Offer to Purchase pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c) or 14 of the Exchange Act and prior to the expiration of the Offer to the extent required by Rule 13e-4(d)(2) promulgated under the Exchange Act. The information contained in all of the exhibits referred to in Item 12 below is incorporated herein by reference.

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Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

After due inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: April 26, 2018

EXHIBIT INDEX