UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 18, 2005
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                                 CIT GROUP INC.
                                 --------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 Delaware         001-31369             65-1051192
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              (State or other     (Commission         (IRS Employer
              jurisdiction of     File Number)      Identification No.)
              incorporation)

                           1211 Avenue of the Americas
                            New York, New York 10036
                            ------------------------
              (Address of registrant's principal executive office)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 536-1211

                                 Not Applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

                                   ----------

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[ ]   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

[ ]   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers.

This Current Report on Form 8-K includes as an exhibit a press release, dated
October 20, 2005, reporting that the Board of Directors of CIT Group Inc. at a
meeting held October 18, 2005 elected Seymour Sternberg a member of the Board of
Directors, effective December 1, 2005. The press release is attached as Exhibit
99.1.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

      99.1  Press release issued by CIT Group Inc. on October 20, 2005.

      This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking
statements (including statements regarding future financial and operating
results) involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are
beyond CIT's control, which may cause actual results, performance, or
achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or
achievements. All statements contained in this document that are not clearly
historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words "anticipate," "believe,"
"expect," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to
identify forward-looking statements. Economic, business, funding market,
competitive and/or regulatory factors, among others, affecting CIT's businesses
are examples of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those described in the forward-looking statements. More detailed
information about these factors are described in CIT's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2004. CIT is under no obligation to (and expressly
disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


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                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       CIT GROUP INC.
                                       --------------
                                       (Registrant)

                                       By: /s/ William J. Taylor
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           William J. Taylor
                                           Executive Vice President & Controller
                                           (Chief Accounting Officer)

Dated: October 20, 2005