https://www.bankdirector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Insights-FIS-Digital-7.pdfIn a March 2022 survey, Morning Consult found that just 23% of U.S. adults could handle a major, unexpected expense. At a time when Americans are worried about rising prices for everything from cars to gas to groceries in today’s inflationary environment, lower-income individuals who earn less than $50,000 annually feel this financial anxiety most deeply. Yet, even people in higher income brackets are worried: Only 47% of those earning $100,000 or more believe they could handle such an expense, according to the market research firm.

Financial wellness is often conflated with financial inclusion. These informative tools can play an important role in helping lower-income customers, but everyone needs a trusted advisor to meet their financial goals, whether that’s saving for retirement, eliminating debt or creating an emergency fund.

Americans may be struggling but they trust their banks, according to Morning Consult, which recommends financial institutions acknowledge financial stress, demonstrate empathy and provide “actionable guidance” for their customers.

The rapid digital acceleration occurring in financial services today has changed how banks maintain and build customer relationships, as well as deliver advice. “Banking relationships have become digital relationships,” says Maria Schuld, division executive, Americas Banking Solutions at FIS.

Financial education isn’t new to the industry, and personal financial management tools have been around for years. But technologies like artificial intelligence can help institutions deliver more meaningful insights to their customers. What’s more, younger consumers have a greater need for financial advice; a recent online WalletHub survey of 350 respondents found that young people are three times more likely to seek a complete view of their financial health, compared to consumers aged 60 or more. Being Gen Z’s first bank could lead to larger relationships as their lives change. “Once you establish that relationship early on,” says Schuld, “you have a very strong chance of being able to retain that relationship as their financial needs grow.”

To download the report, sponsored by FIS, click here.

Bank Director Staff Writer