The financial services industry is undergoing massive change as traditional providers seek to transform digitally and keep pace with new entrants. Financial services leaders must stay informed on how consumers are reacting to and shaping the future of the industry through their interactions with financial services providers, their financial goals and preferences, and their overall financial well-being.
To help leaders stay abreast of consumer trends, Morning Consult is tracking consumers’ trust in, usage of and satisfaction with financial services providers through a monthly survey of U.S. adults. We’ll be updating this page with new data and analyses the second week of every month. Sign up for alerts.
The methodology for the monthly tracker is included at the bottom of this page.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Amid persistent high inflation, more households are struggling to make ends meet. One in 4 U.S. adults are not confident they will be able to afford all of their normal expenses this month, compared with 1 in 5 who said the same this time last year. Gen Zers and millennials are faring the worst, with 33% of each group worried they will not have enough money to cover their regular spending in September.
Digital banks are struggling to maintain consumer trust. Trust in traditional banks has ticked up slightly, but the same can’t be said for digital banks. In August, only 39% of U.S. adults reported that they trust digital banks compared with 47% that said the same in July, suggesting that consumers are still wary of how these banks are handling a difficult economy.
Buy Now, Pay Later payments are holding steady as back-to-school season and summer travel wrap up. The share of U.S. adults that reported using this service in August was 18%, relatively similar to the same time last year. Gen Zers and millennials still lead the charge on BNPL uptake, while baby boomers remain slow to adopt the service: Just 7% used BNPL in August.
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Financial Health and Management
Shares of respondents who said they are “very” or “somewhat” confident in their ability to pay their normal expenses for the upcoming month
Consumers were asked how their income for last month compared to the previous month
Share of respondents who reported making progress toward the following goals in the past month:
Respondents were asked how often they consumed financial advice or tips over the past month
Trust in Financial Services
Share of respondents who trust the following industries to do what is right:
Share of respondents who trust the following types of financial services companies to do what is right:
Financial Service Provider Usage and Satisfaction
Respondents were asked how many of the following providers they use:
Share of U.S. adults satisfied with each provider
Respondents were asked if they interact with their primary financial services provider mostly digitally, mostly in person, mostly by phone or all three equally
Share of respondents who received advice or assistance from a professional or employee available to them through the following providers:
Share of respondents who have done each of the following:
Shares of consumers who made a purchase using a “buy now, pay later” payment method in the past month
Shares of respondents who opened a new bank or credit union account in the last month
Share of respondents thinking about starting a new relationship with the following providers in the next month:
Respondents were asked if they had done any of the following in the last month:
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METHODOLOGY
The Morning Consult Financial Services Monthly Trend Tracker relies on data collected through Morning Consult’s proprietary survey research capabilities. The interviews are conducted online, and the data are weighted to approximate a representative sample of U.S. adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region. Results from the full survey have a monthly sample size of 2,200 to 4,400 U.S. adults and an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
About Morning Consult
Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com
About the author
Charlotte Principato is a financial services analyst at Morning Consult, where she leads the company’s analysis to deliver real time insights to the financial services sector.
Email press@morningconsult.com to speak with a member of the Morning Consult team.