Data that tells you where to invest marketing resources this year.

Every Region

Conducted across the entire U.S.

First Party Data

Across Our Local Markets

1,000+

consumers surveyed

key takeaways

What the research shows

Based on a national survey of 1,031 American financial consumers — covering every stage of the customer journey, broken down by generation, income, and geography.

01

Referred by family

35% first heard about their bank through a family member

02

Google Still Reigns

49% use Google Search to research specific financial products

03

Actively seeking online

76% of Gen Z and Millennials actively seek financial information online

04

Fees are a pain point

24% would leave their institution over fees and charges

Why This matters now

The 2026 American Financial Consumer report covers the complete journey

From first brand impression to loyal advocate, complete with data that tells you exactly where to invest your marketing resources this year.

Questions Answerd

What the research helps clarify.

The sample reflects national demographic distributions for gender, income, and ethnicity.

01

Why do customers switch banks?

Life changes spark most banking decisions.

02

Why is local trust winning?

Consumers favor local institutions over national brands.

03

Who drives financial decisions?

Family referrals influence more customers than advertising.

04

Where are consumers searching?

Search engines shape financial product discovery.

Who this is for

Built for the people responsible for growth and accountability.

The value is in how the right mix works together around the goal.

Marketing Practitioner

Identify opportunities to improve campaigns, content, audience targeting, and media strategy.

Executive Leaders

Support growth decisions with consumer insights and market benchmarks.

Financial Institutions

Built for community banks, regional banks, and credit unions.

About this research

Responsibly and thoroughly conducted.

The 2026 American Financial Consumer study was conducted among a national sample of 1,031 adults aged 18 and older. The study captures banking behaviors, decision-making processes, media consumption habits, and attitudes toward financial institutions of every type. The sample reflects national demographic distributions for gender, income, and ethnicity. Regional data cuts cover five geographic regions: Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West.

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get your free copy of the 2026 american financial consumer report

Get insights that help with your growth priorities, market realities and audience context.

01

Marketing and competitive context

02

Audience and journey priorities

03

A path from visibility to action

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