New Data on How Consumers Research Financial Products in 2026
One in three consumers say AI has influenced a financial product decision they've made. Not "would consider using AI." Have used it. Were influenced by it.
That's from a survey of over 500 US consumers we conducted in January 2026 across six financial product categories: credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, insurance, investment accounts, and retirement planning.
The top-line finding: 76% of respondents have used an AI assistant to research a financial product. AI is now a top-four research channel for every category we tested. But the gap between research and transaction is wider than the headline suggests.
Where AI Sits in the Channel Mix
Google still wins everything. 64-78% of respondents use it, depending on the product. Nothing else is close.
Below Google, though, the picture has changed. AI assistants have wedged themselves into the competitive middle of every product category, sitting between established digital channels (comparison sites, company websites) and traditional ones (friends and family, financial advisors). Three years ago, this channel didn't exist. Now it's pulling 24-47% depending on the product.
Three things jump out:
- This isn't early adoption. 76% of respondents have used AI to research a financial product. AI is a top-four channel for every category we tested. The question of "will consumers use AI for financial decisions" has been answered. They are.
- The disruption is landing unevenly. 47% of investment account holders use AI to research. For insurance, it's 24%. Almost a 2x gap. The more quantitative and comparison-friendly the product, the faster AI penetrates.
- The advisor relationship is holding...barely. Retirement planning is the one category where AI and financial advisors are tied at 34%. Everywhere else, AI leads. That's parity reached in under three years, in the one product where the human relationship was supposed to be unassailable.
The Trust Cliff
Here's the catch. Consumers will research with AI. They won't buy through it.
The chart tells a clean story. 76% have used AI. A third say it influenced what they actually chose. But ask them to let AI apply for a credit card on their behalf and 68% say no. The willingness drops off a cliff between "help me decide" and "do it for me."
That cliff is the entire strategic question for financial services over the next five years. Three quarters of your customers are already making decisions in a conversation you can't see. Almost none of them are ready to let that conversation close the deal. The company that makes the handoff from AI research to human-confirmed transaction feel safe and seamless owns the bridge everyone else is staring at.
The Invisible Layer
AI users don't drop other channels. 85% also use Google. Nearly half check comparison sites. They still visit company websites. AI users are the most active researchers in the survey. They check more sources, not fewer.
This is the part that should worry incumbents. AI isn't stealing your website traffic. It's adding a layer between the research and the decision. A consumer searches Google, reads NerdWallet, asks ChatGPT, then visits Chase.com to apply. Your analytics show the same visit, the same conversion path. What they don't show is that the shortlist was already made in a conversation you weren't part of and can't see.
What to Do About It
Make your product data machine-readable. If an AI assistant can't accurately describe your product when someone asks "what's the best rewards card for travel," you don't exist in 30-47% of the research process. This isn't about building a chatbot on your website. It's about structured product data that LLMs can find, parse, and recommend.
Know where your category sits. If you sell investment products, the shift is at scale today. If you sell credit cards, AI is coming for the comparison sites that send you traffic. If you're in retirement or insurance, you have time. The direction is the same.
Start designing for the trust bridge. 76% will research with AI. 19% will transact with AI. The 57-point gap is where the next competitive advantage lives. Hybrid flows where AI handles comparison and configuration while a human confirms the final step may be what unlocks it. The company that makes AI-assisted purchasing feel safe and transparent will own the transition.
The consumer has already moved. The question is whether the industry catches up before the trust cliff erodes on its own.
Methodology: Survey of 503 US consumers conducted via Prolific in January 2026. Respondents were asked about financial products they currently hold, research channels used for those products, hypothetical research channels for products they do not hold, trust in AI for financial recommendations, and comfort with AI-mediated purchasing. Income distribution: 33% under $50K, 32% $50-100K, 14% $100-150K, 7% $150-200K, 5% $200K+.
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