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New STRAT7 research reveals that 55% of UK adults now use AI platforms for financial questions. Here’s who they are, what they’re asking, and what it means for brands trying to reach them.
In April 2026, STRAT7’s nationally representative consumer study found that 55% of UK adults now use AI platforms for financial questions. ChatGPT scores higher than paid financial advisors on satisfaction (76% versus 72%) but lower on trust (53% versus 92% for bank websites). Among the 40% of AI financial users who have asked for investment guidance, the average amount invested on the back of an AI answer is £2,350.
Across our own research into UK consumers, we keep hearing the same thing: “I just asked AI.” What started as a niche behaviour among the digitally confident has crossed into the mainstream. More than half of UK adults now turn to AI platforms when they have a financial question, and they’re broadly satisfied with the answers they’re getting.
Martin Lewis, one of the most trusted voices in the country, is even encouraging it. He recently published ChatGPT prompt advice for young adults to calculate whether they should repay their student loan, because the maths has genuinely become too complicated to explain any other way.
The first of our three STRAT7 reports examines what this shift means for financial brands…
We asked consumers the last financial question they put to an AI platform. Three goals emerged: they want quick wins (shorter-horizon, actionable goals), personalisation (sharing their own numbers and expecting tailored answers), and guidance rather than information.
ChatGPT (48%) now sits just three points behind paid financial advisors (51%) as a source for financial questions. On satisfaction, it is already ahead: 76% versus 72%. Only bank websites and Money Saving Expert score marginally higher.
But trust tells a different story. ChatGPT scores 53% on trust for financial information, versus 92% for bank websites and 86% for Money Saving Expert.
The gap between satisfaction and trust is the opportunity. People are getting answers they’re happy with from AI, but they’re not yet willing to fully rely on it for high-stakes decisions.
The opportunity? The brand that figures out how to combine the instant, personalised, always-available nature of AI with the institutional trust of a regulated provider will own the next generation of financial customers.
Our research points to four priorities:
The full data, including a correspondence map showing where AI sits relative to every other financial information source, is in the report.
55% of UK adults, based on STRAT7’s nationally representative consumer study, April 2026.
Not yet. Trust in ChatGPT for financial information is 53%, well behind bank websites at 92%. Satisfaction is higher (76%) but trust has not caught up.
£2,350, among the 40% of AI financial users who have asked AI for investment guidance.
Yes. 45% of Millennials and Gen Z take most of their financial questions to AI.
Mostly not. 72% have never used AI for a financial question.
Higher on satisfaction (76% vs 72%) and nearly level on usage (48% ChatGPT, 51% paid advisors). Lower on trust.
No. AI platforms providing financial guidance currently sit outside the FCA’s regulatory perimeter.
55% of questions begin with the word “How”. The most common topic is investment advice, followed by savings, budgeting, and goal-setting.
STRAT7, a UK strategic insights and analytics consultancy. The report ‘AI: The financial advisor in everyone’s pocket’ was published in April 2026.
Jane is a mixed methods research director at STRAT7 Jigsaw, where she partners with clients across industries and regions to bring their customers closer into view. From uncovering emerging trends to identifying whitespace and refining brand positioning, she helps organisations make confident, insight-led decisions. She’s especially passionate about combining methodologies to craft meaningful insights and tell powerful, engaging stories.
