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The gap between satisfaction and trust is the biggest opportunity in financial services right now. And almost nobody in the sector is working it.
People are more satisfied with the answers they get from an AI platform, for free, at 11pm, than with the professional guidance they pay hundreds of pounds for.
Our new research finds that when it comes to satisfaction with financial advice, ChatGPT scores 76%. Paid financial advisors score 72%.
But satisfaction is only half the picture.
Trust has not caught up
We asked consumers which sources they would trust to help them choose a new bank account, and this showed a different picture from the questions on AI use.
Trust is still ranking high for banks. Bank websites: 92%. Money Saving Expert: 86%. ChatGPT: 53%.
While people are satisfied with AI financial advice, finding it useful, convenient, and easier to tailor to their specific situation, they are not yet ready to fully trust it with high-stakes financial decisions.
And nobody is trying to move the numbers
Is there an opportunity to look at counter-messaging against AI? Not one bank is running campaigns asking, “Do you really want to take financial advice from an unregulated platform?” There is an opportunity to lean into the regulated, human, trusted layer that banks own.
There is a huge opportunity for traditional financial institutions to lean on their trust advantage. But they need to act now, before AI earns that trust too.
Why this gap matters for brands
The customer who uses AI to inform their thinking but still looks for a trusted institution to validate or act on what they have learned is an opportunity, not a threat.
The financial brand that positions itself as the trusted layer on top of AI-informed advice will have a genuine competitive advantage.
- Don’t compete with AI, or worse, pretend it doesn’t exist. Be the place people go after they have had the AI conversation.
- Build for that role rather than publishing generic content that AI itself could produce in five seconds.
This gap will not last forever. As AI platforms improve and younger customers, who already trust AI more than older generations, move into higher-value financial decisions, the trust numbers will shift. The brands that act now will be established before the gap closes.
The full data on satisfaction and trust across all sources is in the report.
Report
AI: The financial advisor in everyone's pocket
About the author
- Jane Passey
- Director, STRAT7 Jigsaw
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.