PRESENTED BY ADVANCE OHIO, PART OF ADVANCE LOCAL NETWORK

WHAT LOCAL AND REGIONAL BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS NEED TO KNOW TO WIN IN 2026

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.

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68%

of consumers view local credit unions favorably — #1 of all institution types

35%

first heard about their bank through a family member

49%

use Google Search to research specific financial products

76%

of Gen Z and Millennials actively seek financial information online

24%

would leave their institution over fees and charges

WHAT’S INSIDE

The 2026 American Financial Consumer report covers the complete journey from first brand impression to loyal advocate — with data that tells you exactly where to invest your marketing resources this year.

You’ll learn:

Which life events trigger the majority of new banking decisions — and how to position your institution before they happen
Why local banks and credit unions have a significant favorability advantage over national competitors — and how to make it work harder in your marketing
The specific channels each generation uses to research financial institutions, by age group
What drives customers to leave — and the retention communication strategies that keep them
Why word-of-mouth and family referral are your highest-ROI acquisition channel — and how to build infrastructure around them
How AI-powered search is changing consumer research behavior in 2026 — and what that means for your visibility

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🔍 FREE AEO/GEO AUDIT

Included with download

After you download, we’ll invite you to request your complimentary AI Visibility Audit. We’ll show you exactly how your institution appears — or doesn’t — when consumers use tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews to search for local banks and credit unions.

No cost. No obligation. Just data.

ABOUT THIS RESEARCH

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.

PRESENTED BY ADVANCE OHIO

Advance Ohio is part of Advance Local, one of the largest local media groups in the United States. We work with local and regional financial institutions to design and execute marketing campaigns that drive measurable growth across digital, social, search, and traditional media channels.