What People Really Want From Their Banks (and Why Banks Should Find a Way to Offer It)

We began this study with a single question: “Outside of what they have now, what would retail bank customers ideally want from their bank?” The path we traveled curved through conversations with everyday Americans about their deepest aspirations and their most embarrassing moments financially. It culminated in a representative nationwide survey of bank customers.

• Consumers are generally satisfied with their banks. 86% of Americans say they are satisfied with their banks. 60% of Americans say they’ve experienced exceptional service from their current bank.
• And yet, only 1% of Americans mentioned a bank when asked “what is crucial to the future of your financial success?”
• People dream of a better financial future in ways that are private, deeply emotional, and largely symbolic. 
• Americans would be willing to pay for services to help them reach these unrealized financial dreams. 
• Americans would prefer to get these services from their current bank, but they would also switch to other banks, fintech companies, or non-bank service providers to get them if necessary.