The news: Nearly half (45%) of Canadian post-secondary students have used AI or social media for financial advice or information, according to an August 2026 TD survey. Of those, 90% have acted on the advice, though only 32% regularly verify it before taking action. And 56% say they trust financial advice from AI and social platforms. 

Young consumers are showing considerable demand for financial guidance. While 89% of students want to learn more about investing, 53% aren't currently investing. Lack of knowledge (71%) and anxiety (43%) are their biggest barriers.

Zooming in: AI and social platforms are evolving from places where young consumers may encounter financial content into venues for specific financial questions.

That shifts where banks enter the customer journey. GenAI can synthesize research that once required visits to multiple websites into a single answer, shaping which products and providers a consumer considers before they ever reach a bank's website.

Why it matters: AI visibility is becoming important earlier in the customer journey, before consumers begin searching for specific brands or products. A search for “best savings accounts” gives a consumer links and leaves them to choose where to continue their research. An AI assistant can go further, recommending what to do with emergency savings, for example, and narrowing the products and providers a consumer considers.

Recommendations for banks: Banks can strengthen AI visibility by building authority around the financial questions consumers are asking. That means developing resources and educational content around common decisions, including product comparisons, FAQs, eligibility requirements, fees, definitions, and calculators.

EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index shows why brand-owned content matters: In June, brand sites accounted for 78% of all domains cited by ChatGPT in financial services recommendations—the highest share of any industry we track. ChatGPT likely favors primary sources for financial topics like rates, fees, and other sensitive details given how highly regulated the industry is. 

As consumers increasingly act on AI-generated financial guidance, banks will need to track whether they surface in AI answers to common financial questions and invest in content that helps them enter consumers’ consideration sets before they begin searching for specific providers.

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