The data: Of the 37% of consumers who make New Year’s resolutions, 70% 25 years and older with less than $100,000 in annual household income said saving more money is their top financial resolution, according to a recent Wells Fargo study.

Digging into the data: At least one-third of respondents had one or more other financial resolutions, including spending less, improving credit scores, paying off debt, or starting a new income stream. About one-third are very confident and half somewhat confident in achieving those goals. And nearly three-quarters said tracking financial goals helps keep them accountable.

Trendspotting: According to an April 2025 study, 52% of banks are enhancing their digital tools and services to help customers manage their finances. Our US Mobile Banking Emerging Features Benchmark 2025 found that features in the digital money management category greatly differentiate banks’ mobile experiences. One key feature that the 10 banks in the study do not offer is automated budgeting—which helps customers save, making progress toward this financial resolution.

Our take: Consumers are inundated with nonbank budgeting software options with complexity and feature gaps that demand users’ frequent attention and patience as well as half-baked personal financial management (PFM) tools embedded in digital banking platforms. The future of PFM is automated guidance and advice that uses customers’ cash flow data to map out spending and savings plans.

Because of their troves of customer data, banks are ideally situated to offer next-generation PFM that enables consumers’ savings goals and encourages those who haven’t set them to start now—no New Year’s resolution required. This is especially relevant to households with less than $100,000 in annual income, who often face basic financial needs that look very different from those of mass-affluent households.