2025
9
US Gen Alpha and Gen Z Finance Consumer Report 2025
2025-11-24T10:01:42+00:00
REPF6B0F1A7_31D4_4E1A_94E4_F1053E7F99B7
4995
188848
[{"name":"Financial Services","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/financial-services"},{"name":"Market Intelligence Reports","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/market-intelligence-reports"},{"name":"US","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/us-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
Gen Alpha is entering the financial landscape earlier than any generation before, already armed with spending money, digital fluency and growing financial curiosity – giving FIs a golden opportunity to…
US
Financial Services
simple

US Gen Alpha and Gen Z Finance Consumer Report 2025

"Gen Alpha is entering the financial landscape earlier than any generation before them – already armed with spending money, digital fluency and growing financial curiosity."

Amr Hamdi, Senior Analyst - Financial Services

Amr Hamdi, Senior Analyst - Financial Services

US Gen Alpha and Gen Z Finance Trends and Insights

  • Gen Alpha is entering the financial landscape earlier than any generation before, already armed with spending money, digital fluency and growing financial curiosity – giving US Financial Institutions a golden opportunity to reach an addressable group at the beginning of their financial journey.
  • Money discussions at home are not keeping pace; however, a large share of parents may be stuck at surface-level talks about saving or spending, leaving curious tweens and teens potentially under-guided when it comes to more complex concepts like debt and investing.
  • Parents remain the gatekeepers of their children’s financial knowledge and behaviors, but there is a willingness to give kids more control over how they manage their own money. While there is openness to youth debit and credit products, parents still want them paired with structure and oversight.
  • Beyond parents, social media is a mainstay in Gen Alpha’s world – even for financial advice. Responsible content that engages both kids and parents in these online spaces can help bridge early literacy with real-world action. Collectively, these dynamics can help a generation that is willing to financially participate in the world and make them feel empowered in reaching their goals.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Behaviors and attitudes toward finance
  • Sources of financial advice
  • Financial literacy and savings goals
  • Payment preferences
  • Parents’ behaviors and attitudes toward finances

Report Scope

This report examines Gen Alpha and their parents’ attitudes and behaviors toward finance. Gen Alpha is defined as born in 2011 or later. In 2025, Gen Alpha are aged 14 and younger.

For the purposes of this report, Gen Alphas aged 10-14 responded to survey questions, under the supervision of their parents. Survey results from Gen Z teens aged 15-17 are included to provide context.

Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for Gen Alpha and Gen Z finance
    • Opportunities
    • Build positive financial habits through gamified engagement
    • Graph 1: sources of money, by generation, 2025
    • Leverage gaming to build early financial literacy
    • Bridge parental oversight and digital independence
    • Graph 2: payment preferences, by generation, 2025
  2. THE MARKET

    • Market factors
    • Social media is central to Gen Alpha’s lives – and it’s where FIs can help meet a group still in the early stages of their financial journey
    • Graph 3: Gen Alpha aged 10-14 – frequency of activities done, 2025
    • The youth’s spending power is shaping the next baseline of engagement for FIs
    • Graph 4: Gen Alpha and Gen Z spending power, by generation, 2025
    • Financial discussions may not evolve as Gen Alpha matures
    • Graph 5: frequency of discussing money with parents, by generation, 2025
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Behaviors and attitudes toward finances
    • Proactively address financial concerns that start at a young age
    • Graph 6: Gen Alpha’s financial worries, 2025
    • Help tweens and teens navigate the noise of online financial advice
    • Graph 7: attitudes toward financial literacy and advice, by generation, 2025
    • Leverage banking partners to ground financial literacy in real-life scenarios
    • Empower parents to take on money discussions with greater confidence
    • Importance of key financial areas
    • Tap into what Gen Alpha and Gen Z are already valuing financially
    • Graph 8: importance of key financial topics for Gen Alpha and Gen Z, 2025
    • Educational outreach must place an equal importance on application and not just instruction
    • Graph 9: importance of banking and investing literacy for Gen Alpha and Gen Z, 2025
    • Financial literacy and savings goals
    • Help tweens turn interest into action to ensure strong financial literacy
    • Graph 10: financial literacy goals, by generation, 2025
    • Gen Alpha are already saving for a purpose
    • Graph 11: current saving goals, by generation, 2025
    • Sources of financial advice
    • Parents are the main financial role models; FIs must leverage that across educational efforts with teens
    • Graph 12: sources of financial advice, by generation, 2025
    • Leverage partnerships with young creators to make financial topics more relatable
    • Graph 13: social media platforms used for financial advice, by generation, 2025
    • Parents’ behaviors and attitudes toward finances
    • Equip parents with the resources they need to explain the harder parts about money
    • Graph 14: parents’ financial engagement with children, 2025
    • Partner with trusted platforms to effectively and responsibly reach tweens and teens
    • Graph 15: parents’ comfort with financial brands directly messaging their children, by generation, 2025
    • Bridge the gap between parental trust and financial readiness
    • Graph 16: parents’ attitudes towards credit and debit cards, by generation, 2025
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Marketing and advertising
    • Greenlight leads with empowering messaging that lets Gen Alpha take ownership of their finances
    • SoFi leverages its partnership with NBA star Jayson Tatum to make finance feel more relatable for younger consumers
    • Venmo markets its teen debit card as the balance between freedom and parental oversight
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations and terms

Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel

The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:

  • Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
  • Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
  • Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
  • Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.

What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?

Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.

The Four Pillars of Our Research

We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:

  • Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
  • Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
  • Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
  • Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.

Bringing It All Together

Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.

Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.

For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
$ 4,995 (Excl.Tax)
  • Download today with instant access
  • Multiple formats provided
  • Interactive databook included
Add to cart

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more

Trusted by global industry leaders

Abacus logo

There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.

However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.

Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Deutsch logo

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Jackman logo

At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.

Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Bauer Media Group logo

We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.

They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.

Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
Epsilon logo

We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.

By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.

For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.

Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more