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."
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.
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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
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
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
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
APPENDIX
Market definition
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Generations
Abbreviations and terms
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