1 in 5 Americans using AI for financial advice, but trust lags far behind

The polling reveals a clear paradox in how Americans are approaching AI-driven financial guidance: while younger generations are adopting the technology at notably higher rates, confidence in its expertise remains critically low across the board. The fact that fewer than one in three users of AI financial advice express meaningful confidence in it—a gap of 46 percentage points behind human advisers—suggests that curiosity and access are driving usage among the young, not genuine belief in AI's capability. The generational split is especially stark: Gen Z and millennials are embracing AI experimentation at rates three to four times higher than boomers, yet simultaneously show the lowest engagement with professional financial advisers (14% and 21%, respectively, versus more than half of boomers). This gap may indicate that younger cohorts lack ready access to or trust in traditional advisory services and are using AI as a second-best alternative rather than a preferred solution. The finding that internet self-research remains the most popular guidance source across all age groups underscores a broader pattern: Americans prefer to manage financial decisions themselves, whether through online research or AI tools, rather than delegate to professionals.