- Brits top the rankings in trusting their bank’s financial advice
- Yet 35% don’t trust AI for banking matters - more than double the rate of Spanish users
- Almost all (90%) Brits open to AI financial advice with the right safeguards in place
LONDON, 24 March 2026 – bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, has released new research revealing that UK users trust their bank more than any other source of financial advice, yet remain among the most sceptical in Europe when it comes to AI in banking. The inaugural AI in Finance report reveals a market that is ready to engage with AI-powered financial tools, but is being held back by a design gap that the industry has the means and the mandate to close.
The results find that 43% of UK adults rank their bank as the source they trust most for financial advice, ahead of every other European country in the study, including Spain (29%) and France (32%). No fintech, AI chatbot, or social media influencer comes close.
In fact, 35% of the same users say they do not trust AI for banking matters at all - more than double the rate in Spain (14%) and significantly above Germany (27%). Despite living in one of the most mature fintech markets in the world, UK consumers are currently among the least likely in Europe to use it for money management.
The data suggests the issue is not with AI generally. When asked what it would take to trust AI-generated financial guidance, 33% of UK adults say they would do so if it explained its reasoning step-by-step, and a further 24% simply need to know that a human review process is available. Only 10% say they would never trust AI financial advice regardless of what safeguards were in place, leaving 90% of users reachable with the right product in place.
For bunq users, that product already exists. Rather than waiting days for an appointment or navigating phone menus during stressful financial moments, a user can ask Finn - bunq’s AI financial assistant - and get tailored insights in return, instantly. That proposition is already proving itself: the number of users actively engaging with Finn grew by 71% last year, resulting in a 90% approval rating.
“AI is already a part of people's lives and how they make decisions, so it follows that helping them with their finances is part of that,” said Joe Wilson, Chief Evangelist at bunq. “People need their bank to stay ahead of the pace of the world and provide cutting edge tools that help them understand and manage their money. In other words, to make their lives easy. It's not about AI managing people's money for them, but about empowering them in a way that fits their lives.”