Nearly one in five consumers (19%) would seek answers to financial questions from a human financial adviser but the figure is only 1% higher than the number who would go to an AI assistant first, according to new research.
Financial advisers were top of the list of sources for financial information but have only a narrow lead, the study found.
The research by money app Plum found that, “judgment, jargon, and embarrassment” remain barriers holding back Britons from taking control of their money and these factors are driving a shift towards approaching AI assistants initially for money guidance.
Plum is aiming to offer FCA-regulated Targeted Support in the near future to reach more consumers with simpler guidance services, it says.
For the research, consumers were asked who they would feel most comfortable approaching with a financial question, 19% said a traditional financial adviser but 18% of Britons said an AI assistant.
Social media ranked lowest overall, with only 1% of respondents saying they would feel most comfortable turning to these platforms.
Who Britons would go to with financial questions
Source | % of Britons most comfortable approaching |
Financial adviser | 19% |
AI assistant | 18% |
My bank | 16% |
Google / other search engines | 16% |
Family | 15% |
Partner | 7% |
Friends | 5% |
Social media | 1% |
Source: Plum software research
The study found that over half (53%) of consumers have avoided asking someone a question about money because they were worried it would make them sound financially inexperienced. The same percentage (53%) said they have pretended to understand a financial term or conversation.
More than two fifths of people (42%) said they would feel more confident asking questions on financial topics if they knew they were not going to be judged, with 38% saying anonymity would help.
This lack of confidence is particularly acute when it comes to investing, said Plum, with stocks and shares cited as the topics Britons feel least equipped to navigate (44%).
Will Bryant, director of wealth strategy at Plum, said: “It’s easy to see why people are using AI to manage their finances. Money can feel like a difficult topic, especially as there’s often a sense that you’re supposed to know all the answers. Being able to ask questions privately, without worrying about what someone else might think, removes some of those barriers.
“Mainstream LLMs (large language models / AI assistants) are not designed specifically to help you with your personal finances and lack the context, data security and financial tools that you can find on a specially designed service. Technology can be a powerful tool to help build financial confidence, but only when the right tools are used thoughtfully.”
Plum provides Plum Plan, an AI-powered tool that can suggest financial plans and gives details on financial products based on customers’ goals. Plum then uses automation to deposit money into their chosen products, including ISAs, easy access accounts and more, it says.
• The research was carried out online by Research Without Barriers – RWB. Surveys were conducted between 27 July 2026 and 30 July 2026. The sample comprised 2,022 UK adults.