First Internet Bank Report Finds U.S. Consumers Take Charge of Finances; However, They Seek Easier Answers

U.S. consumers are putting in the work to strengthen their finances and are looking for easier ways to understand what their money is telling them, according to the latest Do More Business™ Report from First Internet Bank.

According to the nationally representative survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, nearly half of consumers (46%) followed a budget in the past six months, 36% reduced debt and 31% built emergency savings. When asked what would help them feel more financially confident in the year ahead, budgeting and spending tools ranked first at 29%, followed by debt reduction strategies at 20%.

"Our research shows consumers are actively engaged with their finances," said Nicole Lorch, President and Chief Operating Officer of First Internet Bank. "They're putting in the effort to improve their financial position. What they're looking for now is a simpler way to understand their financial information and make confident decisions."

U.S. Consumers Do More to Strengthen Their Finances

Focused on building a stronger financial foundation, U.S. consumers' leading financial goals over the next 12 months include building savings (24%) and paying down debt (23%), ahead of growing investments (16%) and improving cash flow (14%).

This focus follows action already underway. In addition to budgeting, reducing debt and building emergency savings, 27% of respondents said they improved their credit score in the past six months.

Optimism Outpaces Recent Progress

Consumers remain hopeful about what comes next. More than three-quarters (76%) are somewhat or very optimistic about their personal financial situation over the next 12 months, even though 40% say their financial situation improved during the past year and 23% say it worsened.

Confidence is less certain when consumers consider an immediate financial test. While 56% feel extremely or very confident in their ability to manage household finances, 32% are extremely confident they could cover an unexpected $1,000 expense. Another 27% are not very or not at all confident they could cover the cost.

Consumers Want Financial Information They Can Use

Consumers prefer practical help supporting in-the-moment decisions. Budgeting and spending tools were the most selected resource for building financial confidence, while 7% chose access to financial professionals and 7% selected financial education and resources.

Not just looking for more information, consumers want easier ways to understand their financial activity and how it affects every day decisions.

"One of the clearest findings from this research is that consumers want answers, not more information," Lorch said. "They want to understand what's happening with their money and what to do next. That's where banks have an opportunity to help."

From Financial Data to Financial Answers

First Internet Bank recently introduced the beta version of its Model Context Protocol (MCP), an optional capability that allows eligible personal and business customers to securely connect approved account information to supported AI assistants such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.

Through the customer-authorized, read-only connection, customers can ask plain-language questions about balances, transactions, spending, savings, cash flow and account activity. Customers choose whether to establish the connection and what information to approve. AI assistants cannot move money or make changes to an account, and First Internet Bank online banking credentials are not shared with the AI assistant.

MCP is designed to make the information behind a customer’s decisions easier to access and understand. It does not replace the customer’s judgment or professional financial advice.

Learn more about First Internet Bank’s AI-driven banking experience and consumer banking products at firstib.com.

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About First Internet Bank

First Internet Bank opened for business in 1999 as an industry pioneer in the branchless delivery of banking services. With assets of $5.6 billion as of June 30, 2026, the Bank provides consumer and small business deposits, consumer loans and specialty finance services nationally. The Bank also offers commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loans, SBA financing and treasury management services. Additional information about the Bank, including its products and services, is available at firstib.com. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Internet Bancorp (Nasdaq: INBK). First Internet Bank is a Member FDIC.

Methodology

First Internet Bank commissioned an independent survey, fielded in August 2026, to better understand how consumers feel about their financial stability, confidence, and outlook amid ongoing economic pressures. The consumer survey was conducted by Dynata among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults. The survey examined attitudes toward household financial confidence, preparedness for unexpected expenses, financial goals, holiday spending plans, and the resources consumers find most helpful for building financial confidence. Participants were drawn from Dynata's proprietary, first-party panel of verified, opt-in respondents.

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