Friends and Family Remain top of the Finfluencer chats
Despite the growing visibility of finfluencers such as Mia, Becca Bloom, and Yasmin, it’s still friends and family who top the trust charts when it comes to financial guidance. While consumers continue to seek advice from those they know personally, AI remains far from earning their confidence — even as industry leaders forecast a tech-driven financial future by 2040.
Key findings from the research which takes place just ahead of ‘Golden Quarter’ found:
- Family first: Family and friends remain the leading financial influencers across Europe with saying they’ll turn to them first for advice
- Social media rising: with just 29% relying on social channels including TikTok for financial advice.
- Exclusion persists: 12% cite income as a barrier to accessing the financial services and advice they need
- AI opportunity: Despite growing trust in smarter financial tools, one out of four consumers expect to embrace AI within the next five years – highlighting a major opportunity for innovation
“People still trust people when it comes to financial advice. For AI to become the advisor of the future, the industry must pair innovation with transparency, education, and genuine understanding. That balance of trust and technology is what defines Riverty.” Kristina Hunter Nilsson, VP Corporate Affairs, Riverty
Call to Action
Riverty will use these insights to spark debate and collaboration across fintech, regulation, and consumer groups, ensuring that the future of finance is not only digital, but also trusted and inclusive.
About the survey
*Unless otherwise stated, all data are provided by YouGov Deutschland GmbH.1024 respondents participated in the survey, which took place between the 17. - 19.09.2025. The results were weighted and are representative for the population in Sweden (age 18+).
About Riverty
Riverty, the fintech arm of Bertelsmann, supports thousands of merchants and over 28 million consumers by processing more than 80 million transactions monthly. Offering flexible payments, debt collection, and smart accounting solutions, Riverty empowers businesses and consumers with cutting-edge financial services. With a dedicated team of over 4,000 employees across 11 countries in Europe and North America, Riverty is a leader in delivering comprehensive financial solutions.
