Younger investors are giving new fintech brands high satisfaction scores for their easy-to-use digital channels, JD Power reported Wednesday. They also say they trust these brands as much as they do established industry leaders.
"Two of the top three ranked brands for do-it-yourself investor satisfaction in this year's study are FinTechs, which is noteworthy because they are increasingly being viewed not only as innovators but also as trusted brands — and attracting affluent investors along the way," Mike Foy, JD Power's managing director of the wealth management practice, said in a statement.
The new study also shows that younger, affluent DIY investors are increasingly interested in seeking professional advice.
"Brands that can attract these clients when they are new to investing and offer them flexible options for both digital and human advice as their needs become more complex will be the big winners going forward," Foy said.
The study evaluates the experiences of investors working with a wealth management firm, in either an advised or a DIY capacity in seven dimensions: digital channels; ease of doing business; people, product and service offerings; resolving problems or complaints; trust; and value for fees paid.
The 2026 study, fielded from January 2025 through January this year, is based on responses from 7,982 advised and 4,335 DIY investors.
DIY investors younger than 40 in the new study rated fintech brands higher than traditional financial services firm on the strength of their digital tools and ease of doing business. Moreover, the number who viewed fintechs as trustworthy rose by 7 percentage points in 2026. These younger investors perceive fintech brands to be more innovative than established brands and equally trustworthy.
The survey found that among affluent DIY investors with $250,000 or more in investable assets, 19% of those under 50 are definitely likely to work with an advisor within the next year. That is up from 10% in the 2025 study.
Similarly, 24% of affluent DIY investors with children in their households said they are definitely likely to work with an advisor in the next year, up from 15% last year.
Among all DIY investors in the survey, 17% of those who use a robo-advice platform said they are definitely likely to work with an advisor in the next year, compared with just 4% of those who do not use robo-advice. Among affluent DIY investors, 28% of those who use robo-advice said they are definitely likely to work with an advisor in the next year.
Just 51% of investors under 40 with a dedicated financial advisor and 39% of clients ages 40 and older said their advisor has discussed elements needed for a future wealth transfer. Even fewer said their advisor has met with or suggested they meet with additional family members to discuss their financial management needs.
Here are JD Power's satisfaction rankings of wealth management firms, as scored by advised and DIY investors:
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