Jan 6, 2025

Fintech Trends and Insights Influencing Alpha, Gen Z, Millennails, Gen X, and Boomers As you can imagine, attitudes and behaviours around tech and money are constantly evolving! Attention spans have dropped to 8.25 seconds on average , so many companies and marketers rely on quick hits or bite-sized interactions. Meanwhile, a monstrous record of $68 trillion in wealth is being transferred to younger generations which will alter the financial landscape. Fintech platforms are now indispensable with a growing number of active adults across all generations relying on fintech apps for investment advice and financial planning, offering a range of tools and educational opportunities. This article takes a look at how financial technology trends are servicing and changing generational preferences with regards to money, and a few predictions of what lies ahead. Gen Alpha (born 2010-2024) Kids are becoming more financially aware at an earlier age with 41% already saving money for purchase goals like a car, college or even a house ( 2000 kids surveyed from 6-14 years old ). These kids are digital-first minded and tend to get their info from platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Also, parents are increasingly turning to online resources and digital tools to learn and teach their children about financial literacy. Believe it or not, a recent survey showed that 81% of children learn some financial skills from video games (think: gaming economies, currencies, and digital wallets), highlighting how tech is impacting financial habits. Gamified fintech apps like Mydoh are forging new avenues for financial education. These platforms provide interactive financial lessons on saving, spending, and budgeting to kids and teams to nurture financial independence from an early age. NCFA predicts that in 2025 -AI financial 'mentors' will be integrated into gamified apps to provide personalized guidance based on a young user's learning progress, financial habits and goals. Schools will (look to) adopt these fintech apps into curriculums to boost financial literacy as early as elementary school. Gen Z (1997-2012) In 2023, while housing affordability will always be a challenge, 26.3% of adult Gen Zers owned a home by the age of 24 which is tracking slightly ahead of Millennials (24.5%) and Gen X (23.5%) at the same age. 42% prioritize work life balance over other job perks making them a great fit for freelancing and the gig economy. The easily use micro investing platforms and budgeting apps for managing their income and payments. This generation wants on-demand financial tools. Apps like VoPay offer flexible payment solutions that align well with their need for automated financial solutions. Finliti , a wealth management platform providing personalized investment education and insights for younger investors by API. Crypto platforms like Bitbuy offer Gen Z access to legal bitcoin trading services. Sustainability fintech products are also popular among this generation. NCFA predicts that in 2025 -sustainability will finally take center stage over Gen Z's financial decisions. We expect there to be a rise of 'green credit scores' where fintech apps assess user's financial decisions based on their environmental impact, with rewards for more eco-friendly choices. We also anticipate that social investing platforms will allow Gen Z users to collaborate in new ways with peers on shared financial goals this year. Millennials (1981-1996) Millennials face a retirement savings gap—50% haven’t saved enough to meet their projected needs ( source ). Many balance caregiving responsibilities with careers, while 29% have ventured into Web3 technologies such as cryptocurrency ( source ). They value sustainability and automation in financial planning. Platforms like Neo Financial , FrontFundr , and Loop cater to Millennial priorities, offering green finance options and automated investment tools. With their growing comfort in Web3, decentralized finance (DeFi) and artificial intelligence platforms companies like Alethea.ai , offering on-chain agentic AI characters and Dapper Labs for blockchain ecosystem games. NCFA predicts that in 2025 - Millennials will make a major push and lead the adoption of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) for community based investing and resource pooling to fund (sustainable) projects and new ventures. Also automated financial coaches will become standard, offering integrated and customized financial advice based on real time spending and saving transactions. Gen X (1965-1980) Although mentioned far less than younger generations, Gen X is still dominant in top leadership roles including Fortune 500 CEOs. Having said that with the rising cost of everything, and part of the sandwich generation (aging parents to look after as well as their own children), 41% of Gen X reports they are overwhelmed by their financial situation with only 16% feeling confident they will have enough time to save for retirement, expressing the need for effective long-term planning tools. AI driven tools like  Conquest Planning uses predictive models to optimize financial planning for security and personalization. NCFA predicts that in 2025 - potential for Gen X to embrace collaborative financial ecosystems that share strategies and integrate pooled resources and services (i.e., co-purchase assets like real estate). Also given Gen X's caregiving responsibilities and increasing expenses, we expect to see the rise of AI powered tools to help identify cost-saving opportunities, consolidate and streamline all recurring, and agents to negotiate better rates to reduce financial burdens. Baby Boomers (1946-1964) By 2026 in Canada, approx $1 trillion will be transferred from Baby Boomers to Gen Xers and Millennials, the largest wealth transfer in the country ever. In terms of digital tools, believe it or not, smartphone ownership has grown from 25% in 2011 to almost 70% today . Estate planning tools like Willful can simplify the process of asset transfers. Hybrid AI and light touch financial advisory services can manage conservative, cash generating, portfolios to optimize returns while lowering risks to meet Boomer needs. NCFA predicts that in 2025 - a cybersecurity company will emerge dominant by providing stronger risk mitigation solutions for seniors. Baby Boomers will also increasingly rely on hybrid AI financial advisory services that help with estate planning and wealth management. A new, robust voice activated financial system for seniors will become more common place with the goal of helping tech-cautious seniors from being left behind. Outlook for 2025 Fintech has come a long way baby! It's going beyond technology in a way that bridges and connects generations with tailored financial solutions. By solving unique generational needs, fintech companies will be empowering society to achieve greater financial independence and security in ways that traditional financial institutions were not able to nor interested in providing. Fintech is set to create multi-generational products and services that will seamlessly adapt across all age brackets. The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!