Gallup: 1 in 5 used AI for money advice, trust remains low
A new Gallup-Edward Jones survey finds some Americans tried AI for financial guidance, but confidence stays modest as most rely on web searches or people.
Gallup: 1 in 5 used AI for money advice, trust remains low
Key Takeaways
- About 1 in 5 Americans who sought financial advice in the past year used AI.
- Only about 3 in 10 adults express any confidence in AI’s money advice.
- Just 3% say they trust AI “a great deal” for financial guidance.
- Seventy‑three percent relied on their own internet research for advice.
- The poll surveyed 5,075 adults Mar. 20–Apr. 6, 2026, margin ±1.8 points.
Twenty percent. That’s the share of Americans who went to AI for money advice in the past year, according to a new Gallup survey with Edward Jones. For Valley readers sorting out a car loan in Fresno or a 401(k) rollover in Bakersfield, the bottom line is simple by comparison, most people still trust people.
At Educational Employees Credit Union in Fresno, members can book time with human advisors, and the credit union markets financial education to schools. Fresno State’s Craig School of Business keeps turning out finance grads who end up in banks and planning firms here. The poll’s message lands close to home, because households across Fresno County and Kern work through the same decisions every month.
What the Gallup survey found
Gallup’s poll says AI isn’t a top-tier adviser yet. Only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they have “a great deal” or “some” confidence in AI’s financial guidance, including 3% who say “a great deal.” Meanwhile, 73% of Americans who sought advice said they did their own internet research, and about one-third used a professional adviser. Family ranked high too, with more than a third turning to relatives.
Younger adults used AI more often. Roughly a quarter of Gen Z and millennials who looked for guidance tried AI, compared with 16% of Gen X and 7% of baby boomers. Older adults were far more likely to go to a paid adviser.
How this lands in the Valley
EECU, based on West Shaw Avenue, lists planning and investment services for members. That means a Fresno teacher or a City of Clovis employee can still sit with a person, not a prompt, when they need a plan. The Craig School’s finance track feeds that pipeline, training students for roles in banking, investments, and planning firms that serve Fresno, Madera, and Tulare.
Trust still runs through people.
A small detail from a recent branch visit sticks with me, a blue EECU pen by the counter. It’s not data, but it tells you where most folks still start.
What experts recommend
Academics quoted in the survey suggested using AI to learn definitions and compare options, then checking the answers. “I would encourage people to use AI to explain and define,” said Taha Choukhmane, an MIT Sloan associate professor. Certified planner Bobbi Rebell drew the bright line: “There’s no AI that is a fiduciary. It doesn’t really know your life.”
The poll included 5,075 adults ages 21 and up and ran from March 20 to April 6. Which tracks with what you hear in Fresno branches.
Central Valley AI is produced by the CVAI Newsdesk team and developed by Kaweah Tech, a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.