Judgment, jargon, and embarrassment remain major barriers holding Brits back from taking control of their money, driving a shift towards AI assistants for money guidance.When asked who they would feel most comfortable approaching with a financial question, 18% of Brits said an AI assistant, just marginally second to a traditional financial adviser (19%), as revealed in a study commissioned by smart money app Plum.Social media, where ‘finfluencers’ are most prevalent, ranks lowest overall, with only 1% of respondents saying they would feel most comfortable turning to these platforms.Source% of Brits most comfortable approachingFinancial adviser19%AI assistant18%My bank16%Google (or other search engines)16%Family15%Partner7%Friends5%Social media1% The study reveals that over half (53%) of Brits have avoided asking someone a question about money because they were worried it would make them sound financially inexperienced. The same percentage (53%) said they have pretended to understand a financial term or conversation, signalling a fear of appearing uninformed in front of others. In addition, more than two fifths (42%) said they would feel more confident asking questions on financial topics if they knew they were not going to be judged, with 38% saying anonymity would help. This lack of confidence is particularly acute when it comes to investing, with stocks and shares cited as the topics Brits feel least equipped to navigate (44%).Commenting on the findings, Will Bryant, Director of Wealth Strategy at Plum, said: “It’s easy to see why people are using AI to manage their finances. Money can feel like a difficult topic, especially as there’s often a sense that you’re supposed to know all the answers. Being able to ask questions privately, without worrying about what someone else might think, removes some of those barriers. “But knowing which sources to trust is paramount to keeping your money safe. Mainstream LLMs are not designed specifically to help you with your personal finances and lack the context, data security and financial tools that you can find on a specially designed service like Plum Plan."“Technology can be a powerful tool to help build financial confidence, but only when the right tools are used thoughtfully.”Plum Plan is an AI-powered tool in the Plum app that can suggest financial plans and gives details on the best financial products based on customers’ goals. Plum then uses automations to deposit money into their chosen products, including ISAs, easy access accounts and more.Plum Plan is designed by financial experts, so customers can be sure they are receiving the best possible information. Plum is aiming to offer Targeted Support, regulated by the FCA, in the near future. NoYesArtificial Intelligence15 Oct, 2026