Connect with the author: lucas.malambri@curinos.com
This is the third in a series of reports on the current state of consumer banking and how AI-enabled decision intelligence is quickly and dramatically altering the industry as we enter the first full year of AI-native banking.
Over the last two years, the affluent segment has become retail banking’s great convergence zone. Nearly every institution is chasing the same customer with advice-led, goals-based promises, and the messaging seem to be increasingly indistinguishable.
It’s true that affluent customers deliver higher balances and disproportionate revenue, but they also come with higher expectations and less tolerance for friction. When they leave, the economic impact is meaningful. And they’re not leaving because of brand—they’re leaving because the experience doesn’t live up to the promise (see chart).
Customers’ Expectations vs. Reality of Advice from Bank
Source(s): US 2025 Multi-Channel Study (N=4652) | Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements: I expect my bank to provide financial advice or guidance | Which of the following banks do you associate with each of these services and benefits? | What resources do you leverage to guide financial decisions today?
Note(s): P2P: Paycheck to Paycheck consumers with less than 1 month of income in liquidity | SMM: Stable Mass Market: Consumers with less than $100K income who are not within the Paycheck to Paycheck segment | HENRY: Younger than 35 years old, have $100K+ income, and are not part of the Paycheck to Paycheck segment; AFF: Affluent consumers 35 or over, have $100K+ income, and are not part of the Paycheck to Paycheck segment
Winning in this market requires more than premium branding. Market leaders are doing the harder, less visible work. They have actionable customer segmentation, both across the portfolio and “in the wild,” that informs how customers are actually treated. They offer clear, intentional graduation pathways from mass market into mass affluent or premier tiers rather than leaving progression to chance.
They also invest in robust customer-treatment programs designed to maximize outcomes, not just product uptake. Advice experiences are tailored to segment needs, delivered with consistency and credibility. And their product and proposition proof points are real—differentiated, repeatable and operationally embedded—not simply campaign language.
The reality is that not every bank has the brand permission or capabilities to win the affluent arms race. Success depends on focus, clarity and execution—knowing where they can truly compete and delivering on that promise consistently.
That’s where Curinos can help. By employing decision intelligence, we identify and home in on a bank’s true mass affluent customers, evaluate value proposition performance, and identify where institutions have earned—or lack—the right to win. In short, Curinos helps banks move from ambition to advantage.
