Consumers are using financial apps to both seek stability and chase risk amid economic uncertainty fueled by inflation, regulatory changes, tariffs and falling stocks.

When sweeping tariffs were announced April 2 by the Trump Administration, S&P firms lost $2.4 trillion in market value on April 3, the largest single-day drop since the pandemic-triggered market crash on March 16, 2020.

The volatile economic landscape, paired with the increase of AI-driven personalization in digital banking, has led to expanded use of digital investment tools as consumers seek more control over their finances, whether they’re crypto trading or planning for retirement, Daniel Reid, senior insights analyst at software and data analytics firm Similarweb, told Bank Automation News.

In fact, retail consumer satisfaction in 2025 rose to 655 on a 1,000-point scale, up 11 points from 2024 despite economic uncertainty, driven by personalized budgeting tools, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study released March 27.

Divergent investment trends

The investment tools seeing the most demand in 2025 run the spectrum, Reid said.

For example, budgeting app Monarch, founded in 2018 by former developers at Mint, saw rapid growth in late 2023 after the personal financial management website announced its shutdown, Reid said.

With an emphasis on customizable budgeting tools and seamless syncing, Monarch attracted users prioritizing financial stability and planning, Reid said. The app had a peak 97,000 downloads in a month in January, he said.

Monarch’s average monthly users since March 2024 were 778,500, while the app’s average monthly downloads averaged approximately 67,600 , according to Similarweb data shared with BAN. The app’s average daily user base was 846,700 at the end of February, up 39% from 609,300 users in March 2024, according to the data.

Meanwhile, investment app Jupiter, which launched in 2021 to optimize crypto trading, has surged in popularity among high-risk investors — particularly younger, male users — thanks to features like liquidity aggregation and its own crypto token, Reid said. More than 28,000 downloads were recorded in January, he said.

“We’re seeing a clear bifurcation in how consumers are using financial apps — some are focused on wealth preservation, while others are all-in on risk and potential upside,” Reid said.

“The digital finance landscape is being shaped just as much by psychology as by technology.”

— Daniel Reid, senior insights analyst, Similarweb

Founded in 2021, Jupiter has increased its daily trading volume to an average of $1.2 billion in 2025 compared with $50 million in 2024, according to the fintech’s January financial report.

Age divide

Younger consumers tend to gravitate toward fintech apps for investment while older users prefer their banks’ mobile apps, Kapil Vora, senior director of wealth intelligence at J.D. Power, told BAN.

“Fintech apps initially focused on micro-investing, budgeting, fractional shares and gamified experiences to engage younger audiences,” Vora said. “These features have proven highly effective in attracting and retaining users.”

But since the pandemic, banks and mainstream investment firms have been incorporating similar tools and customizable features into their apps to attract younger consumers while still catering to older clients, and the trend is likely to continue amid economic uncertainty, he said.

“Traditional banks are under pressure to innovate or risk losing relevance,” said Reid, agreeing with Vora.

Register here for the upcoming Bank Automation News webinar “Emerging fintechs: New technologies you need to know now” on Tuesday, April 8, at 11 a.m. EST.