A sector in transformation: key insights from the MRS Financial Services Conference, London
On 13th November, the MRS Financial Services conference provided a powerful snapshot of how the financial world is reshaping itself across brand strategy, inclusion, AI, and customer value.
Below, we summarise 10 key takeaways shaping the future of financial services:
1. Emotional relevance is now a strategic asset
Monzo’s journey from fintech challenger to mainstream brand shows that emotional connection fuels growth just as much as functional performance. Distinctiveness – in design, communication, and experience – drives mental predisposition, particularly among 35-54 year olds.
2. “Meaningful Difference” remains the most reliable predictor of brand success
Financial brands that are both meaningful and different outperform the market. The need for clear, resonant value propositions has never been stronger.
3. Inclusion gaps persist, particularly for ethnic minority communities
Structural barriers – cultural exclusion, algorithmic bias, and digital inequality – still hinder access. Financial services must design with a deeper understanding of lived experience to avoid reinforcing inequalities.
4. Longevity is reshaping the customer-brand relationship
Canada Life’s Life100+ case study showed how insight-led, multi-stakeholder programmes can redefine brand strategy. Longevity is no longer just a demographic trend — it’s a transformation of needs, expectations, and risk profiles.
5. Consumers are using AI in finance – often without realising it
40% of consumers have used AI tools unknowingly, and over one in four knowingly used GenAI for tasks like debt consolidation, investment research, and tax calculation
6. Trust in AI is built through five pillars
Familiarity of task, brand recognition, data minimisation, human oversight, and transparency of sources all shape willingness to rely on AI-driven financial support.
7. Conversational AI is emerging as a new “voice of banking”
Interest is high, but confidence depends on two core conditions: data security and accuracy. Consumers want AI to assist — not replace – the human relationship.
8. Financial wellbeing demands new tools and new empathy
AI-driven platforms show promise in supporting understanding of diverse financial personas. Data highlights critical gaps: women’s financial wellbeing has deteriorated markedly, and young adults (18–24) remain the most vulnerable segment.
9. Trackers must evolve from measurement to action
NFU Mutual’s approach demonstrates that sentiment tracking, when embedded into business decisions, drives real operational impact – from marketing to planning to customer care.
10. Inclusive design benefits everyone
Research with adults with learning disabilities (Project Nemo) confirmed that solutions designed for the most vulnerable end up improving usability for all. Vulnerability should be considered a mainstream, not marginal, design parameter.
How Eumetra supports financial institutions in making sense of this transformation
Introducing Future of Finance: Eumetra’s strategic observatory
At Eumetra, we see the same forces highlighted at MRS — shifting expectations, digital acceleration, new forms of vulnerability — every day in our international research.
This is why we created Future of Finance, a forward-looking observatory designed to help financial brands anticipate change, innovate with confidence, and build more relevant and trusted propositions.
Future of Finance provides:
- Deep analysis of emerging financial and behavioural trends
- Insights into evolving attitudes toward savings, investment, payment methods and protection
- A strategic lens on how consumers select and trust financial partners
- Guidance for customer experience, communication, and proposition development
- Behavioural and value-based segmentations
- Decision-making maps to decode explicit and latent needs
The observatory is being launch in Italy, Spain, and the US, and we are now expanding to additional international partners.
→ Explore how Future of Finance can support your strategic agenda
Download the Research Presentation Page
→ If you would like a tailored overview or a deep-dive presentation, get in touch with us directly.