If Gen X is the “forgotten” generation and Millennials are known as the “me me me” generation, it might be time to coin Gen Z’s nickname. Our suggestion? The “ask questions later” generation. As the cohort caught between money pressures while simultaneously living by the FOMO and YOLO mantras that defined their formative years, Zoomers are quickly gaining a reputation for their bold, experimental approach to their finances.

But their risk-taking isn’t born from recklessness. It’s a product of the world they’ve inherited, coming of age through overlapping crises: a pandemic, historic inflation, and a near-constant barrage of financial instability in their feeds. They’ve watched the definition of wealth shift in real time and, in response, they’re creating their own rules for financial success.

Now, it’s up to banks and financial institutions to match this new boldness with their own innovation.

A New Kind of Risk-Taking

Gen Z loves to gamble — but don’t expect them to fly to Las Vegas to do so. Instead, they’re exploring alternative forms of risk through trading apps, crypto, meme stocks, sports betting, and collectibles. The surge in prediction markets — 2025’s final major trend — is another clear example. And don’t expect them to take out traditional debt, either, like a mortgage or car loan. Their debt comes in the form of buy now, pay later, which has become a financial lifestyle for many, prioritizing access over restraint.

According to a recent survey from Ally Bank, nearly a quarter of Gen Z and Millennial respondents say they fear missing out on social connections due to financial constraints, with 42% overspending on activities with friends a few months out of the year and 10% overspending every month. For them, money isn’t about accumulation, it’s about participation.

This generation isn’t afraid of spending to get what they want, even if that means going into credit card debt for their concert tickets or Klarna-ing their 2 AM Taco Bell.

Coming Into Their Own

As one of the largest wealth transfers in history unfolds — Baby Boomers are set to pass an estimated $84 trillion to younger generations — financial institutions are facing a crossroads. While Gen Z may not yet have the same purchasing power as Boomers, their influence is undeniable — and growing.

What’s Next? 

Can banks recognize the opportunity in this shift and step forward to meet the needs of a generation coming into their economic power? Right now, signs point to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dramatically reducing its oversight, or even disappearing. While reduced consumer protections could invite old habits to resurface, the real opportunity lies in creativity. 

Today’s traditional financial management tools that focus on strict budgeting won’t appeal much to this restriction-free generation — but platforms that help these spenders and speculators navigate risk safely could. 

To satisfy Gen Z’s bold approach to money, we see banks exploring crypto-backed accounts, responsible debt services, all-in-one finance tools, investing products that go beyond the S&P 500, and potentially regulated access to market-based forecasting tools. For a true Gen Z-optimized experience, the technology powering these solutions — real-time data, transparent odds, and intuitive risk controls — will be just as important as the products themselves.

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Ally Bank has made all-in-one finance tools and financial literacy a cornerstone of its strategy. In 2024, they launched Money Roots, a free virtual program designed to help participants explore their money history, beliefs, and values. Unlike traditional workshops that focus solely on budgeting, saving, and investing, Money Roots explores a more unconventional, psychological side of finance that goes deeper to encourage self-reflection and informed decision-making. 

Their blog, Conversationally, also serves as a go-to resource for anyone looking to strengthen financial knowledge — from how to manage money as a dual-income-no-kids (DINK) household to tips for traveling solo. As consumer protections roll back, the blog provides a safe space for Gen Z to learn about financial topics, while establishing Ally Bank as an expert. Together, Money Roots and Conversationally exemplify how financial institutions can empower consumers to navigate today’s complex economic landscape with confidence.

A collection of suits flown in from branch offices gathering around a whiteboard and projector. Leaders dialing into a conference call from around the world, reviewing the agenda in their email. A sea of Zoomed-in faces sharing links and chats while an AI assistant takes notes. 

The digital world has been reshaping how we work, play, and connect for decades. But now, tech has advanced so far we’re bouncing back around again. Instead of entering a metaverse of virtual spaces, people are looking for innovation that enhances the physical aspects of their everyday lives, not just the digital. They want tech that feels real.

A Cultural Reset

Consumers are stepping back from always-on digital engagement and reaching for things they can touch and experience — and turn off when they’re done. Flip phones and even landlines are seeing renewed interest, with Gen Z driving an increase in “dumb phone” sales and nostalgic parents giving their kids the gift of corded gab this holiday season. Another piece of old-school tech, vinyl LPs, continues to break sales records. Artists like Taylor Swift are leaning into the boom and adding multiple vinyl pressings to their promo strategy.

And, of course, the rise of AI is playing a role. A recent subway campaign for AI “friend” apps triggered serious public backlash (read: subway graffiti) and sparked conversations about the boundaries of technology and emotional intimacy. For many, outsourcing relationships to software feels like a step too far.

From Business to Business

On the business side of things, we’re seeing this show up as a renewed focus on bringing innovation into the hardware world. Engineers, entrepreneurs, and buyers alike are embracing hard tech: semiconductors, chips, robotics, and other technologies you can see and touch. 

A recent New York Times article points to Silicon Valley’s shift as the harbinger of this movement. In a dramatic pivot from the SaaS-and-social boom of the 2010s, Valley girls and boys are launching a new era defined by hardware and infrastructure. Companies like chip giant NVIDIA are leading the charge, which briefly surpassed Microsoft and Apple to become the world’s most valuable company, and just swept headlines with the announcement of a new AI chip at CES.

Investors, previously avoidant of the hardware sector due to its high costs and slow timelines, are rethinking their stance. Hardware could be the “missing link” between AI’s promise and its prominence in our everyday lives. 

What’s Next?

This isn’t about dumbing down tech. Creating effective, modern, real-world solutions is simply the next frontier of innovation (after all, the flip phone of today isn’t exactly the flip phone of yesterday). 

Plenty of real-world industries could be benefactors of the tech-meets-touch revolution. Housing, a pressure-cooker market for both buyers and sellers right now, is ripe for interesting innovation. Energy and utilities have plenty of eyes on them, too. Could AI eventually design or operate a system that generates the energy needed to power itself?

In 2026, robotics is poised to be a major winner. Momentum in the sector skyrocketed this year as inventors and investors poured billions into developing AI-enabled systems, and robots began taking to the shop floor. The true test will be scale — how quickly and effectively these technologies can expand beyond today’s pilots.

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When you think of OpenAI, you probably don’t first think of a physical product pioneer. But in line with this shift, the ChatGPT creator recently announced the physical evolution of its now-ubiquitous technology. To bring the tech to life, OpenAI partnered with Jony Ive, the legendary designer behind Apple’s devices and the iconic look of the company’s stores. Specific details are being kept strictly under wraps, but the look, touch, and feel of the tech is what’s most important to Sam Altman and Ive in these early stages. Altman described wanting a product that made users feel like they “want to pick up that thing and take a bite out of it.” 

From news to streaming to social, media channels keep splintering. With each addition, brands have been left asking: how do we add this to the mix?

But that era of endless expansion is over. For years, the digital world rewarded growth: more channels, more posts, more presence. But as every surface multiplied, each one stretched brands — and audiences — thinner. 

Find and Seek

A perfect storm is brewing in the media landscape. In the news world, the exodus to Substack continues as independent journalists break out on their own. YouTube is slowly completing its takeover of TV, while TikTok’s favorite podcasters are taking over the jobs of late night hosts. And the race to be the next X is not over yet. (The current winner: X itself.)

As distribution shifts, so does discovery. The first “search is dead” headlines appeared when TikTok search and other social platforms started challenging Google’s crown. Now AI is taking its turn rewriting the SEO rules. B2B buyers are not exempt from these discovery shifts — a recent study from Forrester shows AI search and social influencers now make up the two most important interactions in the B2B buying journey. 

OpenAI’s Expanding Web

OpenAI is also shaking up the information ecosystem by aiming to become an ecosystem of its own. To compete with the Substacks of the world, OpenAI released ChatGPT Pulse, a personalized daily update. As a TikTok alternative, the AI giant launched an AI-only short video app. Plus, new partnerships with Shopify, Etsy, and Walmart mean you can make a purchase right from ChatGPT without leaving the platform.
 

More Isn't Always Merry

Brands can no longer win by showing up everywhere; they have to show up meaningfully somewhere. The challenge? Knowing where that “somewhere” is. Traditional signals like impressions, clicks, and traffic offer diminishing insight in a landscape where discovery is increasingly fragmented — and mediated by machines.

As search, social, and AI systems continue to entangle, the old notion of a linear customer journey dissolves. Discovery now looks less like a funnel and more like a bowl of pico de gallo: you can see all the ingredients — content, channels, conversations, onions, and chili peppers — but not the order in which they mix. The same forces fracturing attention are also blurring the boundaries that once made it measurable.

What’s Next

If the early web was about being found, and social media was about being followed, the next era will be about being trusted. As technology intermediates more of our choices, we may outsource not just discovery but belief — what’s credible, relevant, and worth our time.

That means the next brand battleground won’t be audience attention, but algorithmic trust: how much the systems themselves trust your brand enough to surface it. Success will depend less on tracking individuals and more on performing well within entire ecosystems — being recognized as reliable, current, and valuable by the networks that decide what gets seen.

But as automation scales content, the noise will only grow. And so, paradoxically, the brands that win may be those that simplify and return to human storytelling (not too unlike the nostalgic pull back to flip phones). One piece of emotionally resonant, unmistakably human content could make all the difference for a buyer — who is still very much human.

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With the value of Reddit rising (as an information source for both humans and AI alike), more and more brands are rethinking this once off-limits platform. We liked Spotify’s take on it for its recent lossless audio announcement. The promo post came from a real human, who clearly identified himself as working for the company (hidden promotion is a big Reddit red flag). It followed a standard Reddit format — the Ask Me Anything — and directly addressed user questions, even when they weren’t that flattering. Spotify’s rule-following authenticity paid off, turning risky Reddit chatter into a brand boost.

See the post on Reddit: I’m John, engineering manager at Spotify. I helped develop the Lossless feature. AMA! : r/truespotify