At a community bank in Ohio, the marketing director noticed something strange: their new youth accounts were flatlining, even with great promotions.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. The bank offered student checking, financial seminars, and even a savings match. But kids weren’t showing up. Turns out, they weren’t the problem. Their parents—and the outdated methods used to engage them—were.
Enter Gen Z and Gen Alpha: digital-native, values-driven, and financially curious. Experiences with apps, influencers, and tech platforms shape their expectations from a bank. They want tools that teach, track, and talk their language, while parents want safety and supervision.
This is the generational gap that most banks can’t bridge—unless they reimagine how they serve the whole family.
Today’s smartest banks are using fintech partners like Goalsetter to do just that. Our family banking platform helps institutions engage not only parents, but their kids, with features that combine saving, spending, and financial learning in one place. Think debit cards for teens with parental controls, financial literacy quizzes, goal-based savings—all accessible via a branded experience that lives inside your existing digital ecosystem.
But more importantly, these tools foster trust, loyalty, and lifelong value. When a parent opens a Goalsetter-linked account at your bank, they’re doing more than depositing money—they’re investing in their child’s future. And that emotional value is something big tech can’t offer.
As banking becomes more embedded and competitive, the institutions that succeed won’t just chase customers. They’ll grow families.
Financial literacy and family-focused products are no longer fringe offerings. They are central to the future of banking.
Explore how Goalsetter empowers banks to reach the next generation
