There are many ways to define a lifestage, including by age, marital status, or parental status. The financial needs of each lifestage are unique and financial institutions are always seeking ways to customize products and services to appeal to each one. While the recent recession affected everyone, it may have permanently altered the way Millennials, in particular, look at the financial world. This Report examines the differences in the financial goals of consumers at each lifestage, how they get information about financial services topics, what they are looking for from financial institutions, and how they make decisions on which institutions to use or not use.

This Report covers how lifestages affect consumers’ perceptions of their financial goals, and what they are doing to accomplish their objectives. It also includes a discussion of how people get their financial information and the media channels most likely to elicit a response from them. The technology that people use to conduct their financial transactions and what technology they plan to use in the future is also discussed.

For those interested in learning more about retirement, please refer to Retirement Planning – US, November 2017.