TRENDS REPORT
2026: Retail Banking Trends Report
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Success was built on rates. Now it’s built on relationships.
The next era of banking will belong to institutions that know how to blend technology with judgment, data with empathy, and efficiency with trust. Banks that treat every interaction as an opportunity, every employee as a growth engine, and every customer moment as a relationship—not a transaction—will thrive in 2026.
In this year’s Trends Report, we explore the 6 shifts redefining the industry—from how branches are being reinvented, to why workforce resilience is becoming a profit strategy, to how AI and human insight must work together to earn loyalty. Because the future of banking won’t be built by automation alone. It will be built by the banks that know where technology ends—and trust and human connection begins.
What’s top of mind for financial leaders right now?
We polled banker leaders to reveal what’s driving their decisions, and likewise, what’s fueling the transformational trends in our report.
Say their branch strategy is focused on evolving them as advice centers.
Say operational efficiency is a significant barrier for their FI.
Every friction point directly impacts deposit, loan, and account opening growth.
In a market where digital adoption is soaring but trust is flatlining, each customer interaction must capture value and reinforce confidence.
That’s why, in 2026, FIs are laser-focused on capturing and making the most out of these fleeting moments. Banking leaders know that now, when a customer abandons a digital application due to complexity, they aren’t just leaving a form; they could be leaving the institution entirely.
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Audit journeys with the highest drop-off and implement tools like Meet on Demand to capture intent at the moment of friction (or inquiry), converting missed opportunities into revenue.
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- Deposit growth per customer interaction
- New account openings per branch visit
- Loan applications initiated after advisory interactions
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"Digital application abandonment rates have reached a staggering 67%. Friction isn’t just an annoyance; it is a profit killer that erodes the primary banking relationship before it even begins."