New Delhi, Aug. 25 -- Adoption of artificial intelligence for personal finance is surging. More than half (55%) of Americans said they used AI to help manage finances, according to a February 2026 survey conducted for TD Bank. That was up from only 10% a year before.

I know our profession is tempted to read a finding like that as a threat. I suggest curiosity instead. People are exploring, pressure testing, asking questions at midnight that they might never voice in a conference room. Advisors should expect that, and pay attention to it. What's driving those questions, especially for preretirees, is usually just a hunger for information. It's an underlying anxiety.

The anxiety was already there. In our research at Edelman Financial Engi...