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Fintel Connect, the leading growth marketing platform built for the financial industry, has released its 2025/2026 industry report, Competing for Visibility in the Age of AI.
The study explores which types of content and content sources are most likely to be visible in LLM search results and what this means for banks, credit unions, and fintech marketers striving to stay visible in a zero-click world.
According to the findings, over 60% of AI-sourced financial content originates from affiliate publishers, not bank websites.
“Our goal has always been to help financial brands grow through partnerships grounded in transparency and performance,” said Nicky Senyard, CEO of Fintel Connect. “As AI changes how consumers search and trust information, affiliates are becoming a critical pipeline of information for the LLMs, which are in turn shaping what people see. This research gives financial institutions a window into that evolving landscape, and shows how to strengthen affiliate relationships to ensure their products stay visible and part of the AI-driven conversation.”
This shift, often referred to as zero-click search, poses a challenge for marketing teams that have historically relied on paid ads, organic rankings, and direct site traffic. As AI models synthesize and summarize information, affiliate publishers such as NerdWallet, Bankrate, and Investopedia have emerged as key gateways of visibility for banks.
