Holly Roberts
CPA Firm Partner
Holly Roberts is a CPA and partner at a well-respected accounting firm with experience in personal finance and tax planning.
Credit & Personal Finance
Should You Trust a Bank's Own Financial Planning Tools — or Are They Designed to Sell You Products You Wouldn't Otherwise Choose?Bank-provided financial planning tools have become increasingly sophisticated, offering budgeting, savings projections, retirement calculators, and personalized recommendations within the same apps consumers use every day. While these platforms can improve financial awareness and make planning more accessible, they also operate within institutions that have products to sell. The key question is not whether these tools are useful—they often are—but whether users understand the incentives behind the recommendations they receive. Used thoughtfully, bank planning tools can serve as valuable starting points, provided consumers recognize where objective guidance ends and product marketing begins.