The numbers in the latest Pew Research Center study of our banking habits tell the story.

Per Pew, “Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults, or 61% of Internet users, bank online. Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults, or 35% of cell phone owners, bank using their mobile phones.”

In a 2010 study by Pew, just 46% of adults said they banked online. In 2011, only 18% of cell phone owners said they banked using their phones.

Summed up Pew: “Both types of digital banking are on the rise.”

The Pew numbers dovetail with the May report from Financial Management Solutions Inc. which documented an “explosive” decline in teller traffic. FMSI numbers showed a 45% drop in teller transactions in a decade.

There also is a growing sentiment among experts that we are at a mobile banking tipping point that may lead to further reshuffling of the retail landscape in financial services.

According to the Pew data, men are slightly more likely to bank online than women and all generations younger than 65 have substantially embraced the trend. Even in the 65+ age group, 47% said they bank online.

Men and women are equally likely to use mobile banking, according to Pew. Mobile banking demographics skew young, however, with only 14% of the 65+ group embracing it, compared to 54% of the 18-29 cohort.

An interesting Pew datum pertains to race and mobile banking: “Non-white cell phone owners are more likely than whites to engage in mobile banking.”

Instant Insights /

Study Documents Ascendancy of Online, Mobile Banking

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