Envisioning Financial Technology Support for Older Adults Through Cognitive and Life Transitions

Financial technology (fintech), including online banking and digital payments, can facilitate or hinder participation in financial activities. Current fintech support for older adults, notably delegation to close others, inadequately accommodates their cognitive strengths and life transitions. To envision fintech support for age-related cognitive diversity in a rapidly changing fintech landscape, we engaged 17 older adults, five family members, and five professionals in co-creating and critiquing personas, scenarios, and design concepts through interviews and group discussions. Our thematic analysis uncovers interrelated social factors and financial management collaborations across inner and outer circles, highlighting the importance of preparedness for transitions, long-term safeguarding, and short-term fail-safes. From these insights, we propose design avenues for layered fintech support networks across close and distant others, situated meta-design for mutual fintech support, and personalized fintech “first aid.” We urge HCI communities to collectively design holistic approaches to a fintech support ecosystem for aging and accessibility.