--- title: "Bank Marketing Budget Guide: Why Last Year's Numbers Don't Work" description: 56% of banks still budget based on last year's spend. Learn why that's holding your institution back—and how to shift to outcome-based marketing budgeting. image: https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/Email-MiniGuide-Budgets.png --- [Go Back Up](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/financial-marketing-budgets-start-with-last-years-number#top) [![Fintel Connect - Vertical (colored)](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/Fintel%20Connect%20-%20Vertical%20(colored).svg "Fintel Connect - Vertical (colored)")](https://www.fintelconnect.com/) #### \[Title\] \[Be the first in line to download a report over 26 pages of never released insights, trends, and tactics from the top affiliates in North America.\] REPORT # Is Your Affiliate Marketing Strategy Costing You More Than It Should? ![Ipad with the cover of the 2025/2026 Financial Industry Affiliate Marketing Report](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/2025-FIAM-Tablet-Mockup-1.png) Mini Guide # Why Financial Marketing Budgets Still Start With Last Year’s Number From Historical Budgeting to Outcome-Based Marketing Investment ![Tablet mockup of Fintel Connect's mini guide titled "Why a Percentage of Last Year's Budget Doesn't Work as a Strategy", covering outcome-based marketing budgeting for banks and credit unions](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MiniGuide-Budget-Mockup-Arrow.png?width=800&height=653&name=MiniGuide-Budget-Mockup-Arrow.png "Tablet mockup of Fintel Connect's mini guide titled \"Why a Percentage of Last Year's Budget Doesn't Work as a Strategy\", covering outcome-based marketing budgeting for banks and credit unions") ##### Discover what factors influence CPAs and where marketplace rates are currently sitting across financial products, channels, and payout models. ### Get instant access👇 ## What Will You Learn? ![A magnifying glass hovering over a dollar sign](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/money-magnifing-glass.svg "A magnifying glass hovering over a dollar sign") Compare your acquisition costs against industry trends and benchmarks ![Sparkles](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/sparkles.svg "Sparkles") Identify areas of opportunity to optimize spend across channels ![Handshake](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hubfs/partnerships.svg "Handshake") Refine payout modeling to win deals with top affiliate partners ![trending-up](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/trending-up.png?width=57&height=57&name=trending-up.png "trending-up") Adapt to market trends influencing acquisition costs in 2025 ![Three data charts from Cornerstone Advisors and Fintel Connect showing how bank marketing budgets are determined, what triggers mid-year budget changes, and the gap between where marketing budget is spent versus where ROI actually comes from](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/miniguide-budget-charts-img.png?width=1351&height=894&name=miniguide-budget-charts-img.png) ## Stop budgeting on autopilot Marketing is expected to drive growth, but most financial institutions are still funding it the same way they did a decade ago: start with last year's budget, adjust by a few points based on the rate environment or executive priorities, and repeat. According to new research from Cornerstone Advisors and Fintel Connect, 56% of financial institutions are doing exactly this, and it's costing them. #### What Marketing and Growth Leaders Will Get: - **The benchmark reality check:** How 126 senior U.S. bank and credit union executives actually set marketing budgets, and why the dominant approach is a strategic liability. - **The attribution gap your CFO needs to see:** Not one institution surveyed could reliably attribute results across all measured outcomes. 31% believe they're crediting the wrong source more than 25% of the time. - **Where the money goes vs. where the ROI comes from:** Paid search captures 46% of budgets but ranks below email and affiliate on ROI. The highest-performing acquisition channel receives the least funding. - **A four-step outcome-based framework:** Stop presenting a spend request. Start arriving at budget season as a growth leader with a cost-per-outcome model your finance team can hold you accountable to. [Get the guide](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/financial-marketing-budgets-start-with-last-years-number#form) ## Hear from our partners "The Fintel Connect team provides a top-notch customer experience and are highly responsive. Most importantly, they deliver on what they promise. Their professionalism and reliability make them a valuable partner in our marketing efforts." ![bruce-face](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bruce-face.png?width=200&height=200&name=bruce-face.png) **Bruce Gemmill** Chief Marketing Officer, FVC Bank "As a publisher Finder.com is always looking for access to the biggest brands to promote on our site. With the team at Fintel, we’re able to access those partnerships as well as the support and analytics needed to scale our performance." ![Cameron Millband, Performance Director - Loyalty and Retention at Finder](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cameron.webp?width=200&height=200&name=cameron.webp) **Cameron Millband** Performance Director - Loyalty and Retention, Finder "Fintel Connect provides white glove service to publishers and brands which is combined with their best-in-class modern affiliate dashboard for reporting, accounting, and seamlessly tracking conversions." ![stephen-face](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/stephen-face.png?width=200&height=200&name=stephen-face.png) **Stephen Wyman** Founder and Co-CEO, Weymedia ### Financial brands scaling growth through affiliates - ![FVC Bank](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/fvc-bank-logo-black.png?width=911&height=240&name=fvc-bank-logo-black.png) - ![Wester Alliance Bank](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/western-alliance-logo-black.png?width=800&height=116&name=western-alliance-logo-black.png) - ![CIBC](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cibc-logo-black.png?width=700&height=180&name=cibc-logo-black.png) - ![Grasshopper Bank](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/grasshopper-black.png?width=343&height=64&name=grasshopper-black.png) - ![Believe Savings Bank](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/believe-savings-logo-black.png?width=1200&height=200&name=believe-savings-logo-black.png) ### The only affiliate platform and agency exclusively for financial services ### Trusted as the Go-To Platform in Our Category - ![Users Love Us - G2 2026 Badge](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/users-love-us.png?width=860&height=1000&name=users-love-us.png) - ![Easiest To Do Business With - G2 2025](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Badge02.png?width=378&height=435&name=Badge02.png) - ![High Performer - G2 2025](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Badge01.png?width=378&height=435&name=Badge01.png) - ![Momentum Leader - G2 2025](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Badge04.png?width=378&height=435&name=Badge04.png) [Get the guide](https://resources.fintelconnect.com/financial-marketing-budgets-start-with-last-years-number#form) © 2026 Fintel Connect | All Rights Reserved --- ♥ Made with Care by HubSpot Experts - ©Lynton. All rights reserved. [Legal Notice](https://www.example.com) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.example.com) | [Site Map](https://www.example.com)