Mobile banking is moving into mainstream use and is changing the way consumers manage their finances, according to a Javelin Strategy & Research report released last week.
Mobile banking also likely eventually will change how consumers pay for goods, notes Pleasanton, Calif.-based Javelin.
Nearly one-half of mobile-phone owners have access to mobile banking, and by 2014 45% of mobile-phone users will use mobile-banking services, according to the report "2009 Mobile-Banking and Smartphone Forecast."
Additionally, 99 million U.S. adults will conduct mobile-banking transactions at least once annually by 2014, with 52% of mobile-phone users relying on smartphones, which provide such advanced features as e-mail and Internet capabilities.
"Mobile banking is quickly moving from infancy to commonplace, which will help separate the winners from losers in banks' ability to attract and keep technology-loving consumers," Mary Monahan, Javelin research director and managing partner, said in a statement.
"Consumers are hungry for 'always on' and 'real time' ability to monitor and manage their money. Javelin did not return requests for comment.
