Financial Finesse Report: In-House Financial Wellness Programs Costly

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Financial Finesse, a leading provider of financial coaching as an employee benefit, has released a new report titled "Build or Buy," which provides insights into the costs and complexities of building an in-house financial wellness program. The report, based on data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and other sources, reveals that creating a financial wellness program from scratch can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor.

According to the report, building an in-house financial wellness program can cost between $21 million and $38 million, with the development process taking more than a decade. This substantial investment underscores the specialized nature of financial wellness programs, which require expertise in behavioral finance, coaching, and financial education, alongside benefits and technology expertise. The report draws on data from the EBRI's 2025 Financial Wellbeing Employer Survey, which found that 87% of large employers with a financial wellness strategy or developing one had outside help building it. This figure has risen from 47% in 2020 to 66% in 2025.

Liz Davidson, founder and CEO of Financial Finesse, emphasized that financial wellness is not just a technology challenge but a specialized discipline.

The report also highlights that even the experts buy. Leading financial wellness providers have used acquisitions to add capabilities rather than building every component themselves internally. Financial Finesse's own capabilities, for instance, have been enhanced through strategic acquisitions. The report estimates that organizations with strong capabilities across personal finance, employee benefits, and software development may reduce costs to an estimated $14 million to $25 million, but significant investment is still required.

Financial Finesse's report is clear that purchasing a financial wellness solution does not eliminate the employer's role. Programs deliver results when organizations commit to them, promote them, and give employees time and encouragement to use them. The report recommends that employers weighing the decision to build or buy should ask a provider's consulting team what the same capability costs to buy and compare the two figures.

Financial Finesse, serving more than 20,000 organizations and reaching millions of employees worldwide through a single integrated platform, delivers localized experiences tailored to each employee's country, language, culture, financial system, and benefits. The result is reduced financial stress, seamless scalability for employers, and a benefit employees trust, value, and actively use.