UK adults’ average financial assets fall by £13,000 as anxiety rises

The study found average assets, comprising cash savings, investments, and pensions, dropped over the past year from £197,106 to £183,781 as apprehension grows over key financial decisions, including mortgages, borrowing, pensions, and investments.

The study warned that 20 per cent of UK adults have no financial safety net, while 42 per cent have a rainy-day fund and 37 per cent have an emergency fund. Among those with an emergency fund, around 11 per cent estimate that it would last no more than a month, potentially leaving them with little room to manage a loss of income, a major household expense, or any other financial emergency.

Almost 24 per cent of women have no financial safety net, compared with 16 per cent of men. The highest proportions were recorded among women aged 18-24 and 45-54, with nearly a third of both groups lacking any safety net.

Women also report greater concern about many of the pressures affecting household finances. More than three-quarters are worried about the cost-of-living crisis or a recession (76 per cent, compared with 67 per cent of men) and energy prices (76 per cent versus 67 per cent), while 43 per cent are scared they will run out of money, compared with 36 per cent of men.

The study was conducted by independent research company Opinium among a nationally representative sample of 4,000 UK adults from 7 to 14January 2026.

Respondents were chosen on a nationally representative basis, weighted evenly by gender, age, region and value of financial assets. Of the overall sample, 1,931 (48.4 per cent) were male and 2,061 (51.5 per cent) were female, while 805 (20.1 per cent) had a net worth of more than £100,000.

It also found that 33 per cent of UK adults now feel apprehensive about making investment decisions on their own, up from 26 per cent last year. Apprehension around pensions has risen by the same amount, climbing from 19 per cent to 26 per cent.

Concern is also spreading to immediate financial commitments. The proportion uneasy about making mortgage decisions has increased from 15 per cent to 21 per cent, despite a series of bank rate cuts since August 2024, while apprehension around personal loans has jumped from 13 per cent to 20 per cent.

Four in 10 people now have responsibility for overseeing pensions, up from 37 per cent last year, while 32 per cent oversee investments, compared with 28 per cent in 2025. Responsibility for mortgages has also risen, from 23 per cent to 25 per cent.

Wider financial pressures remain intense. Nearly three-quarters are concerned about the effect of the cost-of-living crisis or a recession on their finances (72 per cent), while similar proportions are worried about energy prices (71 per cent) and inflation (69 per cent).

Stephen Cowling, head of Wealth at Handelsbanken, said: “Financial anxiety is now touching almost every major decision people make, from mortgages and personal borrowing to pensions and investments. The danger is that anxiety becomes paralysis, with important choices delayed until circumstances force the issue.

“Building resilience will look different for every household, especially when day-to-day costs are already stretched. Good advice cannot remove those pressures, but it can help people understand their position, prioritise the next step and make better use of the resources available to them.

“Whether the starting point is building an accessible emergency reserve, reviewing borrowing or bringing pensions and investments into a wider plan, engaging early usually leaves people with more choices than waiting until a financial shock has already happened.”