HSBC UK Data reveals a Nation of Investors
- Two in five Brits have investments (38%) with stocks and shares the most popular
- Northerners are more likely to invest in whiskey and stamps, whereas those in the south put their money on art and trainers.
- HSBC customers are investing mostly to buy a home, followed by saving for a holiday or travel.
Two in five Brits have investments (38%) with stocks and shares the most popular, according to HSBC UK research, followed by property (20%), funds (19%) and bonds (18%). More than one in ten (12%) say they invest in jewellery, and nearly one in five are putting their money into cryptocurrency (18%).1
Investing behaviours differ across the UK with Edinburgh the most popular place for whiskey investments (20%), stamps attracting the most investors in Liverpool (11%) and Southampton a hotspot for investing in trainers (9%).
Despite people exploring alternative forms of investment, stocks and shares is still the preferred choice. Nearly (47%) of consumers invest in stocks and shares because they expect good return – an increase of 15% on last year. As tax year end approaches on 5 April, over 7,000 HSBC UK customers have already maxed out their stocks and share ISA allowance.
More than half the UK population (52%) say they feel investing is a better way of making the most of their money in the current economic climate than saving (up from 47% in 2022).
The HSBC UK research also found a third of consumers get their information on investing from social media (34%) with one in five (20%) getting it from their bank.
Rebecca Owers, Director of Wealth Distribution at HSBC UK said: “Spring is a great time to review your finances and it’s important to consider options like investing2, alongside ISAs and savings accounts.”
HSBC UK customers can make a plan for achieving their long-term financial goals and set aside money each month to invest, via the Investment Goals feature on the HSBC app.
Since the launch last September, HSBC UK customers have created 28,893 investment goals with 2,770 investment accounts opened as a result. Popular goals include buying a home, starting a business and saving for a child’s education.
Rebecca added: “Goal setting is a great way to focus on what you want to get out of life. For financial goals, a well thought out plan is key to success.
“Investment Goals can help customers with an emergency fund and who are able to invest, stay on track with their ambitions.”
Top 5 investment goals (HSBC UK customer data)
- Buying a home
- Travel/holidays
- Buying a car
- Starting a business
- Child’s education
HSBC UK also offers face to face advice for customers with £100,000 or more in savings and investments. Find out more: https://www.hsbc.co.uk/investments/advice/
Notes to editors:
1 All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from research conducted by Censuswide on behalf of HSBC UK. Total sample size was 2004 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13 - 15 December 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
2 The value of investments and any income they generate can go down as well as up, so there’s a risk you may get back less than you invest.
HSBC UK
HSBC UK serves over 14.75 million customers across the UK, supported by 24,000 colleagues. HSBC UK offers a complete range of retail banking and wealth management to personal and private banking customers, as well as commercial banking for small to medium businesses and large corporates. HSBC UK is a ring fenced bank and wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc.
HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 62 countries and territories. With assets of US$3,039bn at 31 December 2023, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.
Media enquiries to:
Hannah Langston
HSBC UK Press Office: 07384 792 248
E-mail: hannah.langston@hsbc.com