New research from HL shows over one third of people believe they don’t have enough money to invest.
Nearly three in ten (28%) believe investing is too risky.
Knowledge is a barrier - 17% aren’t investing as they believe they don’t know enough about it.
Investing provides a valuable opportunity to grow your money and is key to building your long-term financial resilience.
2,000 people surveyed by Opinium on behalf of HL in June 2026.
Clare Stinton, senior personal finance analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown
“Investing remains one of the most effective ways to build wealth and drive your long-term financial resilience. It's one of the most powerful tools available in our money management toolkit. That's exactly what the Invest for the Future campaign is trying to change by giving more people the confidence to see investing as the natural next step after saving.
Why invest? Saving gets you started, but investing can take you further. First things first, it’s always sensible to put some cash aside as a buffer for life’s unexpected moments - whether it’s money to replace a broken boiler or keep the roof over your head if you have a sudden change in income. And dipping your toe into the stock market can feel less daunting knowing you have some cash stashed away for emergencies.
But our latest research showed that more than a quarter of respondents had no investing accounts. But for many, the chances are they’re already investors - even though they may not view themselves as investors - because they have a workplace pension.
While caution is understandable when trying something new, some of the most common reasons for sitting on the investing sidelines may be based on misconceptions.
Bust-a-myth!
1. I don’t have enough money
Too many people consider investing an activity for the rich, when the reality is that it’s an effective way to become richer.
Around 35% who don’t invest say it’s because they don’t have enough money. Life is expensive right now, and when budgets are tight, the priorities should be meeting your essential costs and paying down high-cost debt. But for anyone who hasn’t reviewed their spending in a while, it’s worth checking to see if there’s any wiggle room, as it could reveal a small amount that could be working hard for your future in a Stocks & Shares ISA.
You don’t need a lump sum - just £25 a month can get you started. It’s also worth challenging the costs that build up over time, for instance why not swap a TV subscription - most of us now have two or three - for a regular investing instruction into a Stocks & Shares ISA? It’s the same monthly commitment with a different outcome - you’re building your financial resilience. And investing through a Stocks and Shares ISA means you keep 100% of any gains you make as you are liable for tax on income or returns.
2. Investing is too risky
Avoiding investing may feel like the safer option, but it could in fact be the riskier option and come at a significant cost over time due to the impact of inflation.
If you hold cash for long periods of time and it fails to keep pace with inflation, your money isn’t standing still, it’s worse - it’s actually declining in value. Your purchasing power is eroding - a supermarket shop that cost £100 in 2016 would cost more than £140 today, according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator.
Investing gives you the opportunity to achieve returns above inflation. It’s not without risk, but it’s a calculated risk, taken in the pursuit of growing your money over the long term.
Our calculations show that if you put £50 a month into a Cash ISA, after 10 years you’ve saved £6,000 - no small achievement. With an average 2% return, it grows to around £6,640. However, invest that same £50 a month into a Stocks and Shares ISA, averaging 5% growth each year, and after a decade, the £6,000 grows to £7,749.* Same effort, same consistency, but a very different outcome.
3. I don’t know enough about investing.
You don’t need to be able to pick a ‘winning’ individual stock. Funds are a popular entry point for beginners, because they automatically spread your money across hundreds - sometimes thousands - of different investments in one go. This helps reduce risk, because you avoid having all your eggs in one company’s basket. This is the same type of investment used within workplace pensions. So, if you’ve been auto-enrolled into an employer scheme, the chances are you’re already invested in a fund.
Many providers, including HL, also now offer ready-made portfolio solutions; simply choose one that matches your attitude to risk. Typically, the more a fund invests in shares, the higher the risk - but also the greater the potential for long‑term returns. These can be a great starting point, and as both your pot and your confidence grow, you can add to this and build your portfolio.”
Notes to Editors
HL is the UK’s largest investment and savings platform for private investors and more than 2.2 million clients trust us with £205 billion (as of June 2026).
We help Britain build wealth, with confidence. Our promise is simple: to provide the best products, the best support and the best value. Founded in 1981, we’ve been helping people save and invest for a better financial future for more than four decades. We offer a lifelong, secure home for our clients’ investments and savings, combining great value with outstanding service, to make managing your money easier at every stage of life.
Our award-winning Savings & Resilience Barometer measures the nation’s financial resilience across our 5 to Thrive pillars, equipping people with the tools they need to strengthen their financial futures.
Saving and investing is for the whole family, and to support intergenerational wealth transfer, we’ve removed all platform charges and share dealing fees on our Junior ISA, meaning kids go free, and we’ve reduced the platform fee on our Lifetime ISA to 0.25%, supporting those savings for their first home or for retirement.
Regular saving into all funds, FTSE 350 shares, and selected investment trusts and ETFs is free.
Our clients also have access to the most comprehensive pension and retirement solution, including SIPP accounts, SIPP Income Drawdown, UFPLS payments and annuities, as well as over 14,000 investment options across funds, shares, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts.
HL Active Savings is the UK's largest retail cash savings platform that lets savers easily make more of their money and the HL Cash ISA allows savers to manage their Cash ISA portfolio across multiple banks, all within one account.