Now in its third edition, the latest BlackRock Investor Pulse survey takes an in-depth look at Britons’ attitude to money and provides a fascinating insight into the minds of savers and investors.

People were asked about their priorities, concerns and how they invest. Here, we unveil some key findings and highlight the UK’s SMART investors.

The British are proactive about managing their finances and setting long-term financial goals. However, managing debt is a high priority, and confidence in being able to pay these debts off is higher priority than longer-term saving and investing objectives.

While the British take financial planning seriously, they are conservative investors. Cash makes up 68% of the typical portfolio.

People use income investing in many ways and at all stages of life. These income investments include property and share-based funds that make regular payouts, and there is a near-equal split between people who reinvest the payouts to build wealth and those who spend the payouts.

The British would like to have three quarters of their working income in retirement. However, pensions remain an obscure topic for many, and 44% have not yet started to save for retirement.

The research identified SMART investors – people who invest sensibly, access advice, make retirement a priority and realise the importance of spreading money across assets. These are ‘healthy habits’ which enable SMART investors to feel confident and in control of their financial future.

INFORMATION IS BASED ON OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF TAXATION LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS. ANY LEVELS AND BASES OF, AND RELIEFS FROM, TAXATION ARE SUBJECT
TO CHANGE.
A PENSION IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT. THE FUND VALUE MAY FLUCTUATE AND CAN GO DOWN. YOUR EVENTUAL INCOME MAY DEPEND UPON THE SIZE OF THE FUND AT RETIREMENT, FUTURE INTEREST RATES AND TAX LEGISLATION.