Three fifths (60%) of people in the UK are positive about their finances for 2025, which is an increase from 52% who said the same in 2024.
This is according to research from Aegon, which also found that 35% are feeling negative about their finances for 2025, a fall from 38% a year ago.
However, women (54%) and those aged 50 to 59 (47%) feel less positive about their finances.
The top three financial priorities this year were listed as ‘enjoying life’ (34%, up from 28% last year), followed by ‘building up emergency savings’ and ‘paying for basic living expenses’ (both 30%).
Only 11% said ‘pension savings’ was one of the top three financial priorities for 2025. Aegon said: “While this figure may seem low, it remains unchanged from last year, which could suggest that short-term bumps like high inflation have not impacted attitudes to long-term savings.”
‘Unexpected expenses’ remained the top financial concern, in line with the 2024 results (both 35%).
Aegon director of pensions Steven Cameron said: “As we enter 2025, it’s encouraging that positivity on personal finances has jumped, with 60% of individuals feeling positive overall about their finances, up from 52% who felt this way going into 2024.
“But beneath the surface of these positive headline findings lurk challenging and persistent realities. Women across the age spectrum and people aged 50 to 59 are less likely to feel positive about their finances over 2025, which is consistent with last year’s survey findings and Aegon’s Second 50 research.”
Cameron explained that the government’s recent “unpopular” decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance may also have had a negative impact on 50-year-olds.
He added: “Undoubtedly there will be challenges for the year ahead – both in terms of individual and family household budgets, business confidence and wider economic factors that impact us all – and so it will be interesting to track the results both across 2025 and to future years.”
This news comes as geopolitics and market volatility came in as the top concerns for financial advisers in 2025, according to latest research from Scottish Widows.
In the face of a volatile UK equities market, the research shows advisers start the year more bearish, with only 64% expecting equities to rise in the next 12 months.
This is down from 77% the previous year. Meanwhile, nearly half of surveyed advisers cited geopolitics as the biggest risk to equities.
By contrast, investors are more worried about inflation, with one-third citing it as their biggest concern.
In order to obtain these results, Aegon commissioned Opinium to survey 2,000 UK adults in December 2024.
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