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Supporting a strong economic infrastructure

 

A strong economy is not built by institutions alone. It is shaped by the everyday financial decisions made in households across the country – how we save, spend and invest for the future.

When more people invest with confidence, it becomes a collective strength, channelling capital into businesses, innovation and growth. In this context, the idea of a nation of investors is simply about investment being a familiar and accessible part of financial decision-making, that in turn can also support a strong economic infrastructure.

 

Meeting financial goals

 

Investing plays an essential role in helping people achieve their long-term financial goals, such as retirement, home ownership, or funding education.

It’s a key strategy for effective personal money management – alongside savings and budgeting – offering the potential for greater returns that can help protect against inflation and build wealth over time.

For the UK economy, widespread investment participation also fuels the flow of capital to businesses, supporting innovation, job creation, and economic growth.

So, when individuals and households are confident in managing and growing their finances, they can contribute not only to their own financial wellbeing, but also to the health of the wider economy.

Emma Crystal signing the Welcome Book at the London Stock Exchange as part of the launch of the ‘Invest for the Future’ campaign.

The barriers to investing

 

Despite these benefits, many UK adults remain outside the investment landscape, with several factors contributing to this under-participation.

Structural challenges include the complexity of investment products and limited access to affordable, quality financial advice. Many people find investment choices confusing and are unsure where to begin.

Psychological barriers can also play a significant role. Fear of losing money, lack of confidence, and uncertainty about how markets work, discourage people from investing. The unpredictability of market returns can be intimidating, especially for those without prior experience.

Cultural differences may further explain the UK’s cautious approach compared with other countries, with around a quarter of people in the UK investing in the stock market, compared with almost two-thirds in the US.

The aim is to help build greater confidence and understanding around investing, remove some of the perceived complexity, and encourage more people to take a first step.

Let’s talk about investing

 

Encouraging open dialogue about money and investing will be key to changing attitudes and increasing investment levels.

When financial conversations are normalised in families, workplaces, and communities, people become more comfortable seeking advice and sharing experiences.

Financial institutions, including banks, have an important role to play here.

By providing educational materials, simplifying investment choices, and training staff to support our customers and communities empathetically, we can help make investing more accessible and understandable.

For example, for over 30 years NatWest Group has run programmes to help young people grow their financial confidence, including our free educational programme for young people, NatWest Thrive.

And in 2024 we began working with customers and community groups to deliver an innovative new financial education initiative – Financial Foundations – aimed at helping participants take control of their money and future.

Recognising the importance and need for meaningful real-world education on investing, we have recently launched a new investment education module for young people as part of the NatWest Thrive programme.

And we have also confirmed the addition of a new financial education module to Financial Foundations to help demystify investing.

The new investment-focused workshop, which will be available from May 2026, builds on existing workshops about budgeting, saving and planning for the future and has been designed to help more people understand the basics of investing and build financial confidence. 

Enabling the national debate on money matters

 

We also want to raise the national debate on good financial habits and investing even further.

That’s why we’ve joined forces with The Investment Association and leading financial firms in launching the ‘Invest for the Future’ – a landmark initiative to help people across the UK invest for their future. The aim is to help build greater confidence and understanding around investing, remove some of the perceived complexity, and encourage more people to take a first step.

With support from HM Treasury, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Money and Pensions Service, we're committed to raising awareness of the importance of investing for financial wellbeing and the positive impact it can have on the wider economy.

We are also delighted to support The Times ‘Smarter with Money’ campaign, which aims to equip everyone with the personal finance knowledge needed to make life's big decisions.

By backing these campaigns that will help to encourage more people to take steps towards investing, we’re sharing the ambition to see many more people across the UK putting their money to work for the long term. 

 

Strengthening our proposition, deepening our relationships

 

Helping more people plan, save and invest for their financial future is a major focus for NatWest Group.

With the acquisition of Evelyn Partners, expected to complete in the summer, and the strength of Coutts, we’re creating the UK’s leading private banking and wealth management business – and crucially, making high‑quality advice and investment expertise accessible to more people.

We also have a strong proposition for our NatWest customers across our Retail Banking and Premier Banking, allowing clients to access multi-asset funds through our digital offering and our simplified advice proposition.

With this strength of offering and our long-standing focus on financial education and conversations we believe we can help overcome the structural, psychological, and cultural barriers to investing.

In doing so we can help with building a nation of investors, enhancing individual financial security and supporting the UK’s economic growth. 

The value of investments, and the income from them, can fall as well as rise and you may not get back what you put in. Past performance should not be taken as a guide to future performance. You should continue to hold cash for your short-term needs. This article should not be taken as advice.

The material published on this page is for information purposes only and should not be regarded as providing any specific advice, or used by consumers to make financial decision. Terms and conditions apply to any products or services mentioned.

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