A group of 19 firms that includes banks, wealth managers, and investment trusts have come together to launch a new investment campaign.

The initiative, the UK Retail Investment Campaign, is set to launch in April 2026 and will be fully funded by the member firms, which include the likes of Aviva, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest.

Research from the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Financial Lives survey has previously highlighted common barriers to investing, with over half (54 per cent) of non-advised adults with significant cash savings and no investments aside from pensions reporting that they had not considered investing.

The primary reasons for this included concerns around losing money (34 per cent) and lack of knowledge or access to support to invest (29 per cent).

The new campaign is aiming to raise awareness of the importance of investing for people’s financial wellbeing and the positive impact it can have on the wider economy, by providing practical support to help people decide whether investing is right for them and to give them more confidence.

Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management chief executive and UK Retail Investment Campaign chair, Sasha Wiggins, said: “By bringing together firms from across the financial sector with a shared goal, we aim to make investing more accessible and give people better support when it comes to taking their first steps.

“With retail investment in the UK the lowest in the G7, it is vital to help build a culture of saving and investing – supporting people to make informed choices about how to put their money to work. This campaign is about providing clear, accessible information so everyone can feel confident in deciding whether investing is right for them.”

The UK Retail Investment Campaign has also gained support from the Treasury, the FCA and the Money and Pensions Service (Maps), with the Investment Association (IA) acting as secretariat.

Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said that getting Britain investing can “put more money in people’s pockets and drive economic growth”, while Economic Secretary, Lucy Rigby, said that boosting levels of retail investment would “help people grow their savings over time”.

Investment Association chief executive and deputy chair of the new campaign, Chris Cummings, added: “By bringing together a wide range of firms from across the financial sector for a multi-year campaign, along with the support of the government and regulator, we will raise awareness that, while cash savings are important, many more people should be investing to fulfil their long-term financial plans.”

The 19 founding member firms

Alliance Witan
Aviva
Barclays
Fidelity International
Hargreaves Lansdown
HSBC UK
The Investment Association
J.P. Morgan Personal Investing
Jupiter Asset Management
L&G
Lloyds Banking Group
London Stock Exchange
NatWest Group
Quilter
Robinhood UK
Schroders
St. James’s Place
Vanguard
Xtrackers by DWS

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