UK retail investors more involved in investment decisions

Investors are increasingly doing more research into investment opportunities, but still rely on professional help as well, research by Aureum Y has found

Key points:

• More than a third (38%) of UK investors rely on financial influencers/experts as a source of information when making investment decisions.
• Among investors who use AI tools/answer engines as a source of information about investments, 60% always or often make investment purchases based on the AI’s recommendations.
• Three out of five respondents use an adviser, mostly because they feel they don’t know enough about investments themselves, followed by the belief that their money will be better managed by a professional.

UK retail investors are doing more investment research, such as asking AI tools for recommendations or following financial influencers, but professional advice still plays a major role as well, according to research by Aureum Y, the research division of Fundamental Group.

Between 21 May and 20 June 2025, we surveyed 1,051 end investors in the UK about their investments, their views on investment funds and sources of information, their media consumption and their perception of various asset management brands.

More than a third (38%) of UK investors rely on financial influencers/experts as a source of information when making investment decisions. A similar percentage (36%) relies on financial newspapers and magazines, while 21% relies on online platforms/robo-advisors and 16% on AI tools/answer engines.

AI tools are being used by 82% of retail investors, with 97% using them for investing. However, 97% does verify the information the AI tools provide, mostly by asking a financial adviser (45%), comparing the information with other websites (37%) or looking at past performance/market trends (35%

Among investors who use AI tools/answer engines as a source of information about investments, 60% always or often make investment purchases based on these recommendations. For recommendations from financial influencers and online platforms/robo-advisors, this figure is 44% and 42%, respectively.

Nonetheless, financial advisers still play an important role in the retail space, with 46% relying on them as a source of information. Three out of five respondents use an adviser, mostly because they feel they don’t know enough about investments themselves, followed by the belief that their money will be better managed by a professional. The main reasons for not using an adviser are the perception that they are too expensive, and having enough time and knowledge to manage one’s own investments.

Banks continue to be the most popular channel for investment purchases, used by 49% of advisers. Independent financial advisers are used by 40%, while 35% purchases investments via online platforms/robo-advisors. While the overall use of online platforms hasn’t increased much since 2022, our research shows that investors are using a much wider range of different platforms, indicating a more competitive market.

For more information and to request access to the full report, visit our dedicated individual investors reports page.