Compare Saltus Wealth Index data...
Saltus Wealth Index survey: the numbers
Saltus introduced its Wealth Index survey in October 2021. In December of 2023 we undertook the fifth survey, tracking the evolving views of high net worth individuals (“HNWIs”) as the UK goes through its post Brexit transition, and responds to the challenges of climate change and the consequences of war in Europe and beyond. Below we highlight the views of some of our respondents on some of the key questions the survey tracks.
Hover over a data point to view the results.
The Saltus Wealth Index - how the confidence of High Net Worth Individuals has changed over time
Working with Dr Mike Peacey of the University of Bristol, we have aggregated the key measures to create a single index. Overall, while our respondents are positive about the future for the UK and their own personal prospects, despite a substantial improvement they are still some way off demonstrating the levels of confidence we saw prior to the Autumn of 2022 and the consequences that followed Liz Truss’s tenure as Prime Minister. There are some signs in this survey of a recovery in sentiment.
Personal finance confidence
Thinking about your own finances, how confident or unconfident, if at all, are you about the next six months?
*Change in methodology: we introduced a neutral category in SWI 2
There has been some movement in the way HNWIs view prospects for their personal finances between November 2022 and the most recent survey, which is consistent with other measures in the Index, indicating improvement.
UK economy confidence
Thinking about the UK economy as a whole - not just your own financial position how confident or unconfident, if at all, are you about the next six months?
Our respondents continue to be more confident in prospects for the UK economy with the number of people believing in the worst outcomes notably declining since the autumn of 2022. There has been a notable improvement during the course of 2023, as the UK economy has stabilised.
Top 5 future concerns
What, if anything, do you view as the biggest risk(s) to your wealth right now? Tick up to 3
Inflation and interest rates have been a persistent worry since the inception of the survey. Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine have dropped down the list of our respondents’ concerns, no longer making the top five. Cybercrime, which has become a feature in the personal as well as professional lives of our sample, has returned to the top five problem issues. Perhaps this is an indication that the impacts of recent shocks have become normalised.
London as a financial centre
Do you believe London will remain Europe’s financial capital in the next decade?
London remaining Europe’s financial centre is critical for the UK. Respondents are becoming increasingly confident that the capital will have a robust future as a global hub, with the worst post-Brexit prognoses not having materialised.
Anxiety about money
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? 'My money makes me anxious'
The responsibility of managing money continues to weigh on our respondents throughout the period of these surveys, with the latest results suggesting that this anxiety has nudged even higher than the level previously recorded.
Freedom that money makes possible
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘My money is a source of freedom for me’
Our respondents continue also to see the benefit to their lives that robust personal finances can provide. This attitude has not changed significantly through the period we have run this survey.
Tax
Thinking about the amount of tax you pay in the UK, do you think:
Uneasiness about the tax burden placed on them continues to be a concern for our respondents. About a third of the sample continue to believe that they are not paying a fair amount of tax.