Investors shift priorities as wealth transfer and long-term security dominate financial concerns – report

UK investors and business owners are placing greater emphasis on wealth transfer, retirement security, and financial resilience - with long-term family priorities now outweighing short-term investment anxieties.

That’s according to research conducted with clients from BRI Wealth Management, which reveals a marked shift away from short-term investment anxieties towards longer-term concerns about legacy, family support, and navigating the rising costs of later life care.

Pre-retirees are prioritising legacy planning. In 2023, just 31 per cent of pre-retirees ranked passing on wealth as a top-three concern.

By 2025, this has soared to 52 per cent, making it their number one priority, a 69 per cent increase in two years.

Back in 2023, almost six in ten (58 per cent) of pre-retirees said the level of investment returns was their greatest worry.

By 2025, that had fallen sharply to 45 per cent, reflecting a shift in focus from market performance to family security.

For retirees, the cost of old-age care has become the leading concern in 2025 (55 per cent), overtaking both investment returns and retirement lifestyle.

Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) now say extracting money tax-efficiently is their biggest concern, up from 53 per cent in 2023. Broader macro-economic pressures (55 per cent) also weigh heavily.

For those not yet retired, ensuring family financial security if something were to happen to them has risen from 25 per cent in 2023 to 39 per cent in 2025, underscoring heightened awareness of financial vulnerability.

Dan Boardman-Weston (pictured), chief executive at BRI Wealth Management, said: “This research reflects the evolution of investor priorities in a post-pandemic, high-inflation environment.

“While market performance will always matter, families are increasingly focused on protecting wealth, supporting the next generation, and preparing for the realities of ageing.

“These findings highlight the need for holistic wealth management, estate planning, intergenerational transfer, later-life care, and tax efficiency, alongside investment returns.”

BRI provides expert guidance across investment management, financial planning, ISAs, pensions, inheritance tax planning, and tax-relieved investments.

Its team of wealth managers and investment professionals deliver tailored services for private clients, charities, trusts, intermediaries, and corporations.