Article
When confidence, not capital, is the barrier to investing
October 31, 2025
When we talk about financial inclusion, the conversation does not often steer towards to the topic of capital. We see it too often, significant capital is assumed to equate confident investing habits. A disappointingly lax assumption which costs the industry a lot of money, because even those with capital to invest can hold back, or not invest at all.
Research by interactive investor shows that 46% of people say the stress of managing investments has discouraged them from starting or continuing to invest. Reasons cited most frequently were fear of losing money and lack of knowledge or experience, both inherently interlinked in financial education and clear, accessible communications to the customer.
For this group, it’s not about having the spare cash to invest or thresholds being too high. It’s about having the confidence to invest and trust in the firm. Confidence doesn’t come from solely transactional communications. Confidence gaps are equally not fixed by simply throwing more content at people. They’re fixed by designing support that reflects the stage people are in and actually motivates engagement.
As an industry, we need to give people space to explore decisions without pressure, activate their curiosity and help them move from hesitation to informed action. For too long, our conversations have been transactional and product focused, leading to distrust and disengagement.
A curious mind is an active mind
In our recent launch with interactive investor, Investment Coach is offering both customers and non-customers a personal, flexible educational experience from day one. It is wholly designed to improve investor confidence and intelligently adapts to the (prospective) investor’s mindset with the use of investor profiles.
These persona based profiles are more than a nice touch. They help tailor the journey based on how someone thinks about investing, not just what they hold. Whether someone is cautious, confident, or somewhere in between, their experience feels relevant and reassuring, gently feeding curiosity to engage further and deeper.
Better still, users can switch personas at any time, because mindset isn’t fixed. Confidence changes. Circumstances shift. And they may want to know what other people are shown. The tools people use should reflect that.
When we design for confidence, we don’t just help people feel better about investing. We help them get ready to take action and boost their long term confidence to make financial decisions.
That’s good for customers, and good for the business. So don’t spook your curious customers. Instead, support their curiosity and give them a reason to act.
To learn more about interactive investor's Investment Coach, click here
To learn more about how Life Moments can support your customers, click here
