What do global trends mean for UK retirement advice?

As an advice practitioner, you play a critical role in helping clients navigate uncertainty, structure long-term plans and make informed decisions about their futures. Yet, Fidelity’s latest Global Sentiment Survey suggests that across the broader population, financial confidence remains uneven, particularly when it comes to retirement. The survey captured the views of 38,000 working adults across 35 markets, including 1,000 in the UK.

For advisers, this context may shape the assumptions some clients bring into meetings, the questions they ask and the emotional backdrop against which long-term decisions are made. As you may be aware, this is an area Fidelity Adviser Solutions has explored in depth through our psychology of retirement, emotional intelligence and financial well-being research to identify the drivers and barriers that shape retirement readiness.

A short-term focus for a long-term challenge

One theme that stands out in the latest data is many individuals remain focused on the short term, while feeling less certain about longer-term retirement outcomes. Indeed, the study shows that almost two-thirds (64%) of UK workers plan their finances over a timeframe of 12 months or less.

At the same time, financial stress appears closely linked to planning depth. Those planning on a week-to-week basis report an average of 10 financial stressors, including cost of living, global political events and saving for retirement, compared to just six among those planning more than ten years ahead.

Confidence follows a similar pattern. Only 29% of those who do not plan ahead report confidence in achieving a long-term goal of being financially comfortable in retirement. This contrasts to 50% for those planning more than ten years ahead.

Retirement is, by definition, a multi-decade objective. Yet in the absence of structured planning, decision-making may become reactive, shaped by immediate pressures, market volatility or media commentary.

Financial advisers are uniquely placed to help individuals extend that planning horizon. By translating long-term goals into structured, manageable strategies, practitioners support both financial resilience and emotional reassurance by building long-standing relationships with their clients.

Financial stress remains a meaningful backdrop

The survey highlights the ongoing emotional context in which financial decisions are being made:

• Nearly half of UK workers (47%) say meeting their long-term financial goals causes them stress.
• Of those, over half (53%) say that stress affects their concentration at work.

This reinforces that retirement planning is not simply a technical exercise. For many individuals, it is tied closely to well-being.

As such, regular reviews and structured advice conversations can explore trade-offs of different financial actions and tackle risk management which may play a central role in strengthening confidence.

Confidence and worry can coexist

Another nuanced finding is that confidence does not necessarily eliminate concern. Individuals may report feeling confident in certain financial abilities, while still worrying about longer-term risks such as running out of money in retirement.

That said, the data shows that high confidence in the ability to save for retirement remains relatively low, with just two in seven (29%) reporting that they are very or extremely confident. This suggests that even when accumulation is underway, uncertainty around adequacy persists.

For advisers, this underlines the value of regular client reviews and providing reassurance to boost confidence through income sustainability modelling, sequencing risk discussions, longevity assumptions and taking actions to recalibrate financial plans as required.

We are committed to supporting the financial advice profession, by sharing our insights to help you to provide advice and reassurance for your clients. You can find more financial adviser research on our website.