Here's how new regulations and technologies might affect your money in the next 12 months...

By CAMILLA FOSTER

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THE world of personal finance has been continually reshaped and transformed by fast-moving technological, regulatory and behavioural changes over the last few years, and this is set to continue throughout 2026 say the experts.

Here Brian Byrnes, director of personal finance at Moneybox, outlines the three finance trends he believes will define this year.

Investing

"One of the trends we have seen in 2025 that is going to continue into 2026 is the overall push towards more investing, and people becoming more confident when it comes to moving from cash to investing," highlights Brian.

He predicts that the UK Retail Investment Campaign (which is due to launch in April) alongside ongoing changes and clarifications regarding investment risk warnings, will further increase people's confidence in investing this year.

The democratisation of investing tools has also made investing more accessible than ever before.

"You used to have to turn up to a financial adviser or a relatively expensive investment trading house and pay quite a lot in fees to invest, but there are now lots of places where you can get started with investing from as a little as a pound," says Brian.

"All of these places have ready made investment solutions off the shelf, so you don't have to pick a stock or a fund yourself, you can just pick something like a cautious balance or an adventurous portfolio within five minutes."

For first-timer investors, Brian recommends starting off small.