Nearly four in five Britons (38%) put off financial tasks and potentially miss out on £440,000 in returns by failing to invest, according to a new survey of more than 2,000 UK adults including HNW individuals.

The survey for wealth manager Canaccord Wealth found that 38% of Britons spend more time worrying about financial admin than doing it and almost a third (31%) avoid financial tasks assuming they are, “too complex.”

Canaccord Wealth says that financial advisers can be a boon in getting financial tasks done and even a single hour spent with a financial adviser could boost people’s savings by, “tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.”  

Canaccord says its research found that in a single appointment with a financial adviser, an individual could set up a ‘60/40’ investment portfolio (medium risk).

Its figures show the difference in savings between a base-rate linked savings account vs a ‘60/40’ portfolio from 1994 to 2024. In this case someone investing £1,000 a month could be £440,000 better off if they had invested between 1994 and 2024 rather than leaving the money in a bank account.

The 'Cost' of Procrastination on Financial Decisions

Source: Canaccord Wealth consumer survey

Canaccord Wealth says its research found that many Britons would be thousands of pounds better off if they got their finances in order earlier. 

The research found that 29% of people put off tasks because they believe they will be time consuming. The company says this causes people to delay essential financial tasks by a “staggering” 323 hours on average.

However the reality is that more than half (52%) of people who tackle their financial to-do lists say tasks were easier than expected and half (50%) say they were also quicker.

Nearly two fifths (39%) say they do not spend enough time on planning their finances but plan to do more.

A third (32%) of people worry everyday they haven’t sorted their finances, but when asked what they’d do with an extra hour a day just 8% say Financial Planning - falling far behind the 33% who would spend time with family, 24% who’d choose hobbies or exercise - and even the 22% who would opt to take a nap.

Mana Jhaveri, at behavioural insight specialist Cowry Consulting, said: "Procrastination is often a symptom of being overwhelmed. The challenge with financial decisions isn't a lack of information. It is, in fact, the opposite - an excess of information. Therefore, when faced with complex financial choices, we default to inaction.

“This makes us put off essential tasks, like retirement planning or investing, because the payoff feels too far away. Working with an expert helps bridge this gap, translating distant goals into actionable, immediate steps, making planning feel not just possible, but inevitable."

David Goodfellow, head of wealth planning at Canaccord Wealth said: “People often assume that taking control of their finances will be arduous, so they put it off for days, months - or even years. But the reality is that just one focused hour with a Financial Planning expert can make a huge difference. 

"We’re encouraging people to use just one hour to take one small step, such as booking a meeting with an adviser, reviewing their current pension contributions, or looking at their investments.”

• Consumer research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Canaccord from 25 June 2025 to 3 July 2025. A nationally representative sample of 2,345 adults across the UK participated in the survey, including a sample of 500 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).