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Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Monday 5 January 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning click here.
UK is more confused about investing than a decade ago
Just under two thirds (61%) of those in the UK said investing is confusing and difficult to understand, up from 44% in 2015.
This is according to Columbia Threadneedle Investments’ Investor Confidence Tracker.
L&G reveal retirement income concerns among later-life divorcees
Research published by Legal & General (L&G) has found more than 200,000 adults who divorce after age 50 (15%) are forced to delay their retirement as a result.
On average, those divorcing later in life found that their incomes fell by £7,753 in the year following their divorce.
One in four (24%) who divorced after age 50 say it’s harder to rebuild savings because they’re past their peak earning years.
Looking Ahead: January blues give way to big questions
January is when the industry stops picking over last year’s leftovers and starts asking the bigger question: so what happens next?
After the festive pause, Money Marketing is kicking off the new year with a heavy dose of analysis.
Over the past week, we’ve already been publishing our 2026 outlook pieces across investments, pensions, regulation, technology and protection – and throughout January we’ll be building on that work with fresh insight from our expert commentators.
Quote Of The Day
Gold climbed over 2% to breach $4,420 an ounce, as traders seek shelter from geopolitical tremors sparked by Washington’s dramatic move in Venezuela
– Hargreaves Lansdown senior equity analyst Matt Britzman on the rise of gold as investors look for shelter amid geopolitical tensions
Stat Attack
Research from Charles Stanley Direct has found how much of a role investment plays during the Christmas period.
19%
of DIY investors use their investment returns to fund Christmas dinner.
20%
of DIY investors use their investment returns to buy gifts for family and friends.
18%
of investors managed their portfolio on Christmas Day.
20%
of investors spoke to a financial adviser over Christmas.
20%
of investors paused managing their portfolio for the length of Christmas.
19%
disengaged from market news over Christmas.
26%
of investors will set a New Year’s Resolution that relates to investment.
Source: Charles Stanley Direct
In Other News
HSBC has announced the appointment of Ida Liu as chief executive officer of HSBC Private Bank, with effect from 5 January 2026.
She brings more than 25 years of global experience across wealth management, strategic advisory and business transformation.
Most recently, Liu served as global head of Citi Private Bank, where she led a global business spanning key wealth corridors and advised UHNW clients on their complex investment, liquidity and legacy needs.
She began her career in investment banking, advising Fortune 500 companies on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets strategies, with more than half of her investment banking career spent in Asia.
She will report to Barry O’Byrne, chief executive officer of HSBC International Wealth and Premier Banking.
From Elsewhere
US asset managers break M&A spending record (Financial Times)
Trump’s Venezuela gambit tests investor appetite for geopolitical risk (Reuters)
FTSE 100 set to extend rise after reaching 10,000 (Bloomberg)
Did You See?
Callum Beaton has succeeded Nicola Stacey as CII president, with Debbie Mitchell serving as deputy president for 2026.
Beaton began his broking career in 1977, followed by a spell in underwriting at Lloyd’s.
He subsequently spent almost two decades in the captive insurance sector, becoming CEO of a captive management company and deputy CEO of its parent group.
In 2004, Beaton retired from c-suite responsibility to work as an insurance consultant, with a critical focus on captive and cell captive techniques.
Previously a director of the PFS board, Mitchell will continue to be an observer at PFS meetings alongside her duties as deputy president of the CII.
Professionally, she is a director of Aberdeen-based financial planning firm Atholl Scott Financial Services, where she has worked for over three decades.