Financial Lives Survey

Financial Lives is the FCA’s flagship, nationally representative survey of UK consumers.

About the study

The Financial Lives survey provides information about consumers’ attitudes towards managing their money, the financial products they have and their experiences of engaging with financial services firms. The FCA first conducted the Financial Lives survey in 2017 and since then the survey has been run every two years. It was last run in 2022, when over 19,000 adults across the UK were asked about their needs and experiences with financial services and their financial situation, so that the FCA can make financial services work better. The survey is carried out every two years, and this is the FCA's fourth survey.

Information on taking part

We have invited adults in 265,000 households across the UK to take part in the survey. The survey can be completed by going to survey.natcen.ac.uk/finlives and entering one of the 3 unique access codes you received in your invitation letter. Unfortunately, if you have not received a letter you will be unable to participate.

About the Financial Conduct Authority

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the financial regulator for the UK and works to protect consumers when they use financial products or services like current accounts, savings accounts, loans and home insurance. 

Will my answers make a difference?

Your answers make a real difference. Over the 7 years we’ve been running this survey, we’ve used the findings to help make major policy decisions that affect everyone in society, for example about the availability of banking services, the quality of financial advice, and reducing the cost of credit. 

The survey also helps raise the profile of many important issues, such as: 

• The significant impacts of the rising cost of living

 • The increasing use of Buy Now, Pay Later 

• The difficulties many face due to bank branch and ATM closures 

• The need for customers who contact their financial services provider to receive information they can understand 

The survey also helps us understand the points of view of different people across society – from the youngest adults to the oldest, from those with few or no financial products to those with more complex arrangements, and from those living in our largest cities to those in the most rural areas of the UK.

To find out more about the survey, please see www.fca.org.uk/financial-lives.

Frequently asked questions

Who is carrying out the research?

The FCA has commissioned us, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), to carry out the study on their behalf. NatCen is the UK’s largest, independent, social research agency. For nearly 50 years, we have worked with charities and government to find out what people really think about the big issues. NatCen is independent of all government departments and political parties.

How can I take part?

We have invited adults in more than 265,000 households across the UK to take part in the survey. The survey can be completed by going to survey.natcen.ac.uk/finlives and entering one of the 3 unique access codes you received in your invitation letter. Unfortunately, if you have not received a letter you will be unable to participate. 

Why has my household been selected?

If you have been invited, this is because your household has been selected from the Royal Mail’s publicly available list of residential addresses. We have selected addresses on a completely random basis, to ensure that we get a representative view of the financial lives of everyone living in the UK.

What will taking part involve?

The length of the questionnaire depends on the respondent’s circumstances. It tends to take longer for those with more financial products and services and for those that complete over the telephone. The survey is anticipated to take most people around 45 minutes to complete online and one hour or so by telephone. The survey takes longer when an interviewer has to read out the questions. Both online and telephone interviews can be paused and resumed at any point so respondents do not have to complete it in one sitting.

What questions will you ask those taking part?

The questions are about use of and attitudes towards financial services.

What do I get for taking part?

There is a £10 voucher available for everyone who completes the survey. You can only complete the questionnaire once per person.

Can I complete the survey on my phone or tablet?

The survey is designed to work on all devices – laptops, desktops, smart phones and tablets. We do though recommend using a laptop or desktop computer if possible as we have found they provide the best experience.

We are aware that some iPads and tablets can occasionally make the question display more difficult to navigate. If you find this is the case and would like to continue on a different device then you can do so by:

  • Pressing the pause button (found at the bottom of the page between the previous and next buttons) on the survey on the device you are using
  • Closing the survey web page
  • Waiting at least 10 minutes
  • Opening the survey again on a new device and entering the same access code as before 

Can I use my preferred internet browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera)

The survey can be conducted on any browser. There have been a few reports of difficulties using the Safari browser associated with apple devices such as an iPad or iPhone. If you find this is the case and would like to continue on a different device, then you can do so by:

  • Pressing the pause button (found at the bottom of the page in between the previous and next buttons) on the survey 
  • Closing the survey web page 
  • Waiting at least 10 minutes
  • Opening the survey again on a new browser (or device) and entering the same access code as before 

Do I have to complete the survey all in one go?

You can complete the survey across multiple sessions. You can either leave your internet browser window with the survey open and come back to it later, or, if you want to close the internet browser, you can use the pause button. 

The pause button can be found at the bottom of the page between the previous and next buttons. Using the pause button will save your responses and return to the survey from that point at a later time. After pressing the pause button please close the internet browser you had the survey open on and wait at least 10 minutes before opening the survey again. 

When you are ready to continue with the survey, please ensure that at least 10 minutes have passed since you closed the page, then open the survey on a new browser and enter the same access code as before. This will open the survey on the last page you were on, and you can continue from there. 

If you have any issues, please get in touch with our Survey Enquiry team at financiallives.survey@natcen.ac.uk or call for free on 0800 652 4568.

My access codes are not working

If you encounter an issue with accessing the survey it is usually due to a high volume of respondents attempting to take part at the same time.

You may see this message: 

“A survey is active for your ID. Please continue the original survey or return in 10 minutes to restart.”

If neither you nor anyone in the household has started the survey using that access code, then please wait and come back later or try an alternative code on the letter.

If the issue persists, please get in touch with our Survey Enquiry team at financiallives.survey@natcen.ac.uk or call for free on 0800 652 4568.

I don’t want to, or can’t take part online/ using the internet

If you are unable to take part using the internet or you don’t have access to a device that you can do the survey on, then please get in touch with our Survey Enquiry Team at financiallives.survey@natcen.ac.uk or call for free on 0800 652 4568. We will be happy to conduct the survey over the phone for you at a time that is convenient for you. 

When will I receive my voucher?

If you selected to receive your thank you voucher by email, you will receive your voucher within 1 week of completing the survey. Vouchers may go into your junk email inbox, so please check there if you have not received your voucher within 1 week. 

Postal vouchers can take up to 4 weeks. 

Unfortunately, if you did not complete the survey, you are not entitled to a voucher.

My voucher code is not working

If you have received your voucher by email, we recommend copying and pasting the voucher code into the Love2shop website to ensure it is not mistyped. 

If you are entering the code manually, please be aware that the voucher codes do not contain the letter ‘O’ but can contain a number ‘0’. 

Get in touch

You can call the Consumer Contact Centre at the FCA free on 0800 111 6768. For further information from NatCen, please email financiallives.survey@natcen.ac.uk or call free on 0800 652 4568.

Who are NatCen?

Read more

Help and support

FOR GENERAL QUERIES

Citizens Advice

Local offices available throughout UK

Phone (England): 0800 144 8848
Phone (Wales): 0800 702 2020
Phone (Scotland): 0800 028 1456

Website: citizensadvice.org.uk
Website in Scotland: cas.org.uk

FOR ADVICE ABOUT WELFARE AND BENEFITS

Turn2Us

Website: turn2us.org.uk

FOR MONEY GUIDANCE

MoneyHelper (formerly Money Advice Service)

For money advice (English): 0800 138 7777
For money advice (Welsh): 0800 138 0555
For pension guidance: 0800 011 3797

Website: moneyhelper.org.uk

FOR DEBT ADVICE

StepChange Debt Charity

Phone: 0800 138 1111

Website: stepchange.org

AdviceNI

Phone: 0800 915 4604

Website: adviceni.net

FOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT A FINANCIAL SERVICE OR PRODUCT

The Financial Ombudsman Service

Phone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9 123

Website: financial-ombudsman.org.uk

TO REPORT FRAUD

ActionFraud

Phone: 0300 123 2040

Website: actionfraud.police.uk

FOR HOUSING CONCERNS

Shelter

Phone (England/Scotland): 0808 800 4444
Phone (Wales): 08000 495 495

Website in England: england.shelter.org.uk
Website in Scotland: scotland.shelter.org.uk
Website in Wales: sheltercymru.org.uk

FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Samaritans

Phone (English language): 116123
Phone (Welsh language): 0808 164 0123

Website: samaritans.org

SupportLine

Phone: 01708 765200

Website: supportline.org.uk

OTHER HELPLINES

NHS medical helpline

Phone: 111

Privacy notice

The privacy statement explains why and how the personal data (also called your personal information) you provide in the Financial Lives survey is used. We also provide information about your rights and how to contact us, if you have any questions.

Read the privacy statement on the Financial Conduct Authority website.