The average Brit plans to invest almost 20% more each month after the pandemic, extending the retail trading boom, survey finds

• The average Brit plans to spend 19% more each month on investing post-pandemic, a Barclays Smart Investor survey says.
• Half of those surveyed said they will cut back on other spending to fuel their lockdown investing habits.
• On Monday, trading app Robinhood said it had recorded lower trading levels between March and June.
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The average UK investor plans to increase their investments by 19% each month as COVID-19 restrictions in the country come to an end, extending the retail trading boom that originated during the pandemic, a Barclays Smart Investor survey found.

Younger people are set to increase their investments by an even higher number. The survey, released on Wednesday, found Gen Z investors, many of whom got hooked on investing through the rise of ‘finfluencers’ and financial social media content during the pandemic, are planning to spend an additional 36% a month on investments post-pandemic.

Across all age groups, only 6% of the roughly 2,000 people surveyed, said they planned to cut how much they invest each month. They cited the return of “normality” and the increased spending on activities such as holidays, meals out and weekend trips.

In contrast, around 50% said they would spend less on such activities to support their investing habits.

“The prediction that many will continue, or increase, the amount they invest going forward is likely driven by a rise in lockdown savings, with the ONS reporting that UK household savings are nearing an all-time high.” Clare Francis, director of Barclays Smart Investor said.

76% of those surveyed said they would maintain their investing routine and as few as 4% of those who began investing during the pandemic said they would stop once restrictions in the UK were lifted.

“Today’s findings show just how much the pandemic has changed our approach to saving and investing. As new investors flocked to the stock market last year, it was easy to assume that it was just a lockdown hobby, and that many would go back to their old spending habits when the world re-opened.” Francis said.

Retail trading apps and platforms like Robinhood and eToro, which allow individuals to invest in stocks and digital assets like crypto currencies via their phones or laptops, saw a surge in popularity throughout the pandemic.

Robinhood, which makes its stock-market debut this week, however noted a slowdown of activity on its platform in the second quarter of this year, which was when lockdown restrictions in many countries eased. In its updated prospectus published on Monday, the company said it expected revenue to drop in the three months to September 30 because of the decline in trading activity.