Nearly half (48 per cent) of Brits would tell their younger selves to “start saving as early as possible,” according to Aegon’s latest Financial Priorities survey.

The survey, which asked respondents, “If time travel were possible, what would you tell your younger self?”, highlighted the importance of early saving and future planning.

This sentiment was even stronger among women and those over 50, with 51 per cent of each group wishing they could stress the importance of saving early.

When asked to pick topics people wish they’d learned more about at a younger age, ‘retirement planning’ came second (17 per cent), behind only ‘investing and growing wealth’ (22 per cent).

Aegon head of behavioural research, Dr Tom Mathar, said the findings highlighted the difficulty of balancing present needs with future security.

“A majority, especially women and those over 50, look back with some sense of regret, wishing they had started saving earlier. This suggests that financial planning isn’t just about building wealth. It’s also about making better trade-offs throughout life,” he suggested.

“Our recent gender pensions gap report outlines the unique financial hurdles that women often face, whether due to career breaks, longer life expectancy, or societal expectations around money management,” continued Mathar.

“Whilst financial education plays a crucial role, what may be even more important is longevity education: helping people to understand how their financial, health and lifestyle choices interact over a longer life.

“Different life stages bring different financial priorities, and a more holistic approach is needed to support people in making informed decisions."

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