Tax changes announced in last November’s Budget have encouraged more young people to use ISAs and pensions, according to new research.
Two thirds (66%) of wealthy 18-34-year-olds said they are now more likely to use tax-efficient wrappers such as ISAs as a result of the changes announced.
That’s much more than the 31% of those aged 35-54 and just 23% of those aged 55 and over who said they are now more likely to use ISAs.
Young wealthy adults are also more likely to review their long-term wealth strategies in light of the policy changes than older savers.
Almost seven in ten (70%) of younger people said they plan to review strategies compared with 40% of 35-54-year-olds and 31% of those over the age of 55.
Following the announcement that pensions will be subject to IHT from 2027, 51% of wealthy 18-34-year-olds said they plan to increase their pension contributions, compared to 21% of those aged 35-54 and just 2% of those aged 55 and older.
Similarly, ahead of changes to National Insurance on salary sacrifice contributions from April 2029, more than half (53%) of younger respondents said they plan to increase pension funding, compared with 27% of 35-54-year-olds and 2% of those aged 55 and over.
Younger wealthy adults are also more willing to consider structural lifestyle changes. More than half (57%) said they would consider downsizing to reduce exposure to the forthcoming Mansion Tax, compared with 19% of those aged 35-54 and just 3% of over‑55s.
Lindy Kroese, wealth planner at Brown Shipley, the firm behind the study, said: “Our research shows a new generation taking ownership of their financial future in a way we have not seen before. Younger wealthy Brits are responding to fiscal changes, instead of waiting for change to happen to them.
“Together, these behaviours point to a clear generational shift. Today’s young wealthy adults are engaging with financial planning earlier, acting more decisively and adapting more quickly to legislative changes – reshaping what financial resilience looks like in modern Britain.”
• Figures based on a survey of a representative sample of 4,000 UK adults (18+) between 16-20 January 2026, conducted on behalf of Brown Shipley by Opinium Research.