Written by Jacqueline Dewey, CEO, Smart Money People
If you’ve been working in financial services for as long as I have, you’ll agree there’s hardly ever a dull moment! With Consumer Duty in full force, customer expectations have never been higher, and long-lasting trust has never been harder to earn.
In fact, our 2025 research found that 42% of people experienced frustrations with a financial product or provider in the past year*. The top-rated companies consistently make sure they understand what their customers are saying, and act on this feedback accordingly.
Savings and investments: understanding what customers really need
For savings and investment providers, reviews and the ongoing analysis of them gave clarity about how their products and propositions were perceived. They could see exactly where they stood in the market, identify opportunities for improvement, and respond more effectively to growing demand for tailored analysis.
This clarity directly benefited their customers. With trust and transparency continuing to shape investment decisions, customers gained access to more meaningful comparisons and greater confidence when choosing long-term products. This is particularly important given that, in our 2025 research, nearly 70% of people told us they read reviews before choosing a pension or investment product, rising even higher amongst younger customers.
By giving providers clearer visibility into customer attitudes across products and propositions, we helped them to understand not just what customers think, but why, ensuring better outcomes on both sides.
Insurance: standing out in a crowded (and noisy) market
In one of the most competitive sectors in financial services, insurers were able to build credibility and demonstrate quality based on real customer experiences. Independent recognition gives providers a powerful way to stand out for the right reasons, backed by evidence rather than unsubstantiated marketing claims.
That recognition matters because customers are increasingly selective. Our 2025 research shows that 60% of customers have changed their mind after reading reviews, and 69% would avoid a product with more negative reviews than positive. Independent validation reduces uncertainty and helps customers choose insurance products with greater confidence. Even in a crowded (and noisy) market where expectations are high.
In 2025, customers submitted over 50,000 reviews to us on insurance across 20 provider categories. This gave companies access to invaluable customer insight, while providing consumers with independent signals of quality.
Mortgages: supporting customers through life’s biggest moments
For mortgage lenders, one of last year’s key values was gaining clarity on how they are perceived by brokers, rather than guessing in a hotly contested market. Access to clear, benchmarkable insight helped lenders strengthen broker relationships and make targeted improvements where it matters most.
Of course, that insight ultimately improves outcomes for customers. When lenders better understand broker needs and pain points, customers benefit from smoother journeys, clearer product information, and greater confidence when making one of the most significant financial decisions of their lives.
Our bi-annual Mortgage Lender Benchmark, the UK’s largest independent broker feedback study, gives lenders an honest, comparative view of performance – who brokers recommend, who they avoid, and why. Our latest report was the biggest ever, capturing 5,209 pieces of feedback from 1,111 brokers covering 134 lenders.
Final thoughts
Yes, generic review sites can show star ratings. But they can’t explain behaviour, expectations or outcomes in regulated markets. We focus solely on financial services, and each review captured contains 16+ financial services-focused data points, enabling providers to benchmark performance by company, sector or industry. And get the ‘why’ behind their scores.
As we move into 2026, I am confident that more and more providers will gain the insights they need to learn, grow and thrive.
*Smart Money People research, April 2025
