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Understand the Financial Consumer: IRN Research Financial Services Report Series

Did you know: 57% of mortgage first-time-buyers bought their home using a Government support scheme; 41% of retail investors feel they can buy a financial product or invest without professional help; only 43% of consumers trust the banking industry to focus on the best interests of its customers and wider society; and 41% of all consumers feel they are confident, savvy buyers of insurance?

 

These results come from IRN’s consumer financial services report series, which presents detailed consumer research on retail financial markets with market analysis. The series helps you understand the financial consumer and how consumer financial services markets are developing, and equips you to exploit emerging trends, assess future opportunities and gain complete market intelligence. The series comes in three flavours:

 

  • Consumer Research reports: detailed consumer research reports based on interviews with product holders and consumers at large.

 

  • Market Trends reports: reports outlining the current state of the market, how the market is changing and how it will change in the future.

 

  • Hybrid reports: reports containing both consumer research and market trends but not to the depth of either the Consumer Research Reports or the Market Trends Reports.

 

Consumer Research Reports

The consumer research reports cover four key areas of financial behaviour:

 

  • Banking
  • Investment and pensions
  • Insurance
  • Mortgages

 

The consumer research reports are individually structured but typically the mortgage and insurance reports map and analyse the consumer’s customer journey, covering:

 

  • how the journey begins
  • product discovery
  • the factors that drive product choice (e.g. price, product features or brand)
  • being a customer
  • how the journey ends (e.g. provider switching)

 

The reports also include consumer profiles and the types of product owned.

 

The investment and pension reports are more diverse but typically these reports discuss:

 

  • investor profiles
  • where money is invested
  • how investors approach investing money
  • how investments are managed
  • how investors judge what to buy

 

The Banking Reputation report differs from most other reports because it analyses consumer views of banks and the banking industry.

 

Consumer research for these titles is commissioned from MIS Group’s UK panel based on questionnaires designed by IRN Research.

 

 

SOME EXAMPLES OF FINDINGS FROM IRN’S CONSUMER RESEARCH

Market Trend Reports

Market Trend reports have a more formal, set structure, compared with the Consumer Research reports. They do not contain any detailed IRN consumer research but may reference some of the data commissioned for the Consumer Research Reports and also research produced by other parties, like the Financial Conduct Authority. Market Research reports tend to feature the following sections:

 

  • Market Structure
  • Market Developments and Drivers
  • The Key Players
  • Market Size and Trends
  • The Future


SOME EXAMPLES OF FINDINGS FROM IRN’S MARKET TRENDS REPORTS

Hybrid Reports

Hybrid reports combined features of the Consumer Research and Market Trend reports. They are typically based on a smaller respondent sample compared with the Consumer Research reports and/or based on fewer questions. Unlike the Consumer Research reports, they include a Market Size and Trends section which outlines the current market size and may also discuss the key market players (and possibly market shares) and the market future.

 

DETAILS OF THE REPORTS AS AT 2ND SEPTEMBER 2019

About Us

IRN Research

Established in 1991, IRN Research is a market research consultancy with a focus on the financial services market. We offer a range of bespoke research services, on an ad-hoc and continuous basis, to finance firms and suppliers to the sector. These services include client satisfaction surveys, market studies and competitor intelligence, client industry reports, and strategic studies.


For further information on our reports or our research services contact Gary Giddings on +44(0)7970829751 or ggiddings@irn-research.com. URL: www.irn-research.com

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