Why hindsight remains the most powerful motivator
More than half of investors say they wish they had sought advice earlier. Over a third would tell their younger selves to begin investing sooner. These are not just survey findings. They reveal a universal truth about how people engage with money: time shapes outcomes more than any single investment choice.
For advisers, this reality underscores something important. Regret is not a weakness to be exploited. It is a human experience that can be gently acknowledged and transformed into momentum.
The Voice of the Future
Regret often arrives in the form of hindsight. When clients imagine their future selves, mortgage-free, enjoying family and living with financial ease, they see the difference small decisions made early can have. The emotional weight of what might have been is often stronger than the technical details of performance charts.
When Delay Becomes Costly
The compounding effect of time speaks for itself.
- Starting at 25 with £500 per month can mean over £1.3m by 65
- Waiting until 35 with the same contribution could result in less than half
That single decade means nearly £700,000 less. For many investors, the realisation is not about numbers on a page but about the experiences they may miss: holidays deferred, freedom delayed, choices narrowed.
This is where Timeline’s historical charts can help, using nearly a century of market data to make the long-term impact of early investing visible in a way that resonates more than numbers alone.
Download the full set of charts here.
Why Investors Wait
Most people know they should begin earlier, yet hesitation is common. Some feel they do not earn enough yet. Others want to clear debts first or fear the market’s ups and downs. Many simply feel they do not know enough to start. These reasons are rarely about financial logic alone. They reflect something more human: the pull of procrastination, the fear of making mistakes, the comfort of waiting for the perfect moment.
Turning Regret into Momentum
The psychology is clear. Regret avoidance is often a stronger motivator than the promise of gains. Investors do not only want to know what they might achieve. They want to avoid becoming the version of themselves who looks back and wishes they had acted sooner.
Recognising this is not about urgency but about empathy means meeting clients where they are, validating their concerns, and showing them that starting now is less about perfection and more about progress.
An Opportunity for Advisers
Advisers are uniquely positioned to transform hindsight into foresight. Regret is already in the minds of many investors before the first meeting. By acknowledging it, advisers can help clients channel that emotion into constructive choices without pressure. The role is not to push but to steady, to replace uncertainty with clarity and to turn hesitation into the first confident step forward.
The Takeaway
Regret is one of the most consistent themes in investor behaviour. Yet within it lies an opportunity for advisers to do what they do best: to listen, to empathise, and to guide. When clients see regret reframed not as a burden but as a bridge, hindsight becomes more than a lament. It becomes the start of progress.
