🇩🇪 Mind the Gap 🇬🇧

What Germany Gets Right About Investing and What the UK Can Learn

Last week, I was in Germany at Invest Stuttgart, one of the largest retail investing events in Europe.

Over 15,000 people attended across two days.

But what stood out wasn’t just the size of the event.

It was how engaged people were.

Students asking questions.

Experienced traders sharing ideas.

Couples and families, even with their kids, spending a hot Saturday at an investing event.

Many had travelled from neighbouring countries just to be there.

Investing didn’t feel like a niche interest.

It felt part of everyday life.

And it made me think.

Could something similar, or even bigger, happen in the UK?

🇬🇧 The UK Has Scale but Not Yet Behaviour

To be clear, things have moved forward in the UK.

The investing market has grown significantly.

According to Boring Money Insights, the UK DIY investment market has reached £572bn across 13.4 million accounts.

Just five years ago, it was estimated at around £307bn with 6.6 million accounts.

That’s more than double.

The UK is widely considered one of the largest direct-to-consumer investment markets globally.

So the question isn’t access.

It’s behaviour.

Because opening an account is one thing.

Building consistent, long-term investing habits is another.

And despite the growth, that behaviour hasn’t scaled in the same way.

That’s where the gap still exists.

🇩🇪 So What’s Different in Germany?

The difference isn’t just cultural.

It’s structural.

Germany has long had a strong saving culture.

People are used to putting money aside consistently.

When interest rates fell, that behaviour didn’t stop.

It shifted.

From saving in cash to investing regularly.

⚙️ The System Makes It Easy

At the same time, the system made that shift easier.

Savings plans were introduced early and scaled widely.

Which means people can:

• Invest small amounts each month

• Automate the process

• Avoid worrying about timing the market

💡 Why It Feels So Accessible

Platforms also play a key role.

Across Germany and many parts of Europe, investing is low cost and in many cases free to the end investor.

That’s because platforms make money in other ways behind the scenes, such as how trades are handled, partnerships with investment providers, and the interest on cash sitting in accounts.

The outcome is simple.

They can keep costs low for investors.

📈 What’s Driving the Growth?

So what’s behind the growth in Germany?

A big part of it is what people are investing in.

And increasingly, that’s ETFs.

In simple terms, an ETF tracks an index, a basket of companies.

For example, many investors use broad indices like the MSCI World, S&P 500 or FTSE All World as the foundation of their portfolio.

Instead of trying to pick individual stocks, your money is spread across many in one go.

That’s why they’ve become the go-to choice for many retail investors.

Because they are:

• Lower cost

• Instantly diversified

• Simple to manage

And when combined with savings plans, they make investing simple and repeatable.

According to extraETF research, over 15 million ETF savings plans are executed every month across Europe, with Germany playing a leading role in that growth.

In Germany alone, around 14.5 million people now invest in ETFs, showing how widely adopted this approach has become.

🔁 The Real Difference

It’s not just about access.

It’s about normalisation.

Investing isn’t seen as something advanced or optional.

It’s part of everyday financial behaviour.

🚀 The Opportunity in the UK

The infrastructure is improving.

The awareness is growing.

But the next step is behaviour.

Because the real shift isn’t getting people to open accounts.

It’s making investing something people do consistently.

Like saving.

Like spending.

Like paying bills.

🏛️ What Happens Next

This is where things are starting to move.

The UK is now rolling out something called targeted support, which allows investment platforms and providers to guide people towards better decisions.

In practice, that means:

👉 Helping people move cash into investments

👉 Suggesting simple, suitable investment options

👉 Making it easier to take action without needing full financial advice

Because it isn’t just about getting started.

It’s about staying consistent.