OP Uusimaa 13% more people invested in fund units with OP Uusimaa in early 2026 than in early 2025 – some doubt their investment skills
A survey, commissioned from Taloustutkimus by OP Pohjola, indicates that investment is hampered by customers' doubts about their investment skills and asset levels. The competence threshold (lack of belief in one's own investment skills) is especially evident in women. However, Riikka Kangas, Senior Vice President at OP Uusimaa, points out that many people still have the wrong ideas about investment.
Although rising numbers of Finns are investing, many are still hesitant. In a survey conducted by Taloustutkimus on behalf of OP Pohjola, 27% of respondents with no plans to invest gave lack of sufficient investment skills as the reason.
However, the most common obstacle to investing is lack of financial headroom.
"Understandably, lack of spare money is the number one reason for not investing. On the other hand, the feeling that one lacks investment skills comes next as a standout reason," says Riikka Kangas, Senior Vice President, Personal Customers, OP Uusimaa.
Kangas believes that many investment-related notions and ideas are not necessarily grounded in reality. Investment is often thought to be more difficult than it is.
"Investing is not about daily tracking of share values. For example, monthly investment in a fund can form an easy routine that runs automatically in the background. It's worth starting with an amount that feels suitable, which you can check in a few months, for example" Riikka Kangas suggests.
The survey indicates that the competence threshold affects women in particular. About a third of women who have no plans to invest feel that they lack investment competencies. One fifth of men have a similar lack of confidence.
"We have aimed to open up financial activity and the related discussion for everyone, regardless of their background, age and gender," says Riikka Kangas.
Getting started is based on daily financial priorities
Competencies are not the only obstacle to starting to invest; the survey indicates that this also depends on daily financial priorities. Of respondents with no plans for future investment, 18% say that they would prefer to pay off their loans.
Kangas points out that priorities and beliefs can also be rethought, if the customer's circumstances allow.
"We Finns have a persistent belief that we should pay off our housing loans as fast as possible. However, in many cases, the most effective approach to becoming wealthier overall could, for example, combine monthly fund investments with saving (to build a financial buffer) and loan repayments," says Riikka Kangas.
Owner-customers of OP cooperative banks have been able to use OP bonuses for fund investments since the start of 2026.
"Here, at OP Uusimaa, many first-time investors have begun by investing their OP bonuses. The total number of customers who made fund subscriptions through us grew by almost 13% in January–March compared to the same period last year," says Kangas.
OP Uusimaa's customers have favoured highly diversified and cost-effective index funds this year. The most popular fund in early 2026 was OP-World Index, which was the most invested-in by personal customers in net terms.
Shares most bought by OP Uusimaa's personal customers in January–April 2026:
1. Mandatum
2. Nordea
3. Sampo
4. Neste
5. Huhtamäki
Funds most popular among OP Uusimaa's personal customers in January–April 2026:
1. OP-World Index
2. OP-Europe Index
3. OP-Asia Index
4. OP-Climate
5. OP-Finland Index
The funds are those most invested in by personal customers in net terms; the shares are the most purchased in terms of customer numbers. These figures concern the most popular investments made through the bank's electronic sales channels op.fi and OP-mobile.
OP Pohjola's online survey of February–March 2026 was answered by 1,333 people in Finland, who were over the age of 18 at the time. The results are weighted to be representative of the population in general. The number of respondents varies by question. The number of respondents who stated that they had no future plans to invest in securities such as fund units or shares was 409. The survey was conducted for OP Pohjola by Taloustutkimus. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.0 percentage points for the entire respondent group.
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