Smart Money People, the UK's most comprehensive financial services review site, today publishes its August 2026 “Smart Money Risers” index, revealing that Aviva, Chase Bank and StepChange are where the “smart money” is at.
Customer reviews to the Smart Money People site in August recognised the three providers as strong performers due to their combination of meaningful ratings improvement and consistently high levels of customer advocacy.
August's results point to the strength of established financial brands alongside continued momentum from newer digital providers, with trust, ease of use and confidence in the overall customer journey emerging as key drivers of satisfaction across the sector.
What are they doing right?
- Making complex financial products – from pensions to everyday banking – feel simple and transparent
- Providing fast, knowledgeable support at the moments that matter most, from claims and complaints to debt advice
- Combining competitive value with clear communication and easy account management
August's Bigger Picture – 3 Key Trends
Smart Money People's analysts identified three key trends shaping the sector in August:
1. Established brands are showing signs of recovery
Several of August's strongest risers came from well-known financial brands that had weaker recent performance. The improvement suggests established providers can recover customer sentiment quickly when value, communication and service delivery improve together, pointing to renewed confidence in familiar brands as their experiences become simpler and more dependable.
2. Simplicity matters
Across banking, insurance, investments and financial support, customers consistently valued straightforward digital journeys, easy applications and clear account management. However, the strongest experiences combined this with access to knowledgeable human support when something became more complex, confirming that the best customer experiences today are increasingly digital-first, but not digital-only.
3. Support at ‘high stress’ moments can shape the entire relationship
Some of August's strongest feedback came from customers dealing with difficult situations such as debt, fraud, claims, bereavement or accessing long-term savings. Where providers responded quickly, communicated clearly and took ownership, customers described the experience in far stronger terms than they would for routine transactions, confirming that critical moments remain disproportionately important in shaping trust, advocacy and overall satisfaction.
Smart Money Risers Index – August Results
The Smart Money Risers index tracks month-on-month and quarter-by-quarter movement in customer review ratings across the consumer personal finance sector, identifying which providers are improving fastest and why. It spotlights the banks, lenders, insurers, savings and investment providers, and products, that customers rated most positively in a month of reviews.
Aviva – claims, pensions and clear communication drive renewed customer confidence
Aviva emerged as one of August's strongest risers, with customers responding positively to competitive value, straightforward digital journeys and clear communication across its broad financial services offering.
Reviews highlighted simple online processes, competitive renewal pricing and accessible information, alongside positive experiences where customer service teams provided clear explanations and effective support. Pension customers also valued understandable annual statements and tools that made it easier to follow investment performance.
The findings suggest that established financial brands can strengthen customer satisfaction by combining competitive products with simple servicing and clear communication, though more complex journeys – particularly claims and pension withdrawals – remain an area where consistency will be critical.
“Good price/rate for a recognised company and customer services were very helpful when I needed to speak to them, resolved my query very quickly and followed up to make sure I was happy” said one Aviva customer.
Chase Bank – digital simplicity and fast support keep banking customers loyal
Chase emerged as one of August's strongest banking risers, with customers responding to its combination of digital simplicity, support and account benefits.
Reviews highlighted an intuitive app and quick access to human support, alongside strong savings rates and convenient overseas use. Customers also valued proactive security measures that helped provide reassurance around unusual or disputed transactions.
The findings suggest digital banks can strengthen customer loyalty by combining frictionless technology with accessible human support and benefits that deliver genuine value.
“The app is very intuitive and easy to use, and the range of perks and incentives is excellent. Customer service has been great and very proactive in protecting the customer” said one Chase Bank customer.
StepChange – clear advice and emotional support deliver a perfect customer score
StepChange emerged as one of August's strongest performers, achieving a perfect customer rating and NPS as users praised the organisation for helping them regain control of difficult financial situations.
Reviews highlighted clear advice, straightforward debt management tools and patient, non-judgemental support. Customers frequently described feeling less stressed and more confident once they understood the options available to them and had a structured plan in place.
Given the vulnerability of many customers seeking debt advice, the findings underline how important fast, accessible and clear support remains at the point of financial difficulty.
“Talking to StepChange was one of the best financial decisions I ever made. I didn't realise how many options were available to me, and they made an immediate impact on my quality of life” said one StepChange customer.
Beyond the cross-market leaders, August's data also highlights standout improvements at product level. Aviva's pension (up to 3.09), Revolut's personal account (up to 4.93 against its three-month average), Saffron Building Society's savings account (up to 4.86) and StepChange's debt advice service (up to 5.00) all posted some of the strongest gains in their categories.
Peer Jelendorf, CEO of Smart Money People, said:
“With inflation still volatile and the cost of living continuing to bite, many people are managing real financial stress right now. August's Risers show that customers value financial brands that get the fundamentals right in that environment – clear communication, simple digital journeys and genuine support when things become overwhelming. It's particularly encouraging to see established names like Aviva and Chase recovering customer trust, alongside the vital work StepChange does at some of the most difficult moments in people's financial lives. When money feels uncertain, simplicity and support are even more essential. That's exactly why we built this index – to shine a light on the companies genuinely improving their customer experience and to show the industry where the smart money's at.”
