Aviva and Chase Bank Lead August’s Smart Money Risers as Customer Trust Rebounds

Debt, fraud, bereavement, illness, redundancy — with StepChange reporting record council tax and energy arrears this year and household budgets still stretched, more people than ever are hitting a financial crisis point. New data from Smart Money People suggests these are the moments that make or break trust in a brand for good.

Smart Money People's August "Smart Money Risers" index, built from millions of verified customer reviews, found that the financial brands earning the most loyalty right now aren't necessarily the most competitive or flashiest – they're the ones who keep customer journeys simple and genuinely support struggling customers in high pressure situations. Routine transactions barely move the needle on loyalty in a cost-of-living climate where financial stress is common. How a brand handles someone at their most vulnerable makes the disproportionate difference.

9 September 2026 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.” said Peer Jelendorf, CEO of Smart Money People.