- People who check their bank balance daily save more money, save more frequently and stick to their financial resolutions longer than those who check infrequently
- Being good with money is Britain’s number one goal for 2026 – above fitness and wellness
- Biggest blocker to balance checking isn’t financial anxiety or excess wealth – Brits prefer to keep a mental budget instead
- Starling Bank launches Last Digit Widget, designed to help the UK build the daily habit of checking their bank balance – and saving money
7th January 2026: Daily bank balance checking is linked to better financial outcomes, with the UK’s daily checkers shown to save more money, more frequently and stick to their financial resolutions for longer than those who check infrequently. Daily checkers are also more confident about their finances as they head into the new year and have firmer plans on how they’ll spend and save, according to a new study from Starling Bank.
As a result, Starling is encouraging people to check their balance more often. To help people adopt this simple daily habit, the bank has launched Last Digit Widget: a Space to stash money every single day – the last digit of your bank balance to be precise. Backed by financial psychotherapist Vicky Reynal, Starling’s Last Digit Widget could help people save £1,600* on average, and feel the wider benefits of checking their bank balance daily.
“We’re told to walk 10,000 steps, get eight hours sleep and eat five portions of veg a day; now we want to get Britain checking their bank balance once a day. This daily habit can help keep us financially fit and ensure we get the most from our money,” said Becca Stroud, personal finance expert at Starling.
“Habits are powerful because they operate beneath the level of willpower. Once something becomes a habit, you don’t have to summon the emotional energy to do it each time. This is especially true when it comes to money; Starling’s Last Digit Widget is a great example of how something can be gamified to become a simple daily action,” said Vicky Reynal, financial psychotherapist.
Money-savvy secrets
According to Starling’s research, the 43% of Britons who check their balance daily save more frequently than the majority, who don’t. On average, daily balance checkers set aside money at least every two months, while weekly checkers do so every three months, and monthly checkers do so just once a year.
This might be why daily balance checkers have £18,243 saved on average – 6% more than those who check their balance less than monthly (£17,196) – and are twice as likely to say they’ll round out 2026 with even more saved up (60% vs 27%).
While Britain’s most popular New Year’s resolutions are money-related, with 40% of people setting a financial goal for 2026, daily balance checkers are more likely to stick to them. Nearly half of daily checkers (46%) plan to commit to their financial resolutions indefinitely, compared to 38% of weekly checkers and 27% of monthly checkers. This financial focus is evident in daily checkers’ habit of saving for specific, big-ticket items, such as homes, cars, and holidays.
“Our findings reveal a big financial gap between those who regularly check their balance and those who don’t. It could be that the simple habit of engaging with your bank balance means you’re more likely to engage with your wider financial goals too,” Becca continued.
Introducing: Last Digit Widget
Starling’s Last Digit Widget can be found in the Spaces section of the app. To take part, customers check their bank balance daily and transfer the last digit – in pounds or pence – to their Last Digit Widget. A balance of £123.45 would see them transfer 5p or £5, for example.
Customers could save an average of £1600 in a year with Starling’s Last Digit Widget, while the habit of daily balance checking keeps them more aligned with their overall financial health.
“More people are turning to financial challenges. Much like new years fitness resolutions, if we make it fun, do it with others as part of a challenge and see concrete results, then we are more likely to engage with it and stick to it,” Vicky continued.
iOS customers have the option to put their Last Digit Widget on their phone homescreen, giving them a constant running total of how much they’ve saved and reminding them to transfer daily. To set this up, press and hold your iPhone homescreen, tap edit, add widget, and search for the Starling app.
Bank balance barriers
According to Starling’s research, the main reason people don’t check their balance daily is because they prefer to keep a rough mental budget instead (51%), while a third of non-daily checkers say their bank automates their bills (34%), and 14% say it doesn’t occur to them to check. Financial anxiety is also a factor for 7% of those who don’t check their balance daily.
“Money is a highly emotional subject, and your bank can provide support if you’re feeling anxiety about your balance,” Becca continued. “But our research suggests that many people aren’t checking their balance frequently because they don’t think to do so – despite the benefits it could bring to their wider financial health.”
