Exclusive interview. The French have never looked at investment as much as a concrete tool for “build your financial future” immediately confirms Estelle Castres, Managing Director of BlackRock France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Monaco. According to an OpinionWay study for BlackRock published on July 1, more than eight out of ten French people judge theinvestment long term essential for build a solid situation, and 77% have already invested or intend to do so, despite ambient pessimism about the global economy. “The French view of investment has profoundly evolved”notes Estelle Castres.
The shift, however, remains unfinished. Behind the displayed enthusiasm, the blockages remain. “81% of French people cite fear to lose all their investmentas many evoke the complexity of the financial productsand 75% say they feel they do not understand the mechanisms of finance. » Encounter.
Real democratization, but stubborn obstacles
There democratization is not a myth. “It’s a reality, but a reality still under construction”summarizes Estelle Castres. The study proves him right, 61% of French people believeinvestment more accessible than twenty years ago, a proportion which exceeds 70% among 18-34 year olds. Digital tools, available information, online platforms and simpler products like ETFsthese index funds which replicate an index at a lower cost, have lowered the entry barrier.
The real obstacle is elsewhere, in the heads of savers. “The problem is not just access, but trust and understanding”analyzes the manager. Fear dominates, when more than eight out of ten French people fear losing everything. Added to this is a feeling of incompetence, maintained by a financial jargonr deemed opaque. These psychological obstacles explain why the intention to invest does not always translate into action.
A preconceived idea sums up this blockage. “The French estimate on average that it takes 8,762 euros to start investing, while there are accessible solutions with very small amounts”underlines Estelle Castres. Only 15% know that you can start with less than 100 euros. The practical message is contained in three principles, regularitythere diversification and thetime horizon cash more than the initial amount.
Diversify to navigate a more uncertain market
In this landscape, ETFs have become a structural building block ofsavings rather than a tactical bet. Their appeal is due to reduced fees, often around 0.2% per year compared to almost 2% for a active fund classic, and to a diversification immediate. However, a reminder is necessary: an ETF does not eliminate market risk; capital loss remains possible. On theallocationthe house defends in 2026 a line articulated around the growthof income and the resilience. It invites us not to concentrate on artificial intelligence and technological mega-capitalizations alone, to seek more diversified income, notably bonds, and to increase the sources of protection. This speech responds to an environment considered more volatilewhere persistently high rates and less reliable correlations between actions And bonds weaken the recipes of the past.
In the chapter ofartificial intelligence the study confirms that 31% French people already consider it useful for investand nearly 70% should use it within five years. “AI can help to better understand, to plan better, but it does not replace thinking about its goalsher time horizon and his risk appetite »tempers Estelle Castres.
Investor advice
Thus, to close this exchange, Estelle Castres specifies: “It’s normal to hesitate. Invest involves a degree of risk, and it is healthy to want to understand before launching. But you shouldn’t wait to have all the answers or a capital important to start training and building a strategy. The most important thing is to start from your life plans. Then you have to look at its time horizon. A two-year project and a twenty-year project are not built in the same way. Investing is not about finding the perfect moment. It means defining a life project, diversifying, investing regularly, and letting time play its role. Start early, even with small arecan make a real difference. »
