The Secrets We Share: What Our Survey Reveals About the Nation’s Most Private Conversations

In an age of instant messaging and always-on connectivity, secrets don’t seem to stay secret for long. But just how often are we really spilling the beans – and who’s doing the spilling?

Shawbrook Bank surveyed 2,000 adults to shine a light on secret-sharing across the UK. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we found secrets are shared more often than many would like to admit. A striking 45.7% of those surveyed confessed to passing on information that wasn’t meant to be shared, with the average person revealing eight in a year.

So, who’s doing the secret sharing? 

While 56.4% of Londoners admit to letting confidential details slip, only 36.6% of Welsh residents say the same. In London, fast-paced lives and overlapping social circles could explain why more than half of residents have shared secrets – particularly those about unexpected windfalls and big-ticket purchases.

By contrast, Wales shows the lowest rate of secret-sharing in the UK. Just over a third of Welsh respondents say they’ve revealed a secret, suggesting a more reserved, cautious approach – especially when it comes to personal finances. 

Our research revealed younger people are significantly more likely to share secrets than older generations. Nearly 7 in 10 people aged 16–24 (69.3%) admitted to doing so, compared to just 29.4% of those aged 55 and over. The pattern suggests that youngsters raised on social media and real-time updates, may feel more comfortable blurring the lines between private and public.

Whether it’s an accidental slip (21%), a misunderstanding ("I thought they already knew" - 19%), or simply the urge to tell someone (13%), keeping things confidential isn’t always easy. But not every secret being shared is personal or negative. In fact, some of the most commonly passed-on ‘secrets’ are really just practical tips to help friends and family make their money go further.

They might not be secrets in the strictest sense, but they’re certainly not always widely known. With rising costs and squeezed household budgets, consumers are getting creative with how they save. Budgeting tricks (20%), cashback sites (17%) and supermarket yellow sticker deals (14%) are among the most shared. One in eight (12%) say they’ve also encouraged others to switch savings accounts - often from a traditional high street provider to a specialist bank offering better returns.

Top 5 money-saving ‘secrets’ Brits are likely to share:

• Budgeting tips - 20.3%
• Cashback websites - 16.6%
• Shopping for yellow sticker supermarket deals - 13.7%
• Switching savings accounts - 11.9%
• Opening an ISA - 11.2%

At Shawbrook, we believe that financial knowledge should be passed on – especially when it helps friends and family make more of their money. Whether it’s locking in a better rate, opening an ISA before the deadline, or simply moving money out of a low-interest current account, these little actions can add up to something much bigger.

So, while some might be divided when it comes to sharing personal secrets, there’s one type of disclosure we’re firmly behind: helping someone make their money work harder.