While social feeds might currently be awash with FOMO-inducing holiday snaps and debates over who the true ‘GOAT’ is from a jam-packed summer of sport, new research from Capital One UK suggests that Brits are actually more familiar with financial terminology than catchy internet acronyms.

According to a survey of 2,000 UK adults¹, nearly two-thirds of Brits (64%) said they could confidently define the financial acronym ISA (Individual Savings Account), comfortably beating pop-culture staples like FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out, 51%) and GOAT (Greatest Of All Time, 40%).

Similarly, 53% of the population were confident they could define APR (Annual Percentage Rate), ahead of everyday expressions like TBH (To Be Honest, 40%) and YOLO (You Only Live Once, 36%).

However, the high familiarity with these financial terms didn’t completely translate into full understanding.

While 64% of people recognised the term ISA, only 46% were able to accurately define it when put to the test. Similarly, the percentage of Brits able to accurately define APR dropped to 40%, down from the 53% who said they could.

By contrast, almost all of those claiming to know internet slang were able to follow through with their assertions. Acronyms like FOMO (51% recognition and 50% accuracy) and TBH (40% recognition and 39% accuracy) had near-perfect alignment, highlighting the easy-to-digest nature of catchy slang terms.

The most recognised acronym in the survey was ATM, with 75% of people saying they could confidently define it. However, while most respondents recognised this as the financial acronym for Automated Teller Machine (42%), 13% of people recognised it as casual shorthand for At The Moment.

Making financial language easier to understand

Capital One UK says these findings are a clear signal that the financial services industry needs to work harder to bring simplicity and transparency into its language.

A spokesperson from Capital One UK said: "This research highlights that while confidence in understanding financial terms is high, there is still work to do in closing the knowledge gap.

“We know that financial jargon can sometimes feel confusing or overly technical. In our customer communications, we focus on using language that is clear, simple and transparent to help customers feel more confident navigating credit and making informed financial decisions.

“We also have lots of helpful content on our Credit Blog  (opens in a new tab)where customers can find answers to common questions about credit, such as ‘What is APR? (opens in a new tab)’, “What can affect your credit score? (opens in a new tab)’ and ‘What is a credit limit? (opens in a new tab)’”

Methodology

1. The research is from a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by One Poll in March 2026, to explore perceived vs actual understanding of commonly used financial and slang acronyms. Respondents were asked whether they could define each acronym, followed by a test of their actual understanding. Financial and cultural acronyms were included across a mix of everyday digital slang and commonly used financial terminology.