HR assistant Isabel Ribeiro, 23, started saving money in September, thanks to the funds available in digital banks, to carry out a project that requires patience: a trip to Japan with friends, planned in five years.
Ribeiro’s goal for next year is to continue saving. She plans to save around R$500 per month. “I admit that investing is not my strong point, but I really want, by the end of the year (2026), to have R$6,000 (saved),” he says.
Ribeiro is among the Brazilians who intend to save money in 2026. A survey by Datafolha shows that saving is the main goal of those surveyed for the new year.
The institute presented a list of 14 goals for next year, and respondents chose three. Saving money was selected by 44% of participants and ranked above goals such as spending more time with family and friends (37%), improving your diet or eating better (25%), starting physical activity (25%), and working for yourself or opening a business (23%).
This was the first time Datafolha asked about respondents’ goals for next year. There is therefore no basis for comparison with previous years.
The institute surveyed 2,002 people aged 16 or older across Brazil, spread across 113 municipalities, in population flow points. The margin of error is 2 percentage points, plus or minus, and the research confidence level is 95%.
Artist Bruna Lemberg, 26, has high expectations for next year. She bought an apartment off plan in 2025 and wants to keep four to six monthly financing payments in advance – to avoid the negative effects of possible unforeseen events. Doing so will require saving money, he says.
“I’m an independent artist, it’s a very unstable job. One day I earn very well, the next month, not so much.”
Lemberg also plans to improve her artistic skills by taking singing, dancing and acting lessons. And, what’s more, he says he wants to go on a trip in 2026.
Right now, she doesn’t have a fully defined plan, but she wants to create a spreadsheet next year to organize investments.
“I need to see where I’m going to put this money, to make the most profit possible and have good liquidity for myself. Today, I leave it in the coffers – it makes a little profit, but I don’t think it’s enough,” he says.
Larissa Frias, financial planner at Bank C6, says that with the Selic (the base interest rate) at a high level, 2026 will be “a year to save”. She says interest rates particularly favor investments in fixed income securities.
In December, the Copom (Monetary Policy Committee) of the Central Bank maintained, in a unanimous decision, the Selic rate at 15% per year for the fourth consecutive meeting, closing the year 2025 with the base interest rate at the highest level in almost two decades. The BC board opted for a more conservative stance and pushed back cuts to Selic until 2026, the year of the election.
C6 Bank’s forecast is that the Selic will end the year 2026 at the level of 13%.
“Especially for investors who don’t have a solid emergency fund, this is a good year to start getting into the habit of investing in a solid financial organization and building savings, starting with the emergency fund, then the retirement fund and long-term goals,” says Frias.
Rafael Costa, founder of Cash Wise Investimentos, says 2026 will be a good year for anyone aiming to finance a property. According to him, with the expectation of Selic reductions next year, the real estate market could become hotter, with more competitive prices.
“Buying a property right now makes a lot of sense, even with high-interest financing. Then, when the interest rate drops, you can transfer that financing and reduce the interest on the payments,” he says.
Still according to Costa, for 2026, as for any other year, it is important that investors have a diversified portfolio of assets, with fixed income, variable income and dollarized assets.
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