The gen Z investors
episodePreviously titled “The Gen Z investors” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 10, 2026
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Are Gen Z truly the most financially savvy generation?
This is the Guardian.
Today. А Генз the most financially savvy generation of them all?
I don't need to tell anyone born in this century just how difficult economic conditions are for them. Especially when you compare it to those born way before. The cliche is that Gen Z don't work hard enough. that they do not value the nine to five. It's about the hustle, not the grind. But are young people just being smarter about their money?
I am 22 now. I use Astocks Icer on trading two one two. A couple of my friends have decided to trade in cryptocurrency and forex. It can and has given them quite large gains. I've also invested a smaller amount into some individual stocks purely because I have an interest in learning how the markets work.
According to the World Economic Forum, Gen Z are investing far earlier than any generation before them. 72% have begun putting their money into stocks, shares, crypto by the time they've entered the workforce. Half that number started in their teens and early twenties. A lot of it comes down to the ease of it.
We have the information, it's everywhere. Podcasts, books, on social media. We have the access. You can download an investing app in seconds. You can be investing one pound in seconds.
But it is being driven by a real anxiety.
If I get made redundant, what will actually happen to me? I don't have a financial safety net. And so a lot of investing and trying to become financially free is probably out of my own anxieties.
And a culture online that tells you you should be making your money work for you. From The Guardian, I'm Noshi Nikbal. Today in focus, Gen Z Guide to Finding Financial Freedom. Richard Partinson, welcome back to Today in Focus. You're the Guardian's senior economics correspondent, so you know better than most the challenges that people are facing today when it comes to money. There has been a notable shift with Gen Z and how they're approaching their personal finance. What trends have you noticed?
There's been a big increase in Gen Z investing as as far as generations go. And there's there's a lot of different reasons for that. I mean, I think it's an issue to do with, you know, the the opportunities in life that people are facing. I and for for Generation Z, it's a hard world to be going into. Traditional routes to work are are tougher than they've ever been. Uh earnings haven't necessarily been keeping place with the cost of living.
What data shows Gen Z investing earlier and more often than previous generations?
Buying or renting a home is really expensive. So people are looking at different ways maybe to try and get ahead in life. And uh investing could be one of those routes.
Tell me more about investing, because if you'd said to me at like twenty three, maybe you'd want to invest in stocks and shares, I would have heard blah blah blah blah blah blah like absolutely no idea. And yet this is quite a financially savvy generation. What are they doing?
You know, investing has become much easier um for um newer generations, you know, for digital natives. It's much easier to buy and sell shares. And then we've had this boom in crypto as well, which has become an entry point for people because it of its very nature of being less regulated, to begin with, entirely unregulated relative to the traditional stock market. That means that you can just buy and sell on an app without having To read reams and reams of disclosures and signing up to various financial statements that a bank might ask of you. So So it feels much simpler and more instinctive.
Are those apps popular on the uh business desk? Uh you your colleagues using uh the investment apps and uh
Yeah, I mean we certainly take notice of them and we write about the companies that own them. There's a lot of, you know, established big players that are trying to get into these markets as well. Like um JP Morgan, huge US bank that uh bought Nutmeg, which was start up investment platform. And then, you know, there's lots of other traditional investment platforms that have gone to to app based processes. But I'd I'd still say like there is a degree of skepticism and caution.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Are Gen Z truly the most financially savvy generation?
0:00–3:00
2
What data shows Gen Z investing earlier and more often than previous generations?
3:00–5:58
3
How do investment apps and easy‑access platforms drive Gen Z’s market entry?
5:58–9:21
4
What role do “finfluencers” and social media play in shaping Gen Z’s investing habits?
9:21–12:28
5
How can young investors balance risk, especially with crypto and high‑risk strategies?
12:28–15:37
6
What practical steps does James Beckett recommend for building a solid investment habit?
15:37–18:43
7
Why is diversification (ETFs, ISA, pensions) crucial for long‑term financial freedom?
18:43–21:12
8
What final advice does Richard Partington give to Gen Z about cautious yet proactive investing?
21:12–21:44