Unsurprisingly, Millennials’ Investment Habits Diverge From Those of Their Parents

The gap between generations seems to affect everything.

Millennials don’t necessarily think like their parents when it comes to their spending habits, how they raise their kids, or even their outlook on life.

Recent studies show they also don’t tend to invest like them.

Stocks and bonds are out, and cryptocurrencies, private equity, trading in derivatives, or even real assets like art and sports memorabilia are very much in.

Socially conscious investors may also choose to invest in ESG companies that reflect their beliefs. More millennials are investing in companies with similar values and where their impact aligns with their belief system.

Read More: Impact Investing: 5 of the Best Ways to Start 

Options

Whereas Baby Boomers 30 or 40 years ago, at a time when retirement was but a fleeting thought, may have had the stomach to invest in the recently issued stock of a start-up or a limited partnership or REIT, 26-to-41-year-olds (the age of Millennials in 2022) have many more options.

“Technology has fueled many more opportunities for people to invest in, and younger people understand it and feel comfortable with it,” says Leo Chubinishvili, CFP, a thirtysomething financial advisor with the wealth management firm Access Wealth in East Hanover, NJ.

“The Great Recession of 2008 had a lasting effect on Millennials.  There were fewer jobs available to them when they started, their savings were affected, and the markets had lost so much and took so long to recover. So, these people started to look for other opportunities.”

Technology

Technology has also provided platforms for investors to do everything from purchasing company stock pre-IPO, to investing small amounts in hedge funds, art, or racehorses.

Working at times with multi-generational clients from the same family, he says that he sometimes sees the tension between parents and children when it comes to their different investment choices.

“It still comes down to deciding your financial goals, the time horizon of the investment, and the risk you can tolerate,” he says.  “I’m usually okay, as long as the investments are weighed, measured, and diverse.”

However, when the son of a wealthy client told him recently that he planned to put his entire inheritance into day trading derivatives, he told the young man that he risked losing everything.  “Sometimes you have to bring them back to the basics.”  The client agreed.

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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.