Financial Planning
Only One Third of Millennials Investing in Stocks
Overall, the general population is still shying away from investing in the stock market. More than half of the respondents (54%) say they do not invest. The top reason cited for staying out of the stock market is not having enough money (48%), followed
Jul. 07, 2016
Millennials continue to lag behind their elders when it comes to investing in the stock market, according to a new Bankrate.com report. Just 33% of millennials say that they own stock, compared to 51% of Gen Xers (ages 36-51) and 48% of Baby Boomers (ages 52-70). What’s interesting is that older millennials are leading the charge when it comes to investing; 44% of those ages 26-35 say they invest, compared to only 18% of those ages 18-25.
“Older millennials seem to be getting the message that the stock market allows for major financial gains if you start early,” said Jill Cornfield, Bankrate.com’s retirement analyst. “Although there’s always some risk involved, building a portfolio at an early age allows for compound interest to grow and produce ample savings over time,” Cornfield added.
Overall, the general population is still shying away from investing in the stock market. More than half of the respondents (54%) say they do not invest. The top reason cited for staying out of the stock market is not having enough money (48%), followed by not knowing enough about stocks to invest (25%). Other deterrents include, stocks are too risky (11%), not trusting stock brokers or advisors (7%) and fear of high fees (1%).
Income and education are clear indicators when it comes to stock market participation. 73% of individuals with an income of $75K or more invest in the market compared to only 9% of people who earn under $30K per year. Similarly, those who have college education say they invest in the market more than people with a high school education or less, 61% vs. 29%, respectively.
Princeton Survey Research Associates International obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults living in the continental United States. Interviews were conducted by landline (500) and cell phone (500, including 255 without a landline phone) in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source from June 16-19, 2016. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.