Gen Z Can’t Afford to Buy a House, So They’re Putting Their Money in the Stock Market Instead

Aug 24, 2026 08:30 PM - 2 hours ago 1

Retirement contributions are increasing faster for Gen Z than immoderate different generation.

By Jonathan Small | edited by Dan Bova | Aug 24, 2026

Prohibitive prices person locked Gen Z out of buying a location connected Elm Street, truthful galore of them are turning to Wall Street. A Pew Research Center survey recovered 89% of adults nether 40 opportunity buying a location is harder for their procreation than it was for their parents. Instead of existent estate, Gen Z is leaning difficult into status savings specified arsenic 401(k)s and Roth IRAs. Fidelity recovered their status contributions are increasing 65% year-over-year, much than double the complaint of millennials.

Gen Zers for illustration Kana Cummings, 26, opened a Roth IRA during her inferior twelvemonth of assemblage aft a individual finance shop helped her make consciousness of pandemic-era anxiety. She’s kept investing ever since. “I’m conscionable trying to beryllium blimpish and make judge I person a fewer different buckets of savings truthful I’m each group successful the future,” she told the New York Times.

The strategy makes sense. Gen Zers’ parents and grandparents could count connected a location and possibly a pension to group them up for retirement. Gen Z grew up watching some of those look further and further retired of reach. So alternatively of redeeming for a down payment, a batch of them are conscionable putting that money into the marketplace instead, betting it’ll get them further than a owe would.

Prohibitive prices person locked Gen Z out of buying a location connected Elm Street, truthful galore of them are turning to Wall Street. A Pew Research Center survey recovered 89% of adults nether 40 opportunity buying a location is harder for their procreation than it was for their parents. Instead of existent estate, Gen Z is leaning difficult into status savings specified arsenic 401(k)s and Roth IRAs. Fidelity recovered their status contributions are increasing 65% year-over-year, much than double the complaint of millennials.

Gen Zers for illustration Kana Cummings, 26, opened a Roth IRA during her inferior twelvemonth of assemblage aft a individual finance shop helped her make consciousness of pandemic-era anxiety. She’s kept investing ever since. “I’m conscionable trying to beryllium blimpish and make judge I person a fewer different buckets of savings truthful I’m each group successful the future,” she told the New York Times.

The strategy makes sense. Gen Zers’ parents and grandparents could count connected a location and possibly a pension to group them up for retirement. Gen Z grew up watching some of those look further and further retired of reach. So alternatively of redeeming for a down payment, a batch of them are conscionable putting that money into the marketplace instead, betting it’ll get them further than a owe would.

Jonathan Small is simply a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he... Read more

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