2021 Generation Investor Survey

Schwab study shows 15 percent of all current U.S. stock market investors say they first began investing in 2020.

Key findings

These new investors (Gen I) are more bullish about their financial future and market than pre-2020 investors.
Gen I started investing to build an emergency fund and to gain an additional source of income.
Gen I turned the COVID challenge into an opportunity by keeping better track of their savings and finances in comparison to pre-2020 investors.
Gen I’s biggest surprise during their first year of investing was learning that investing is more about long-term gains than short-term wins.

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About the survey

The online survey was conducted by Logica Research from February 1 to February 16, 2021, among a national sample of 1,000 Americans aged 21 to 75 and an augment sample of 200 investors who began investing in 2020 for comparison. Quotas were set to balance the national sample on key demographic variables. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request. The margin of error for the national sample is three percentage points.

Media contact: Hibah Shariff

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