How does Gen Z view money?
For Gen Z, money matters
Roughly three-quarters of Gen Z Americans said today's economy makes them hesitant to set up long-term financial goals and two-thirds said they might never have enough money to retire, another recent Prosperity Index study by Intuit found.
Aligning on money is all the more pressing for younger generations, who are earlier on in their relationships and careers—nearly half (49%) of Gen Zers view financial compatibility as more important than physical compatibility. That's compared to 40% of millennials, 35% of Gen Xers, and 30% of baby boomers.
Grow savings
The most popular financial goal for millennials and Gen Zers in 2024 is to grow their savings, with nearly 60% of respondents placing this at the top of their resolutions list.
For all respondents, the overall sentiment of money talks with family was educational or encouraging. Compared to Gen Zers and Millennials, more Baby Boomers and Generation Xers said that talking about money with family was usually stressful.
According to recent data from a 2023 Pew Research Centre survey, Gen Z is more financially independent at a younger age than prior generations. While still in school, a sizeable proportion of Gen Zers work part-time, freelance, or have side hustles.
For example, a new study by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) finds that “Gen Z households have nearly three times more assets in the [retirement] plan accounts (adjusted for inflation) that Gen X households did at the same age.” More Gen Z-ers have retirement plans set up and they've saved more in those accounts.
Additionally, 53% of Gen Zers say higher costs are a barrier to their financial success, a separate survey from Bank of America found. And 73% of Gen Z respondents said today's economy makes them hesitant to set up long-term financial goals, according to a recent Prosperity Index study by Intuit.
“My studies have shown that being happy and fulfilled, and making enough to live comfortably top the most important features in Gen Z's ideal careers – not being rich and travelling the world.” So, it's not necessarily that Gen Z are greedy or money-grabbing; the majority, say experts, just want to cover their costs.
The Silent Generation are frugal and conservative, valuing saving over spending. Baby boomers are willing to spend on leisure and luxury items without worrying about sustainability. Generation X is the forgotten middle child that is skeptical of marketing and values authenticity.
How Gen Z and millennials differ financially?
How Gen Z and Millennials Differ With Money Habits. Even though both generations value saving money, Gen Z is far ahead of millennials in terms of how much they're putting away. According to Finder's Consumer Confidence Index, Gen Z saves an average of $857 per month, while millennials save $294.
Intuit's most recent Prosperity Index Study explains how Gen Z is leading the wave with this “softer” approach to life and finances. According to the study, 3 out of 4 Gen Zers say they'd rather have a better quality of life than extra money in the bank.
Gen Zers are reporting higher rates of anxiety, depression, and distress than any other age group, according to a 2022 McKinsey study. The same study found that Gen Z was the least likely cohort to seek out medical care for those conditions because behavioral health care is too expensive.
Millennials' money habits, whether saving or spending, are inextricably linked to the world around them. They may have a reputation for being reckless spenders, but in actuality, millennials are actively saving for emergencies and retirement.
Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964
They tend to be ambitious and work-centric. They are motivated by monetary rewards, retirement plans and peer recognition, which means giving weekly feedback and quarterly recognition of achievements goes along way toward making them feel valued on the team.
Baby boomers have the largest net worth
Baby boomers own 52.8% of all wealth in the U.S., compared to 5.7% of millennials, according to the Federal Reserve.
Many Gen Z and millennials grew up watching their parents lose large parts of their net worth to stock market crashes and home equities drying up, Bryan-Podvin said, and this increases the fear of financial instability.
Gen Z's Philanthropic Potential
The good news, however, is that this limitation doesn't deter them from contributing to causes they care about however they can. “[I]n 2022, Gen Z adults made an average of 5.3 donations — notably more than the 4.8 made by millennials and 4.7 made by Generation X.”
Gen Z is price sensitive, but they also value quality. For more than 60% of Gen Z shoppers, the quality of products is the most important factor in making a purchase. They are more likely to compare prices and search for deals, but are willing to pay more for products that are of good quality.
A new term, "money dysmorphia," aims to describe the distorted view of one's finances that nearly one-third, or 29%, of Americans say they now experience, according to a recent report by Credit Karma, often from comparing their financial situation to others' and feeling inadequate.
Is Gen Z less materialistic?
Previous studies have revealed that Gen Zs are less materialistic and hedonic-oriented than previous generations (Bulut et al., 2017) and are highly environmentally and socially conscious (Chaturvedi et al., 2020; Grénman, Räikkönen, et al., 2023).
Selfish generation is used to describe the baby boomers. The greatest generation were the parents of the baby boomers. The common conception is that they were a generation that endured personal sacrifice and laid the foundations for the modern era.
Seventy-three percent of Gen Zers consider themselves to be very happy or somewhat happy, the survey found. But “when Gen Z reaches adulthood, 18 and older, we see these pretty big differences in happiness,” says Zach Hrynowski, the author of the survey's report and a senior researcher at Gallup.
In fact, according to ResumeLab, 83% of Gen Z employees consider themselves to be job hoppers, and 75% would leave a job even if they didn't have another one waiting.
Gen-Z feels substantial anxiety and stress about jobs, long-term financial stability and major life steps, such as buying a home and starting a family. The current economy and job market are primary sources of uncertainty for this generation, according to EY's 2023 Gen-Z Segmentation Study.
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