Seventy percent of teens say they are highly interested in investing, according to Schwab research
Teens Rush to Invest Early as Parents Push Financial Literacy
Investing is now a family matter with teens looking to invest directly and their parents wanting them to start out the right way, according to the 2026 Schwab Teen Investing Survey. According to new data released today, seven in 10 teenagers (70%), ages 13-17, say they are very or extremely interested in investing and nearly three-quarters (73%) of parents say it is very important for teens to learn about investing.
The research also shows that teens cite parents more than any other source for trusted investing advice (56%), and about a quarter (27%) want their parents to be heavily involved in their investing experience. That trust extends across a range of financial topics: teens say they trust their parents "a lot" when it comes to saving money (62%), being financially responsible (58%), earning money (58%), and explaining financial concepts (51%).
"Investing has never been more accessible, and we're seeing people start earlier than ever. But when investors get started is when education matters most-especially now given the volume of information available, the range of products to evaluate, and the increasingly blurred boundary between investing and gambling. Our goal is to help young investors cut through the noise with the education and support they need to build strong habits from the start," said Jonathan Craig, Head of Retail Investing at Charles Schwab.
Motivations
Teens point to a range of motivations for their interest, from wanting to start building their money as early as possible (45%) to investing toward specific goals like paying for college (34%). Parents are on the same page: they believe investing can help teach financial responsibility (69%), give teens a financial head start (65%), teach important financial concepts (64%), and help avoid financial mistakes in the future (52%).
Reasons teens want to invest
| Reason | Percentage | | --- | --- | | Get started as early as possible with investing and getting more money | 45% | | Pay for college | 34% | | Learn more about how money works | 33% | | Learn how investments work | 33% | | Buy something big, like a car | 30% | | Learn how financial markets work | 28% |
Getting a Head Start
Parents want their kids to get an earlier start with investing than they did. Most parents didn't become aware of investing until they were young adults or older (68%), and half (51%) wish they had started investing earlier. Meanwhile, today's teens are already ahead of the curve: most say they became aware of investing during their pre-teen (44%) or teenage years (37%). Forty-two percent of teens say they first learned about investing from their parents or legal guardians, compared with 30% of parents who say the same about their own experience.
First became aware of investing
| Age | Teens | Parents | | --- | --- | --- | | As a young child (9 years old or younger) | 15% | 1% | | As a pre-teen (10 to 12 years old) | 44% | 5% | | As a teenager (13 to 18 years old) | 37% | 26% |
Both groups agree on the importance of financial education in schools. Sixty-five percent of parents and 50% of teens consider it among the top three most important subjects.
Top three most important subjects to learn in school
Parents
| Subject | Percentage | | --- | --- | | Money Management | 65% | | Math | 62% | | Computer Science/Information Technology | 43% |
Teens
| Subject | Percentage | | --- | --- | | Math | 54% | | Money Management | 50% | | Language Arts | 34% |
A Lot to Learn
Teens are candid about the gaps in their investing knowledge. Only 14% say they know a lot about investing, though 95% describe themselves as at least somewhat interested in learning more. Their top concerns about getting started include losing money because of a bad investment (59%), not knowing what to do when investing (42%), and feeling stress over how their investments might perform (41%).
When it comes to what they do know, teens point to stocks (50%) as the investment type they feel most familiar with. Half (50%) believe investing requires more skill than luck to make money, while 25% aren't sure.
Investments teens feel they know the most about
| Investment | Percentage | | --- | --- | | Stocks | 50% | | Cryptocurrencies | 32% | | Mutual funds and ETFs | 25% | | Certificates of Deposits (CDs) | 23% | | Meme stocks | 23% | | Bonds | 21% |
A Lot to Teach
About half of parents (46%) say they are very comfortable teaching their teens about investing, though most acknowledge that it's no easy task. Sixty-two percent say teaching their kids how to invest is harder than teaching them how to drive a car. Fortunately, it's an effort that has multifaceted benefits: just over half of teens (53%) view investing as a way to bond with their parents.
Many parents are encouraged by what they see in their teens. About half (48%) describe their teens as responsible, and many feel their teens are already outpacing where they were at the same age when it comes to saving money (48%), interest in wanting to invest (39%), understanding basic financial concepts (37%), and interest in learning more about investing (35%).
Top outcomes parents want teens to experience from investing
| Outcome | Percentage | | --- | --- | | Seeing their investments grow | 60% | | Understanding financial responsibility | 59% | | Understanding risk | 53% | | Learning core principles of investing | 49% | | Getting an earlier start on saving and investing than they did | 45% |
Where Parents and Teens Agree, and Where They Don't
Parents and teens agree on a lot when it comes to teen investing, but there are some areas of difference. Both groups agree that the most likely source of money for teens to invest will come from a job (teens: 53%, parents: 68%). And losing money is the top concern for both (teens: 59%, parents: 36%), though parents are less concerned overall. When it comes to investment approach, most parents (61%) prefer investments that have the potential to grow over time and are less likely to lose money quickly - and their teens agree, with 60% saying the same.
Where they diverge is the question of parental involvement. Fifty percent of parents want to be heavily involved in deciding how much money goes into investments, and 52% want to be informed on their teens' portfolio performance. Most teens, meanwhile, prefer a lighter touch: 60% say they would want their parents to be only somewhat involved, and 64% would want their parents to have only a little control over their investment decisions.
Schwab Empowers Young Investors
To empower more teens to reap the benefits of starting to invest early, Schwab recently debuted the Schwab Teen InvestorTM account, a joint brokerage account for young people ages 13 to 17 and their parent or legal guardian. The Schwab Teen Investor account lets teens invest directly and offers age-appropriate education and guardrails. Both parents and teens can monitor the account, trade, and move money in and out. The account provides hands-on experience with Schwab's mobile app, Schwab.com, and the thinkorswim® trading platform-along with access to 24/7 support from Schwab professionals.
For more information about Schwab Teen Investor account, visit www.schwab.com/teen-account.
