We know the familiar script all too well: Graduate, secure a job, get married, buy a house, then start a family. But the last five or so years have left people feeling economically rattled — enough so that some of these milestones are getting delayed, re-ordered or pushed out altogether, especially for the younger cohort.
According to Breanna Seech, CFP at Mariner Wealth Advisors, her Gen Z clients are prioritizing investing over more traditional financial milestones. Recent data backs this up, too: Researchers at JPMorganChase Institute found that, from 2015 to 2024, the share of 25-year-olds using investment accounts jumped from just 6% to 37%. Stocks have become more attractive and accessible than home equity, the researchers…