More teenagers are learning about stocks, investing and personal finance years before they are old enough to open brokerage accounts on their own.
For 16-year-old Lucas Schalch, checking the stock market has already become part of his daily routine. The Cathedral High School sophomore is part of a growing trend among Gen Z and younger millennials who are becoming interested in investing at an earlier age.
“For me, it really started more out of curiosity,” Lucas said.
Young investors today have access to online trading platforms and apps that previous generations did not.
“Robinhood, as well as accounts like Fidelity and Schwab. A lot of brokerage accounts have online platforms that make it easy, especially on your iPhone,” Lucas said.
Apps now allow investors to buy fractional shares with just a few dollars, lowering the barrier to entry for beginners.
“I really started with 50 bucks, so really small, but even with that foundation, I started to add more and more as I started to learn more,” Lucas said.
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Lucas said he began investing in the stock market four years ago, when he was 12, with his parents’ consent. He said investing no longer feels like something reserved for Wall Street professionals.
“It really doesn’t make sense to wait. The math actually works in your favor because the more time you have, the more your money can grow over time,” Lucas said.
At the same time, Lucas said many Gen Z teens feel financial pressure earlier than previous generations because of concerns about inflation, housing costs and future debt.
“I think a lot of adults tend to think that we’re too young to start learning these things, and I’m an advocate of early investing and early financial literacy,” Lucas said.
Lucas runs the finance club at Cathedral High School and recently gave a TEDx talk during the school’s TEDx CCHS event. He also started a student-led initiative called the Foundations of Finance Project, which hosts financial literacy workshops at schools across San Diego County.
“Kids are starting to become more interested in finance and investing. And these things aren’t always taught in their regular classroom,” Lucas said.
California lawmakers recently approved a requirement that all public and charter high schools offer a standalone personal finance course by the 2027-2028 school year. Topics will include budgeting, taxes, credit, saving, and investing.
Lucas said young investors should focus on companies and products they already know and use.
“Like your iPhone. Put it into Apple instead of maybe buying that newest iPhone. Or Nike instead of always buying the newest shoes. And with that, you’re going to see the return on investment is much greater,” Lucas said.
Lucas said he often uses social media and YouTube to learn about investing ideas but said it is important to do independent research before making financial decisions.
“People in Gen Z are trying to build more wealth at an early age as to maybe taking more traditional pathways. I’ve seen a lot of things like e-commerce and day trading and I think a lot of these stem from the fact that you can learn it quickly and that there is potential to make a lot of money,” Lucas said.
For Lucas, investing is not about becoming rich overnight. He said it is about learning financial independence early and preparing for a future his generation believes may be more uncertain than the one their parents faced.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.
