At 16, San Diego sophomore Lucas Schalch checks the stock market every day and says he started investing at age 12 with just $50. He runs the finance club at Cathedral Catholic High School and launched the Foundations of Finance Project to teach classmates about money. His routine is part of a broader shift, as Gen Z and younger millennials increasingly jump into investing earlier than previous generations.
Speaking with NBC San Diego, Schalch said, “It really doesn't make sense to wait,” pointing to investing apps and fractional shares as what make it practical to get started young. According to NBC San Diego, he often turns to social media and YouTube to learn, and he has given a TEDx talk at his school to promote financial literacy.
Apps and fractional shares lower the bar
Mobile brokerages and fractional-share options let teens buy pieces of expensive stocks with only a few dollars, which makes investing feel realistic even on a homework-and-part-time-job budget. According to Bankrate, custody accounts, low minimums and fractional investing are key reasons teenagers can start investing under parental supervision.
Brokers are racing to sign young customers
Financial firms are rolling out products aimed directly at teenagers. Charles Schwab, for instance, introduced a Teen Investor joint account this spring that lets parents and teens trade together, while other brokerages expand their own youth-friendly options. Schwab’s internal survey found that about 70% of teens express a strong interest in investing, a statistic the company leans on as it markets new accounts, according to Charles Schwab.
Why younger investors are starting earlier
Research and reporting point to a mix of cultural and economic forces behind the trend. Younger people are steeped in market talk on social media, and many are already eyeing housing costs and inflation in their future, which makes building wealth sooner look more urgent than it did for older generations. A World Economic Forum analysis and recent journalism note that Gen Z tends to begin investing earlier than past generations.
Schools move to teach real-world money skills
California is trying to meet the moment in the classroom. Under AB 2927, the state is directing districts to offer a standalone personal-finance semester beginning in 2027–28 and to phase in a graduation requirement for the class of 2030–31. The rollout plan, curriculum guidance and grant funding for early adopters are detailed by the California Department of Education.
Guardrails matter as interest grows
Experts warn that social-media-fueled excitement around investing can slide into risky behavior, so parents and educators are urged to pair access with education and oversight. The FINRA Foundation and other organizations have documented the influence of social media on young investors and offer resources to verify advice and teach fundamentals such as diversification and long-term planning.
In San Diego, students like Schalch are channeling curiosity into clubs and workshops that try to give peers a safer introduction to markets. As brokerages and schools rush to meet that interest, what happens in local classrooms and around family kitchen tables will help decide whether early investing becomes a genuine head start or just another passing online fad.
