generation z woman holding cash

Why I love Generation Z

Curtis HaighBlog

girl smiling holding cash

Generation Z’er counting her money with a big smile

Why I love Generation Z.

First, who is Gen Z? Generation Z are generally accepted as those individuals who were born between 1995 and 2012.

Why do I love them so much?

They get it. Generation Z is ‘woke’, especially when it comes to money.  I talk to a lot of different people, and the most optimism I have seen when it comes to money management is definitely coming from this generation.

Generation Z makes up for a larger amount of the population than Millennials, so a relatively untapped generation with huge potential when it comes to money. Some experts believe that Gen Z may have a better handle on their finances than their predecessors.

They Love Saving Money

According to decluttr.com, nearly half of Gen Z’ers already have a savings account. 70% say financial security is a top priority, and 68% plan to make smarter financial decisions than prior generations.  If Gen Z keeps up this trend, they will be better off financially than their millennial counterparts.

They are generally frugal

It was originally thought that because Gen Z had grown up in a tech savvy world, they would crave the latest and greatest tech which would drive a lot of consumer spending.  Such is not the case, tech savvy Gen Z uses that technology to seek out the best deals on consumer goods and often finds frugality driving spending decisions.  With so many cost effective options available, Gen Z seeks out the most cost effective solution rather than the most flashy solution saving money.

They are hard workers

According to Monster.com 76% of Gen Z respondents described themselves as responsible for driving their own career. Gen Z seems less concerned about work-life balance than the millennial generation. Rather, Gen Z wants to work harder and longer hours in order to secure their financial future. It’s no surprise that employers are excited to have Gen Z’ers work for them as part of their labour force.

They are wary of debt

Gen Z is not into debt, according to the Chicago Tribune. Gen Z has seen the high cost of student and consumer debt, and they are not excited to join that. This generation is concerned about student loans. They seek out the actual cost of education vs the career itself, and choose their vocation based on how much they will make. Perhaps two or three degrees is less important to this generation than a rewarding career?

Gen Z knows what can go wrong

Generation Z is more thoughtful about how tough life can get based on socio-economic factors than their predecessors.  Some members were only 10 years old when the great recession hit.  They say how hard it was for their parents during that time, especially those with big mortgages and debt.  On the other hand, their predecessors (Millennials) grew up in relative boom times in the 90’s and 2000’s.  Gen Z does not want to see a personal repeat of financial hardships caused by forces beyond their control.

 

We believe, as a firm, that we are truly independent and align our interests with many of the same principals of this generation. Do the right thing, be honest and act with integrity and purpose. Perhaps that is why our interests align so well with Generation Z and why we enjoy working with them so much!