Parents are increasingly pushing their teenagers to start investing earlier in life, often through joint accounts. This trend is driven by a desire to impart financial literacy and equip their children with a financial safeguard for an unpredictable future. Ian Martin is cited as an example of a teen who began his investment journey by purchasing stocks, highlighting the practical application of this early exposure to the market.
Firms such as Charles Schwab, Acorns Grow, and Greenlight Financial have responded to this demand by introducing teen-focused accounts. These accounts typically involve parental supervision, allowing parents to approve trades, manage debit cards, and set up gamified goals that reward chore completion with funds for investment. These platforms also integrate educational materials, effectively transforming money management into a learning tool for young investors.
According to the 2026 Schwab Teen Investing Survey, 70% of teenagers aged 13-17 express significant interest in investing, and 73% of parents believe it's crucial for teens to learn about it. Parents are often the primary source of trusted investment advice for teens (56%). A significant portion of teens (27%) want their parents to be heavily involved in their investment experiences. This reflects a broader trend where parents want their children to get a head start, with 51% of parents wishing they had started investing earlier themselves. Most parents only became aware of investing as young adults or later (68%), whereas most teens today are learning about it in their pre-teen (44%) or teenage years (37%).
Despite this interest, only 14% of teens feel knowledgeable about investing, though 95% are keen to learn more. Their main concerns include losing money (59%), not knowing where to start (42%), and stress over performance (41%). Half of teens (50%) believe investing is more about skill than luck. While 46% of parents are comfortable teaching investing, 62% admit it's harder than teaching driving. This joint effort is seen as beneficial, with 53% of teens viewing investing as a way to bond with their parents. The Schwab Teen Investor™ account, a joint brokerage account for 13-17 year olds, allows teens to invest directly with parental oversight and provides educational resources. Most parents (68%) and teens (53%) agree that job earnings will be the primary source of investment funds for teens.
