The 2026 Charles Schwab Teen Investing Survey, conducted with Logica Research, explores how teens and parents are thinking about investing, financial literacy and long-term financial habits. Coverage from InvestmentNews, PlanAdvisor, The Wealth Advisor and ThinkAdvisor highlighted themes including earlier exposure to investing, financial education, parental guidance and concerns around speculation and gambling-like behaviors online.

Teens are learning about investing earlier

Coverage in InvestmentNews highlighted findings showing that many teens are becoming aware of investing earlier than previous generations. While 68% of parents surveyed said they did not become aware of investing until they were young adults or older, 44% of teens said they first learned about investing as preteens.

The study found that 70% of teens ages 13 to 17 said they were very or extremely interested in investing, while 73% of parents said it is very important for teens to learn about investing. Teens cited motivations including building wealth early, paying for college and learning how financial markets work.

Parents and financial education remain central

InvestmentNews also reported that parents were the most trusted source of investing guidance among teens, with 56% of teens identifying parents as their go-to resource for investing advice.

Coverage from PlanAdvisor connected the study’s findings to broader conversations around financial education in schools. The Schwab study found that 65% of parents and 50% of teens ranked money management among the most important subjects to learn in school. At the same time, the study uncovered that only 14% of teens said they know a lot about investing, despite strong interest in learning more.

Coverage explored concerns around speculation and gambling

Several outlets connected the findings to concerns about speculative investing content online. InvestmentNews referenced Schwab’s comments about the “blurred boundary between investing and gambling,” while The Wealth Advisor included commentary about meme stocks, crypto and “get rich quick” investing culture targeting younger audiences. The study found that 60% of teens preferred investments that grow over time and are less likely to lose money quickly.

New investing tools for younger investors

This study was released in conjunction with news about the Schwab Teen Investor account. ThinkAdvisor focused on this, sharing about Schwab’s joint brokerage account for teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents or legal guardians. The account includes educational tools, parental monitoring features and restrictions on higher-risk investment products.

To learn more, access the study here: Schwab Teen Investing Survey 2026

About the study

The 2026 Schwab Teen Investing Survey was conducted in partnership with Logica Research. The online survey was conducted from October 13 through October 27, 2025, among a national sample of 2,000 Americans, including 1,000 parents of teenagers and 1,000 teenagers ages 13 to 17.