A new year is prompting a new wave of financial curiosity, especially among chronically risk-averse young adults. New
reseach from CivicScience finds that more than one-quarter of U.S. adults say 2026 could be the year they begin investing, and Gen Z is leading the charge.
According to the report, 26% of U.S. adults ages 18 and up say they either plan to start investing within the next six to 12 months or want to begin but don’t yet know how (excluding employer-sponsored retirement plans). Among Gen Z adults ages 18 to 29, interest is far higher, with 42% expressing intent to start investing this year.
For advertisers and media buyers, that intent signals a rare combination of scale, curiosity and openness, particularly among consumers early in their financial journeys.