Survey: Gen Z, millennials gravitate towards investments for wealth building
Younger Americans have different outlooks on building wealth than their older counterparts.
According to U.S. Bank’s new wealth survey, Gen Z and millennials continue to value long-term goals such as home ownership and having enough money to retire comfortably, but many seek alternative paths to building wealth.
A majority of Gen Z (76%) and millennials (79%) believe the best way to save for their long-term goals is to invest traditionally. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z (62%) and millennials (61%) believe the stock market is a more realistic path to wealth than owning a home, compared to 51% of Gen X and 45% of baby boomers.
Forty-eight percent of Gen Z and 47% of millennials say newer investment options such as cryptocurrency are more appealing than traditional investments, although 30% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials report declining trust in cryptocurrency during the past year. A third (33%) of Gen Z and 29% of millennials say their trust in traditional stocks has increased.
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Despite the strategies, more than half (56%) of Gen Z say they feel they have done everything "right" but aren’t where they hoped to be financially, while 62% say they struggle to make financial progress.
U.S. Bank also noted that families are helping support major financial milestones. Nearly seven-in-10 (68%) parents have provided or plan to provide support for major life milestones such as buying a home, starting a family or launching a business.
"Many younger Americans aren't abandoning traditional financial goals – they're adapting how they pursue them," said Scott Ford, president of U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "They're starting earlier, actively seeking information and exploring multiple ways to build wealth, with families increasingly providing support for major financial milestones along the way."
Additional highlights from U.S. Bank’s survey include the following:
•Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans say investing feels more complicated than it used to, while 66% feel pressure to keep up with investment trends and 75% say they want more guidance when deciding where to invest.
•Nearly half of Americans (44%) qualify as “First Generation Wealth Builders,” meaning they grew up without family members modeling wealth-building behaviors and do not expect to inherit significant wealth.
•Just 14% have used generative artificial intelligence tools for financial guidance, and 18% have turned to financial apps, compared with 33% who use online search. Among those who have used generative AI, 4% say it was their most useful resource.
The 2026 U.S. Bank Wealth Survey was conducted between June 15 and July 1, 2026 among 5,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.
