Freedom Debt Relief Reveals the Top Three Ways Millennials are Changing the Money Management Landscape

Freedom Debt Relief Reveals the Top Three Ways Millennials are Changing the Money Management Landscape

From fashion trends to technology, millennials are known as being the shakers-up of today’s changing world. Freedom Debt Relief has found that, when compared to older generations, they’re also much more likely to be doing things a little differently when it comes to money management. Here are three of the biggest ways that the millennial generation is mixing things up when it comes to handling their money and balancing their financial health.

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Millennials are saving more for their retirement. Freedom Debt Relief has found that according to statistics, the stereotype that millennials are impulsive and irrational when it comes to money might not be based in fact. A recent study by the TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies has found that a whopping 70% of millennials have already started saving for retirement at age 22, and about the same percentage have opted-in to take advantage of their employer’s 401(k) match program. Researchers believe that this increase in cautious saving for the future stems from the fact that millennials were beginning to come of age during the financial crash of 2008, and seeing their parents worry about their retirement accounts influenced them to remember to save early, less another crash takes away a percentage of their saved investments.

Millennials are saving more- though there’s a divide between the sexes. Freedom Debt Relief has also found that, in addition to retirement savings, millennials are also more likely than previous generations to be saving a larger percentage of their income. However, the amount that they are saving largely depends upon their gender, and is being influenced by the discrepancy in earning power between the sexes. Freedom Debt Relief has found that, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, female workers between the ages of  16 and 24 earn an average of 89 cents on the dollar when compared to their male co-workers- and this disparity in income is affecting savings levels.  Because of the wage gap, 26% of millennial men are saving a portion of their income when compared to only 9% of millennial women. In fact, about 50% of millennial women say that they are saving only 1-9% of their income. Despite this, a higher percentage of millennial workers are saving when compared to previous generations- despite the wage gap.

Millennials are taking finance to the digital landscape. If there’s one thing that millennials know better than any other generation, it’s the power of technology. From online dating sites to Amazon Now, which delivers everything from beef jerky to shower curtains in as little as a single hour from ordering, Freedom Debt Relief has found that millennials low to infuse technology into every part of their life- and finance is certainly no exception. Over the past three years alone, over $1 billion has been invested into tech-driven personal finance companies and start-ups. These companies place emphasis on simple solutions to money management, ease of access, mobile compatibility, and social responsiveness. This new wave of personal finance tools like UpStart and SigFig allow even those with no experience and education in finance to balance budgets, get a loan, or save for an upcoming vacation or retirement- opening up the world of investing to more people than ever before.

Millennials are a driving force of the financial industry- and investors are starting to take notice. An often-criticized generation that’s labeled snobby and entitled, the financial crash of 2008 taught them to be creative and savvy with their money. The future for financial technology- and that of the millennials themselves- certainly looks brighter than ever before.

 

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