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Consumer Insights: Money & Investing

Consumer Insights on Money and Investing is a research series exploring trends and circumstances affecting the way Americans manage and invest their money.

What Really Spooks Americans? Money.
More than anything, U.S. adults worry about money. This includes having enough set aside for emergencies, saving for long-term goals and just being able to make ends meet from day to day. Money worries such as these have consequences for people’s health, relationships and ability to make important life changes. The findings are based on a nationally representative survey conducted in fall 2023.

New Investors 2022: Entering the Market in Novel and Traditional Ways
In this study, the FINRA Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago explore differences between new investors who joined the market in 2020 and those who joined in 2021-2022. It also examines the experiences of investors who entered the market in 2021-2022 through purchasing cryptocurrencies.

Where Are They Now? Following Up With the New Investors of 2020
This study examines the changes that investors who began investing in 2020 experienced two years later, in 2022. The longitudinal data provides insights into shifts in new investors’ knowledge, goals, information sources, and portfolio holdings.

Investors Say They Can Change The World, If They Only Knew How: Six Things To Know About ESG and Retail Investors
In this study, the FINRA Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago examine retail investors’ understanding and approaches to ESG investing, including their familiarity with ESG, the importance they assign to the different components of ESG (especially relative to financial considerations) and their investing behaviors. The study also looks closely at demographic differences related to investors’ environmental, social and governance considerations.

Measuring Investing Knowledge
When testing investing knowledge, language matters. This study from the FINRA Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago suggests that investing jargon commonly used in assessments can hide what female, African American, and Hispanic/Latino consumers really know about investing.

Investing 2020: New Accounts and the People Who Opened Them
During 2020, as the COVID-19 virus spread worldwide, retail investors in the U.S. flocked to the markets using taxable investment accounts. This study from the FINRA Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago examines the diversity, investing goals, behaviors, information sources and knowledge of these new investment account openers.

The Impact of Pandemic-Related Volatility on Stock Market Expectations and Participation
In the wake of extreme market volatility brought on by the pandemic in the first part of 2020, optimism about investing and belief in the resilience of the stock market remained high, with one in five Americans indicating an increased interest in investing.

African-American and Hispanic/Latino Responses to Pandemic-Related Volatility in the Stock Market
While the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated market volatility have far-reaching consequences for many Americans, research indicates that there may be differential effects among African-American and Hispanic/Latino communities. This brief examines how communities of color responded to market conditions during the first half of 2020.

 

Research Center

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National Financial Capability Study 

Check out the NFCS data and reports to gain insights into the financial capability of U.S adults. 

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Smart Investing Courses

Explore six short courses, available at no cost and focused on topics to increase your investing knowledge.

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Test Your Knowledge

See how your financial and investing knowledge stacks up nationally and against others in your state.

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FINRA Investor Resources

Whether you are new to investing or an experienced investor, FINRA offers free online tools and resources to support you through your investing journey.

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