Survey - Millennials are as Financially Conservative as Generation Born During Great Depression

UBS Wealth Management Americas (WMA) yesterday released its quarterly UBS Investor Watch report, that shows Millennials (people ages 21-36) are the most fiscally conservative generation since the Great Depression. While Millennials describe their risk tolerance as either conservative or somewhat conservative (34%), their average asset allocation is extremely conservative, with the average portfolio dedicating 52% to cash, compared to 23% cash for other investors.

“They have a Depression Era mindset largely because they experienced market volatility and job security issues very early in their careers, or watched their parents experience them, and it has had a significant impact on their attitudes and behaviors.”

The majority of Millennials said saving was the best financial advice they had received, while other generations said investing was the best. This Depression Era mentality combined with advice they get from family is turning Millennials into a generation of savers who are skeptical about long-term investing and market chasing. Only 12% of Millennials said they would invest found money in the market, and only 28% see long-term investing as a pathway to success and are focused on meeting their goals instead of a specific market return.

"Millennials seem to be permanently-scarred by the 2008 financial crisis," said Emily Pachuta, Head of Investor Insights, UBS Wealth Management Americas. "They have a Depression Era mindset largely because they experienced market volatility and job security issues very early in their careers, or watched their parents experience them, and it has had a significant impact on their attitudes and behaviors."

What is success

UBS Investor Watch research insights shatter other stereotypes about the Millennial generation. A large majority believe the road to success requires hard work (69%), saving and living frugally (45%), and a good education (37%). When it comes to defining success, Millennials and other generations have added emotional and relationship factors and life experiences to the traditional financial definition.

But money clearly matters to Millennials, who say financial freedom is the single most important factor of success (48%) and say that a household income of $220,000 defines success, and that increased funds would notably improve their happiness, specifically an additional $1 million. While all generations feel successful, only Millennials are decidedly more optimistic about their own – and their children’s – ability to be successful in the future.

“Conventional wisdom has categorized Millennials as ‘entitled’ and ‘lazy’ because they have more than their parents and grandparents did. But this study counters that hypothesis,” says Pachuta. “Having witnessed both the technology boom and the collapse of global markets, it has madeMillennials concerned, but resilient, and optimistic for the future. They’re conservative, similar to the WWII generation coming out of the Great Depression, not resting on their laurels, but rather working hard for their wealth and success, making sacrifices because they believe their goals are achievable.”

Millennials as worried about parents as parents are worried about them

As a result of seeing their parents' retirement and investing plans seriously disrupted by unprecedented market volatility, concerns about parents rank near the top of Millennials' personal financial concerns. Millennials are more concerned about their parents' financial situations (21%) when compared to Gen X (15%) and Boomers (4%).

Questions about financial stability and the ability of younger generations to succeed on their own exposed the most divergent perspectives on money and success. While the majority of both Millennials (57%) and Gen X (56%) investors believe that they already have achieved financial stability, or will in the future, only 18% of Baby Boomers and 21% of Swing/WWII investors predict that their children currently or will have more financial stability than they have.

The majority of older generations (59% of Baby Boomers and 54% of Swing/WWII-era investors) also feel that their adult children need more help to succeed than they did at their age. As a result, they often provide financial (32% of Swing/WWII; 39% of Baby Boomers) and emotional (63% Swing/WWII; 59% of Baby Boomers) support.

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