Millennials are a study in contrasts. They spend, but they save. They want connectedness but need autonomy. They are stereotyped as lazy and entitled, yet just before the latest recession, fully 72% of Millennial women and 83% of men were employed, and research shows they tend to stay at work with their employers just as long as other generations did at the same age.1
At the same time, Millennials, now the largest living segment of the U.S. population,2 may also be the generation hardest hit by the recent recessions.
By the end of the first half of 2020, Millennials controlled only a little over 5% of the wealth in the United States —while baby boomers and the silent generation together controlled more than 78%.3
Now, at the outset of The Great Wealth Transfer—the intergenerational shift over the next 25 years of as much as $68 trillion dollars in assets, primarily between Baby Boomers and their Gen X and Millennial heirs4—financial advisors are left to decode this seemingly self-contradictory generation in order to establish, build and maintain trusted relationships with its members, whose share of the population is expected to peak around 2033.2
Easier said than done, as the contradictions that partially define Millennials have also generated plenty of misinformation about them.
We’re debunking three popular myths about Millennials so you can better understand how to reach this generation, help them recognize and address their needs, and grow your business.
46% of Millennials said they were still recovering from the Great Recession when the pandemic hit.5 The net effect of two once-in-a-generation recessions hit Millennials even harder than other age groups in the span of little more than a decade—just as they were launching their careers.
Millennials’ recession experiences may affect their investing habits, but they don’t have to think of their investment decisions as an all-or-nothing proposition. Have a conversation surrounding how risk control annuities and portfolio diversification may give them a voice in how to manage risk, protect savings and increase growth potential in ways that align with their personal investment comfort and confidence levels.
While the “You Only Live Once (YOLO)” mindset is a common stereotype applied to Millennials, the numbers point to lower incomes, high housing costs and student debt as major obstacles
to investing.
In fact, 76% of Millennials report that debt is keeping them from achieving their personal and financial goals.9
Regret over past habits is a common experience, with 37% reporting that they learned from many mistakes that harmed their financial well-being.13
borrowed more
than they needed
amassed credit
card debt
didn’t budget
didn’t save enough
overestimated their
expendable income
didn’t have a
financial plan
didn’t contribute to
a retirement fund
41% of Millennials cite their long-term financial future as a source of personal stress.14 Millennials started saving at 24 years old—6 years younger than Generation X, and 9 years younger than when Baby Boomers started saving.9 52% would rather work harder today and retire early, instead of working longer and having more free time now.9
More than half of millennials either have or have considered using emergency savings during the pandemic crisis—but many see a potential opportunity in the crisis, and want to open a new investing account or increase their retirement contributions.5
Help your Millennial clients define and refine what they care about, and introduce them to socially responsible investing (SRI) and social governance standards (ESG) companies they may not be familiar with, but warrant investment consideration. With your guidance, Millennials could end up with the best of both worlds—investments with social impact and solid returns.
28% of Millennials with savings are investing in the market 9
Younger investor groups, including 84% of Millennials, indicate greater interest in aligning their investment portfolios with anticipated trends 16
71% of Millennials claim to embrace change, and 68% said they were optimistic about the opportunities that may be created by influential trends like smart technology and automation 16
Nearly all Millennials (99%) use the internet, and more than 9 out of 10 (93%) own smartphones.17 There’s little doubt these digital natives are more comfortable with technology than previous generations.
In fact, 79% sleep with their phones at their bedsides, and Millennials report checking their phones, on average 150 times per day,18 perhaps fueling the assumption that they are predisposed to favoring technology, even when managing their money.
While they acknowledge the convenience and ease of digital apps for managing their money and investments, Millennials also recognize that as life’s complexities expand beyond the limits of a robo-advisor, the need for an experienced, trusted advisor increases.
Even though 69% of Millennials report that they aren’t working with a professional, as many as 55% say they would consider working with their parents’ financial advisor,11 suggesting an appreciation for the value of experience and expertise.
46% of Millennials have already received or anticipate receiving inheritance money. Of them, 44% intend to use it to fund retirement15
When they inherit money, Millennials are twice as likely as other generations to turn to a professional for financial advice. They are also twice as likely as other generations to seek professional advice when they have children 19
Just over a third (34%) say they get financial advice from friends and family 19
Millennials’ unique income, debt and inheritance circumstances, together with their openness to new ideas and willingness to engage with innovative options like automation and fintech, make them well suited to a holistic, individual and educational approach to financial planning.
Understanding the realities of this group’s needs, expectations and challenges and helping them embrace their financial power is a growing necessity for them, and for your business.
To learn more about harnessing the power of risk control for your clients, visit smartriskcontrol.com, contact your Regional Sales Director or call the CUNA Mutual Annuity Solutions Desk at 877.345.GROW (4769), option 1.
STATISTICAL SOURCES:
1 Pew Research Center, Millennial Life: How Young Adulthood Today Compares with Previous Generations, February 2019.
2 Pew Research Center, Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America’s Largest Generation, April 28, 2020.
3 Federal Reserve, Distribution of Household Wealth in the U.S. Since 1989, Updated October 19, 2020.
4 Cerulli Associates, The Cerulli Report Pre-release, U.S. High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Markets 2018, No date.
5 TD Ameritrade, Covid-19 and Retirement Survey, June 2020.
6 Federal Reserve, Are Millennials Different? November 2018.
7 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Great Recession, Great Recovery? Trends from the Current Population Survey, April 2018.
8 Northwestern Mutual, Planning & Progress Study 2019, 2019.
9 Bank of America, Better Money Habits Millennial Report, Winter 2020.
10 Credit Karma, 85% of Millennials Say They’re too Burned Out to Deal with Their Finances, August 27, 2019.
11 Broadridge, Decoding the Millennial Mindset, 2018.
12 SmartAsset, How Different Generations Spend Money, January 16, 2020.
13 College Finance, Millennial Money Mistakes, No date. https://collegefinance.com/blog/millennial-money-mistakes
14 Deloitte Global, The 2020 Deloitte Global Millennial Survey, 2020.
15 Truist, The 40-year-old Millennial: Focused on Debt Repayment, Travel and Retirement, February 19, 2020.
16 UBS, 3 More Reasons to Talk to Millennials about Thematic Investing, November 18, 2019.
17 Pew Research Center, Millennials Stand Out for Their Technology Use, but Older Generations Also Embrace Digital Life, September 9, 2019.
18 Qualtrics, Millennials and Technology at Home, No date.
19 Schroders, Global Investor Study — Under Ppressure: Investors’ Response to Crisis, 2020.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
This material is informational only and is not investment advice. If you need advice regarding your financial goals and investment needs, contact a financial advisor.
Annuities are long-term insurance products designed for retirement purposes. Many registered annuities offer four main features: (1) a selection of investment options, (2) tax-deferred earnings accumulation, (3) guaranteed lifetime payout options, and (4) death benefit options. Before investing, you should consider the annuity’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. The prospectus contains this and other information. Please read it carefully. To obtain a prospectus, contact your advisor, log onto membersproducts.com, or call 888.888.3940.
All guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer and do not extend to the performance of the underlying accounts which can fluctuate with changes in market conditions.
Annuity contract values, death benefits and other values fluctuate based on the performance of the investment options and may be worth more or less than your total purchase payment when surrendered. Withdrawals may be subject to surrender charges and may also be subject to a market value adjustment (MVA). Withdrawals of taxable amounts are subject to ordinary income tax, and if taken before age 59½ may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty. If you are considering purchasing an annuity as an IRA or other tax-qualified plan, you should consider benefits other than tax deferral since those plans already provide tax-deferred status. The company does not provide tax or legal advice. Contact a licensed professional.
CUNA Mutual Group is the marketing name for CUNA Mutual Holding Company, a mutual insurance holding company, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Annuities are issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company (CMFG Life) and MEMBERS Life Insurance Company (MEMBERS Life) and distributed by their affiliate, CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor, 2000 Heritage Way, Waverly, IA, 50677. CMFG Life and MEMBERS Life are stock insurance companies. MEMBERS® is a registered trademark of CMFG Life. Investment and insurance products are not federally insured, may involve investment risk, may lose value and are not obligations of or guaranteed by any depository or lending institution. All contracts and forms may vary by state, and may not be available in all states or through all broker/dealers.
CMGA-2169391-2-0820-0922