Teen Traders, Good or Bad?

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Recently, Fidelity announced that it is launching a Fidelity Youth Account for 13 to 17 years old.  The no-fee account allows teenagers to buy and sell stocks, exchange traded funds and Fidelity mutual funds. Fidelity pitches this new business as an education opportunity for teens to learn how to manage their money. So, should we cheer for the news that the brokerage house now allows teens to trade stocks? Not so fast.

First, since the start of pandemic last year, many of the new retail investors who entered the stock market are younger investors. Of the 4.1 million new accounts that Fidelity added in the first quarter of 2021, 1.6 million were opened by retail investors 35 and younger, an increase of more than 222% from a year prior, according to CNBC. Now, by allowing teens to trade stocks, is this another tactic for brokerage houses to attract money of even younger demographics?

Second, the name no-fee account is misleading. This could give teens the impression that trading is free. It could also encourage some investors to trade more. Numerous studies in the past have shown that frequent trading by timing the markets are detrimental to average investors’ long-term investment success.

Third, I am all for educating teens on sensible personal finance, but I think this time, it does the opposite of fostering good financial habit. According to a recent industry report that most of the Generation Z investors, people who were born between 1997 and 2015, get their investment advice from social media such as TikTok. Want to know what this means for investment world? Look no further than GameStop stock bubble earlier this year. This kind of investing habits are not unique to Gen Z investors. Think about how many of us who make investment decisions based on the “advice” or “tips” gotten from friends, coworkers, and/or online social media groups.

All in all, what I see from Fidelity’s latest venture is not a boon for teens and their families. If we really want to educate our teens on personal finance, teaching them the good habits of saving and budgeting, and understanding the impacts of personal debt are much more important than knowing how to trade stocks at this age.