By Jeremy Baber, CEO of Lanistar
Investing has evolved since the days of safe blue-chip stocks and government bonds. There’s a new wave of bold investors who have been inspired by the accessibility and ease-of-use offered by fintech innovation. According to Charles Schwab UK’s Investment Forces report, this new generation of investors is taking a bolder approach. Dubbed ‘Gen T’, this generation is taking a pass on the slow game, and the influence of fintech has helped them gain the confidence to do so.
A new way to invest
Investing in stocks has been a route to growing cash for hundreds of years. Since the opening of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 1602, the fundamental principles of investment have essentially stayed the same. Investors balance risk and reward to maximise their return on investment. What has changed, particularly in the last decade, is that the ability to invest has become a much more democratised process, with many more people able to educate themselves on investment strategies and access a wide array of online investment platforms. Fintech has been a crucial component of this change.
What fintech offers consumers is an intuitive, tech-fuelled approach to finance with a focus on simplicity. At its core, fintech is consumer-centric, placing the user at the heart of all its products. It has also brought on a new wave of technological innovation to the financial world, producing the next generation of apps and platforms. Consumers today not only have access to a wide array of investment platforms that are simple and easy to use, but they also have greater access to financial education resources. A strong example of the broader range of investment options available today is micro-investing platforms, which allow their users to invest small sums into a diversified portfolio of assets that might include stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or even cryptocurrencies. This market continues to grow year on year, valued at $19 billion in 2023.
From the fintech wave has emerged a new way to invest. Investment platforms make use of the latest innovative technologies, like real-time data and analytics and automation, to deliver a hyper personalised customer experience that makes investing simpler and easier than ever before. In simple terms, these platforms are built using the fintech model.
Staying financially literate in a chaotic world
Whilst ‘Gen T’ are demonstrating behaviours closer to professional traders, according to Charles Schwarb UK’s report, they also harbour strong concerns over whether investment strategies will lead to heavy losses. Where 50% of boomers said they were unsure of how to adapt their investment strategies to avoid losses, 74% of millennials and 73% of Gen Z said the same. In this way, whilst investing has become easier and more accessible, younger and more inexperienced investors are feeling the heat of today’s turbulent financial markets.
Just as fintech helped to democratise access to investing, it also needs to ensure that all investors – from teenagers to old-age pensioners – are financially literate enough to know what they are investing in. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation found that just 67% of UK adults were financially literate. This places the UK 15th out of 29 OECD countries for financial literacy. At a time where living costs are sky high and many people are struggling with their finances, it is crucial that financial services providers help to educate their customers and increase the UK’s financial literacy rates. In its customer-centric and highly personalised approach, fintech can lead the way with helping the UK to become more financially literate.
Some fintechs have already started to turn the wheel on financial literacy, providing educational resources within their apps and products. Data and analytics are also key to financial literacy, helping consumers to understand their specific spending habits and support them in making extra savings. When it comes to investing, there have been examples of apps that allow customers to set aside their savings to create portfolios, promoting a sustainable method of investing. Ultimately, where fintechs will deliver the most value to consumers is in providing a truly personalised and simple way to understand their finances.
Fintech’s enduring role
Times have changed, and with a new era of investing being ushered in by an array of new apps and products, the financial services industry must take steps to protect its customers. Whilst it’s a good thing that investing has become easier and more accessible, those who are signing away their savings must be protected. Regulation will play a key role, and the FCA has already enacted some encouraging work in its Consumer Duty regulation brought on in July 2023.
How we as an industry choose to enact this protection will be crucially important in the next decade. I am confident that just as it played a large role in democratizing investing, fintech will be a significant player in the continuing to shape the investing market in the future.
