The new generation of investors

Hello friends, and welcome to The Unsophisticated Investor! Brought to you by Scott & Rob, the founders of Shuttle!

If you want to invest alongside the VC funds who've backed breakout companies like Revolut, Asana, JustEat, Bolt, Lets Get Checked, Loom, Runna, Charlotte Tilbury, Deel, Aircall, AngelList, Carta, TransferWise and many more, regardless of your knowledge, network or net worth, join our limited waitlist now.

Now, let’s get into it 👇

Gen Z isn’t waiting for permission to invest.

A recent report by FINRA and the CFA Institute found that one in four Gen Z investors in the U.S. started investing before the age of 18. That’s not just early - it’s unprecedented. And they didn’t start with mutual funds or index trackers. They started with crypto (44%, in fact), meme stocks, and investing apps that made it feel easy to begin - no jargon, no gatekeepers, no condescension.

This generation doesn’t see investing as a privilege reserved for “finance people.” They see it as a tool for freedom. A way to beat inflation. A way to stop trading time for money. They’re curious, digital-native, and unafraid to learn in public. They also come with a different cultural lens: they don’t trust suits, and they don’t wait for someone to hand them a portfolio. They figure it out - on TikTok, Reddit, Discord, and in group chats.

But while the appetite is huge, the ecosystem still treats them like outsiders. Most platforms were designed for older, wealthier users with different goals. Gen Z doesn’t want to retire at 65. They want options in their 30s. And they’re willing to take smart risks if it means getting there.

Locked out of the best opportunities

Gen Z might be financially curious, but they’re not financially included.

Despite their eagerness to invest, many Gen Zs feel that the best opportunities - the ones with real wealth-creation potential, are off-limits. And they’re not wrong. Private markets, where most of the upside in tech and high-growth startups happens, remain tightly gated. If you’re not wealthy, connected, or sitting inside a fund, you’re likely watching from the sidelines.

According to the FINRA/CFA Institute report, a major reason Gen Zs don’t invest is simply that they “don’t feel like they have enough income” or are “living paycheck to paycheck.” But it goes deeper than cash flow. Many also say they “don’t think investing is for people like me.” That’s not a money problem, it’s a design problem. The system was never built with them in mind.

They see VC insiders 100x’ing on deals they never had a chance to access. They watch unicorns like Stripe and OpenAI stay private for over a decade. By the time these companies go public, the biggest returns are long gone, captured by institutions and elite networks.

Gen Z isn’t asking for a free ride, they’re asking for a fair shot. The current system, with its outdated accreditation rules and bias toward legacy wealth, makes that harder than it should be.

DIY finance and the rise of Finfluencers

When the traditional system shuts you out, you build your own playbook.

That’s exactly what Gen Z has done. Instead of waiting for a financial advisor to return their call, they’re getting educated on TikTok. They’re swapping stock tips on Discord. They’re building conviction on Reddit. And yes, sometimes they’re learning from finfluencers with ring lights and Shopify merch. But here’s the thing: it works.

According to research from the FINRA Foundation and the CFA Institute, 48% of Gen Z investors in the U.S. and 53% in Canada use social media to learn about investing. In fact, for many, finfluencers aren’t just a supplement, they’re the spark. Over a third of Gen Z investors say they started investing because of content from a financial influencer.

And it’s not all hype. The most effective voices are the ones that break down complex topics in plain English - explaining, not selling. The same study found that Gen Z places more trust in sources that are clear, transparent, and not trying to push a product. That’s a massive shift from the old-school world of opaque fees and upsells masked as advice.

Are there risks? Of course. Not every creator is credible. But the bigger risk is ignoring this movement entirely. Finfluencers are filling a vacuum left by traditional finance. One that’s been slow to adapt, slow to include, and even slower to speak Gen Z’s language.

The gatekeepers are nervous

Not everyone’s thrilled about Gen Z’s investing awakening.

As younger investors flock to private assets and social media for financial guidance, the traditional finance world is getting twitchy. Regulators, in particular, are raising red flags - warning about potential misinformation, blurred lines between education and promotion, and the risk of retail investors getting in over their heads.

A recent study on finfluencer culture highlights those concerns. Among the top issues: a lack of disclosures, undisclosed sponsorships, and content that feels more like entertainment than education. Financial watchdogs are right to scrutinise this space - there’s a fine line between empowering content and manipulative hype.

But too often, the reaction is to dismiss Gen Z entirely. To frame them as reckless, unserious, or unqualified. And that misses the point.

What’s really happening is a trust gap. The same study found that just 27% of Gen Z investors rely on financial professionals as a trusted source. Why? Because traditional advisors often feel inaccessible, outdated, or driven by incentives Gen Z doesn’t understand, or trust. Instead, they’re turning to voices that feel human, relatable, and upfront about their limitations.

This isn’t just a content problem. It’s a systemic failure to meet a new generation where they are - digitally, culturally, and financially.

Rewriting the rules with tech

If the old system won’t open the door, Gen Z is ready to build a new one.

And increasingly, platforms are meeting them halfway; not with hype, but with clarity. This isn’t about gamifying investing or selling the next meme stock. It’s about removing friction. Explaining risk. Offering access to real opportunities, not just the leftovers from Wall Street.

Mobile-first tools are already central to how Gen Z invests. In fact, 65% of them use investment apps - the highest of any generation, according to the FINRA/CFA report. But usage alone isn’t the whole story. What Gen Z really values is simplicity, autonomy, and transparency. They want to know how things work. They want to make their own choices. And they want to do it without being buried in jargon or in fees.

This is where platforms like Shuttle come in - not by replacing human judgment, but by building better systems around it. We curate quality deals, explain them in plain language, and let users build a portfolio that actually makes sense for their timeline and risk appetite.

And unlike many legacy institutions, we don’t assume Gen Z needs to be protected from investing. We assume they need to be respected while doing it.

If the door won’t open - build a new one

Gen Z isn’t looking for a shortcut. They’re just tired of being told to wait.

Wait until you’ve earned more. Wait until you’ve built a “proper” portfolio. Wait until someone behind a desk decides you’re qualified. But the truth is, the game is rigged to keep them waiting, while the best returns keep compounding elsewhere.

That’s why this generation is turning away from institutions that speak down to them. They’re not asking for handouts. They’re asking for access. For tools that work how they live. For systems that reflect how they learn, think, and take action.

And that’s the opportunity. Not just for Gen Z, but for the future of private markets. The next generation of investors is already here. They’re fluent in tech. Hungry to learn. Willing to take risks. And increasingly, they’re ready to do it on their terms.

At Shuttle, we’re not building for the status quo. We’re building for them.

Because if the door won’t open, we’ll help them build a better one.

What we’ve been working on at Shuttle

• Shortlisting exciting companies for Drop #4 🚀

• Scaling our marketing operations and experimenting with new content types 🧪

• Getting prepared to kick off the authorisation process in the UK 🇬🇧

The Unsophisticated Investor is brought to you by Scott & Rob, the founders of Shuttle. We’re both sick of private markets being a playground exclusive to the ultra-wealthy so we started a company to challenge the status-quo. Shuttle’s singular focus is to unlock private markets for Millennial and Gen Z tech professionals and help them build wealth through the highest performing private market opportunities.

Scott & Rob
Shuttle Co-Founders