Gen Z manages their money online, these three apps are made just for them
TL;DR
- Gen Z is starting to earn money and learning to manage it is a top priority for them
- YPulse data shows the majority of Gen Z say they prefer using an app to manage their money
- Gen Z likes personalized services, so new apps designed for the gen are customizing financial planning to suit each unique user
Anything Gen Z wants to do, they can and will find an app for, and managing their finances is no exception. In January YPulse told you the top skills the younger gens were looking to learn in the new year, and managing their money / finances was one of their top responses. Growing up in the wake of the Great Recession, Gen Z is looking to be responsible with their money as they age into making it. And they are entering their paycheck years: our Finance / Spending Monitor report shows that 29% of Gen Z currently have a paying job.
Our data also shows their average monthly take-home pay is up more than $600 from last year. In line with this drastic increase, YPulse’s FinTech report shows that 44% of Gen Z is managing their own finances, up from 32% last year, and the majority of them are doing it on their phones.
With unlimited options for online banking, 53% of Gen Z prefer to use an app to track their finances. As with so many other milestones, though, Gen Z wants to do things their own way, with apps that cater to their personalities, media interests, and financial goals. The smartest brands are doing what they can to adapt to the younger generation’s preferences, like these apps who are ready to welcome Gen Z to the finance world:
QUIRK
Quirk is a finance app designed specifically for Gen Z and wants to help them take on spending and saving with a unique approach. We know that the majority of young people are turning to social media for financial advice, which is why Quirk created their community on TikTok, where they’ve amassed more than 30K followers (which has turned into 10K active users).
Through a three-minute personality test, the app categorizes users into one of four financial personality types to provide specific advice. Because both younger gens are interested in personalized products and services, personality quizzes are a perfect marketing tool to attract them, and we’ve seen their success in other industries.
According to Nafeesa Jafferjee, co-founder and Chief of Product at Quirk, “Using all the capabilities that online technology can offer, we’ve built Quirk as a uniquely effective new solution, and the evidence so far is Gen Z loves it.”
Quirk is going beyond simply banking and investing, teaching young people what specifically to do with their money for their personal life situations. The company recognized there’s no “one size fits all” answer when it comes to finances and everyone comes from a different background leading them to have different financial goals that align with their environments/lifestyle. They say “budgets are restrictive and focus on the past,” which is why they help users to create a “guilt-free” spending plan instead. What’s more, the app is free—unlike many traditional financial services.
UPRISE
Uprise is a soon-to-launch app that focuses on personalization just like Quirk, but stands out by incorporating human financial experts in addition to algorithms. Though it may come as a surprise to make the involvement of real advisors a focus for the tech-gen, this is a huge advantage, as 66% of Gen Z tell YPulse they would rather have a human advisor manage their finances than a robo-advisor. According to founder Jessica Chen Riolfi, the app aims to help Gen Z to not have to “wade through the mess of content that’s out there,” and instead tailor it so they can say “this is exactly what I should do.”
Uprise makes recommendations “based on that historical data and best practices,” to help Gen Z learn how to make their money grow. YPulse data shows that 56% of Gen Z say the way previous generations made wealth will not work for them, but they’re still interested in investing and saving. Uprise will make suggestions like transferring certain amounts to various accounts or that a user increase their 401(k) contribution to take full advantage of a company match. There’s currently 7,000 on the waiting list for this app, which has garnered $1.4 million in seed funding—but it’ll be up to Gen Z if they love what it has to offer once launched.
ZEED
“Finfluencers” are trusted by young people, with 26% of Gen Z saying they trust TikTok specifically to give them good financial advice. While brands themselves have started creating educational content about financial literacy and investing on social media apps, there’s still plenty of creators who might be leading these young investors astray. London-based startup Zeed defines themselves as “TikTok meets investing”—what could be more perfect for financial minded Gen Zers?
They know as well as we do that short-form videos are a favorite of the younger gen, so Zeed is likely making the right decision to copy the style of the most popular video-based app. Like Uprise, Zeed hasn’t launched just yet, but is looking to be available in both the U.S. and U.K. later this month, and they’re recruiting users through the platform they’re competing with.
Citing misinformation on social sites, Zeed is aiming to legitimize short-form video content by creating a platform that boasts verified creators and fact-checked videos, which will appear alongside its more traditional stock trading service. They say they’ve “found that the primary barrier to investing for young people is information,” which may be the reason the majority of Gen Z tells YPulse they just want to put their money in a fund and forget about it. However, 61% also believe investing in the stock market will pay off, so Zeed may be the key to their next financial leap.
