These Gen Z-ers are choosing ETFs over sports bets. How younger investors told us they're building wealth.

Gen Z investors are leaning toward mainstream tools rather than sports-bet-style speculation, according to brokerage data, surveys, and interviews. Tulane freshman Deon Radcliff Jr. opened a brokerage and a high-yield savings account on his 18th birthday in August, using about $16,000 in cash from scholarships. He earmarked $9,000 for an S&P 500 index fund, AI stocks, gold, and real-estate investment trusts, aiming to graduate debt-free with $250,000 in assets. Charles Schwab reports that 65% of its Gen Z clients planned to add money to portfolios by late summer 2026, with ETFs the most popular. Robinhood likewise says younger clients favor ETFs.