Why are so many young investors choosing meme stocks, options trading, and crypto over traditional saving and investing? In this episode of Finerate, CFP® Anastasia Taber and 45-year investment advisor Bill Taber break down the psychology and economics behind the rise of high-risk retail trading and what it says about the state of financial confidence today.

A growing share of investors under 35 say they need to take big financial risks to reach their goals. Anastasia and Bill dig into why: rising home prices, wealth inequality, and a feeling that the slow, steady path - save consistently, invest patiently, wait decades - no longer guarantees the future it once did. Bill shares his read on strategies like buying call options on large-cap stocks, and reflects on how "paying tuition" for a hard lesson in the markets means something very different for a disciplined long-term investor than it does for someone chasing a quick win.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why more investors are embracing high-risk trading strategies instead of traditional investing
How options trading actually works and what the real odds of success look like
Whether Gen Z and millennials are falling behind financially versus feeling that way early on
Why access to zero-commission trading apps changed retail investing forever
How the housing affordability crisis is connected to rising financial risk-taking
What separates destructive risk-taking from productive risk-taking
What a healthier alternative to "swinging big" looks like

If you're curious about the meme-stock economy, wondering if you're behind on your own financial goals, or just want a grounded take on why so many people are gambling on their financial future, this episode offers real perspective from two financial professionals who've seen market cycles come and go.

Finerate is a financial education community helping people move from financial anxiety to financial confidence.

Join the waitlist at getfinerate.com.

Resources:

Gen Z Traders Go For Broke in Pursuit Of A New American Dream

Related Episodes:

Is Investing in the Stock Market the Same as Gambling?

What Really Makes Us Happy? Insights from Yale's Science of Well-Being, Part One