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This year has been tough for many parents, with job losses mounting and inflation slow to subside.
But kids are a bright spot amidst all this, according to Greenlight’s family money app.
The company says that in 2025, Greenlight children and youth up to the age of 17 will have invested more than $70 million, an increase of 65% from last year. We also doubled our recurring automatic investments, increasing our average purchase transaction size in 2024 from $39.70 to $49.56.
Whether they earn it through paychecks or allowances, children are saving and investing more at a younger age, Greenlight said. The average age of Greenlight’s young investors is 12 years old.
“When I was 15 years old, I started learning how to invest, and over time I became an increasingly better investor,” said Tim Sheehan, co-founder and CEO of Greenlight. “Learning to be a smart investor like Warren Buffett or Peter Lynch is the way to build real wealth…We want everyone to be able to become smart investors and build wealth.”
What are children investing in?
As expected, kids spend money on what they know and love best: technology.
Top individual holdings include artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia, iPhone maker Apple, e-commerce giant Amazon and electric car maker Tesla, according to Greenlight data. The kids are also heavily invested in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which has about 40% in tech stocks.
Bitcoin also received love from teens this year. According to Greenlight, the Bitcoin ETF has jumped to 12th place on the list of top holdings, up from 21st place last year.
What are they saving for?
Top 10 reasons why kids saved in 2025:
- car
- college
- computer
- savings
- bicycle
- holiday
- clothing
- phone
- emergency
- console games
are they spending money?
Teens continue to spend money, but their spending is becoming more intentional, in line with broader trends among adults, Greenlight said.
That means thrift, retro scores, and thoughtful bargain hunting have taken over. Children doubled their spending on online buying and selling platform Depop to $7.2 million from 2024, and their spending on discount retailer Five Below rose 196% to $7.8 million, according to Greenlight data.
However, there is one perk they will continue to pay for. It’s a concert. Last year, kids spent more than $3.6 million to see their favorite singers live.
Will the children be able to stay on track?
Greenlight predicts that kids will continue to build on these trends next year. Especially since the survey found that half of children say they want to have money to buy a home or business by the age of 25, and 67% think they will be as financially well off as their parents or better off than their parents.
“As we head into 2026, we expect to see more conversations about money, including how to manage, grow, and protect money,” said Jennifer Seitz, director of education at Greenlight. Children “love to see their money grow, and parents love it, too, because they can channel this ambition into long-term, healthy financial habits.”
Medora Lee is USA TODAY’s money, markets and personal finance reporter. Please contact mjlee@usatoday.com. Subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday morning.
