A Quarter Of Americans Admit They Want To Invest But Don't Know How — Here's The First Move Pros Tell Nervous Beginners To Make

A Quarter Of Americans Admit They Want To Invest But Don't Know How — Here's The First Move Pros Tell Nervous Beginners To Make
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
More than 1 in 4 U.S. adults say 2026 is the year they finally get off the sidelines and into the stock market, or at least want to.
In a CivicScience survey issued late January, 26% of Americans 18 and over say they either plan to start investing within the next six to 12 months or would like to start but don't know how, excluding workplace plans like a 401(k).
It's a snapshot of a large group that sees investing as the next logical step but hasn't yet found a clear way to begin.
That wave is being powered by younger adults. CivicScience finds that 42% of Gen Z respondents ages 18 to 29 say they're ready to start investing this year.
Many are already researching on their phones, turning to search engines and social media rather than to banks or financial news sites when they want information about financial products.
At the same time, their basic money worries look familiar. Managing day‑to‑day living expenses still tops the list, and those planning to start investing are more than twice as likely as current investors to say improving their credit score is a leading source of financial stress. Fewer than half of those planning to begin investing this year say they feel confident they're saving enough to live comfortably in retirement, which helps explain why investing is on their radar in the first place.
For people in that position, financial professionals often start with one step—open an investing account. Before comparing individual stocks or funds, it helps to have a place where new contributions can actually go. Completing the basics—choosing a platform, setting up an account, linking a bank—turns investing from an idea into something concrete you can act on.
Once the account is open, making a small, automatic transfer each month is a common next move. A recurring contribution, even at a low dollar amount, builds the habit of paying yourself first and reduces the pressure to pick the ‘right' moment to start. That's essentially dollar‑cost averaging; putting the same amount into the market on a schedule, rather than trying to time every high and low.
Because so many new investors are coming through search and social, they tend to look for tools they can manage themselves, in small increments, from a phone. Self‑directed platforms that offer zero‑commission stock and ETF trades, fractional shares and no account minimums can make that first account‑opening step much easier. SoFi's self‑directed investing account is one option in that category.
Investors can buy and sell stocks and ETFs without commissions, start with just a few dollars using fractional shares and manage everything in a single app.
For a limited time, SoFi is also offering new investors up to $1,000 in stock when they open and fund a self‑directed account. For someone in that ‘want to start, not sure how' group, having an account in place, a small automatic transfer set up and an initial stock grant to manage can make the jump from ‘I should invest' to ‘I've actually started' much smaller.
Image: Shutterstock
This article A Quarter Of Americans Admit They Want To Invest But Don't Know How — Here's The First Move Pros Tell Nervous Beginners To Make originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.