Older generations vocally scoff at the inability of millennials to afford needs such as a house, healthcare, insurance, or a college degree. Despite being the most accepting, most diverse, and most flexible generation, millennials carry a heavier load of responsibilities. Exposure to a wealth of financial services and products allows them to become the wealthiest generation, yet pressure from the current economic and socio-political climates limits them.
Millennials and Their Unique Financial Traits
According to one study, millennials exhibit 8 unique traits that influence their level of involvement in personal finances. They’re considered the least to be happy in their current financial situation. They worry about student loans and 80% have existing long-term debts, while 30% have overdrawn their accounts and dealt with overdraft fees. More than 20% made loans against their retirement funds while 42% used one or more forms of alternative financial services. Despite all that, 73% still don’t seek financial advice.
Millennials Deserve More Credit
A different study says otherwise. Due to technological advancement and awareness of the rising cost of living, millennials have gotten smarter. They are able to adapt to the constant changes in work environments and boldly ask for raises.
Just take a look at the most popular and legitimate ways they use technology to their advantage. A quick look at the Finance section of the AppStore and Google Play Store will show you how endless the choices of tools are. Mind you, with thousands of choices, finding legitimate and secure cash apps might be challenging. Let’s take a look at the top-rated and user-approved financial apps of 2019.
Mint
A user-friendly money management tool that provides the most number of convenience features such as budgeting, tracked spending, and bills payment reminders. It even has a credit health tracker.
Cost: free
Cash App
A pro-user money transfer app that completely eliminates fees when sending and receiving money through their platform. Splitting bills, paying a friend, and sending payments have all never been easier with just a few taps on your phone screen. It also allows users to buy and invest in cryptocurrency.
Cost: free, 1.5% for instant money transfers to a bank (3-day transfers are free)
Digit
An automated savings app that takes part of your account balance and transfers it to another savings account that accrues a 1% annual rate. The savings can be accessed by placing an order to transfer the amount back into the original account.
Cost: 100-day free trial, $3 monthly subscription afterwards
Dave
A secure account watchdog that tracks every debit transaction to figure out the pattern in your spending. With this, Dave sends reminders for utility due dates and account balance notifications to avoid overdraft.
Cost: $1 monthly subscription
Earnin
A very helpful app that allows one to make cash advances on the salary already earned before the actual payday. When strapped for cash, just make a request for payment to the linked bank account.
Cost: free but tipping is encouraged
Millennials have more technologically advanced means to save and invest money at the least cost, especially with examples like those listed above. With that in mind, don’t you think we need to give millennials more credit?
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
