Gen Z Investment Trend: Getting Active, But Still Searching For A Way

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Economic uncertainty and the intense flow of financial information on social media are pushing more Gen Z to actively start investing. However, their investment patterns remain exploratory, moving between instruments according to needs, market sentiment, and the profit opportunities they deem most attractive. Ezra (26) says he began to be interested in long-term investing when he decided to start a family about four years ago. As he prepares for the birth of his first child, he is now more actively organising funds for his child’s future needs. Additionally, because he is still building his portfolio, Ezra chooses to place funds in relatively safe instruments by splitting them across several assets, such as retail government bonds (ORI), stocks, deposits, and physical gold. “Yes, I will move around when needed, for example to buy a motorbike or a phone; some funds are withdrawn. Or if deposit rates dip, I’ll move to ORI or stocks,” he told Kompas.com a while ago. For Ezra, investment decisions are also strongly influenced by developments on social media to better understand market conditions. Therefore, he says he regularly monitors several financial influencers to understand negative or positive sentiments affecting the market, including government policies, before deciding his next investment move. “(Social media and influencers) have a big influence, always monitoring whether market sentiment is negative or positive, including government policies,” he said. “If ORI or deposits yield falls, stocks are volatile, then I just keep monitoring,” he added. In addition to instruments, Ezra is still seeking ways to invest comfortably and safely. One method he is trying is managing investments through the Bank Jago platform. According to Ezra, the ‘kantong’ feature in the Bank Jago app helps him separate allocations of funds according to needs, from investments, to an emergency fund, to savings for his child. “It helps a lot, to set aside portions for investments, to save for my child and for an emergency fund in the future,” he said.