Finance
Despite flak for doom-spending their money, Gen Z may be more prepared for retirement than baby boomers, research reveals | Fortune
Gen Z may be known for blowing money on the latest Taylor Swift concerts or luxury trips, but behind the youth’s passion for fancy expenditures is a responsible financial habit: investing for retirement.
In fact, the younger generation may be more prepared to retire than their older cohorts. Nearly half of Gen Z workers (aged 24-28) are projected to maintain their current standard of living in retirement, slightly ahead of the 40% projected for baby boomers (aged 61-65) approaching retirement, according to a new study from investment management firm Vanguard. Millennials were also slightly ahead of the older generation (aged 29-44), with 42% on track for retirement. Gen X fell slightly behind at 41% (aged 45-60).
Vanguard based its findings on data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, using roughly 2,700 working U.S. households to estimate how each generation was on track for retirement and whether their retirement incomes would be enough to maintain their lifestyle without exceeding their spending needs.
The financial readiness of Gen Z could come as a shock to older generations who may believe they are “doom spending” or making discretionary purchases, rather than necessary ones they’ll need to reach adult milestones. While soaring inflation, high living costs and stagnant salaries are dragging baby boomers out of retirement, young savers may be taking those headwinds as a financial lesson.
Automatic payments and DC plans are helping Gen Z save
Part of the financial preparedness is due to expanded Defined Contribution (DC) plans offered by employers. For younger generations, the plans could make saving easier and more effective through features such as auto-enrollment, automatic escalation, and investing in target-date funds. In addition, a separate Vanguard study found that DC plan participation and eligibility rates are at all-time highs, which could help workers build financial security over time.
What’s more, the study pointed out that if all workers had access to a DC plan—such as 401(k) 403(b)s, about 6 in 10 Americans would be on track for retirement. More than 100 million Americans have access to these plans, holding more than $12 trillion in assets.
But access to retirement funds isn’t universal. A separate analysis found 42% [roughly 40 million] of workers do not have access to these plans, with access gaps concentrated in lower-wage and part-time jobs.
However, despite the younger cohort funneling money into their 401(k)s, the future of any further progress depends on their overall financial wellness. Even with their success in saving, many younger generations are grappling with debt repayments—from student loans, auto loans, and mounting credit card debt.
“Supporting overall financial wellness with effective planning tools is key to helping the next generation achieve lasting retirement security,” said Nicky Zhang, a Vanguard investment strategist and co-author of the research paper.
Baby boomers may hold most of the nation’s wealth but aren’t ready to fully retire
Though Gen Z may be facing debt-repayment struggles, baby boomers, even with holding over half of the nation’s wealth, are not ready to stop the 9-to-5 to retire comfortably. While the wealthiest 30% of boomers are generally on track, others may fall short.
For example, the median boomer is projected to need to replace about a third of their pre-retirement income through private and employer retirement savings, facing a shortfall of roughly $9,000 (or a quarter of their expenses).
To cope, boomers may need to consider options like tapping home equity, reducing spending, or working two additional years, the study found.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Families are navigating the already stressful college planning process, and a new set of financial grades is prompting many to look more closely at the stability of the schools they are considering.
Forbes’ annual financial report card for private, nonprofit colleges and universities is putting a spotlight on how well schools can manage their finances. The rankings are based on each institution’s ability to cover immediate expenses with cash on hand — a measure that is increasingly resonating with parents.
In the Triangle, the grades vary widely. Duke University received an A+, while Meredith College earned a B-. Shaw University was rated C-, and Saint Augustine’s University received a D.
For families, those grades are becoming an important part of the decision-making process, alongside academic and campus life.
“This college experience is much more than the books and the tuition,” Wake Forest parent Meranda Van Ningen said.
Van Ningen said a school’s financial condition is now a key factor as she — and many other parents — evaluate long-term value and security.
“We had to really lean in and ask the questions, make sure that we were getting the answers we appreciated,” she said. “They want us. They want our money to come in and to pay for that next year.”
She said the financial grades offer insight into how well schools can navigate economic challenges.
“Show that they can handle this tough, tough economy, to be honest, and that they know how to roll with it because campuses have good years and bad years as well,” Van Ningen said.
Financial planners say that shift in focus is well-founded, especially as some colleges across the country face financial strain or closure.
“A lot of smaller colleges are closing throughout the country,” said Gray Pendleton, president of Pendleton Financial. “I think it’s important to look at the financial health of the school.”
Experts say the added scrutiny reflects the high stakes of higher education, often one of the largest investments a family will make. Along with reviewing financial grades, they encourage families to thoroughly research institutions before committing.
They also stress the importance of early financial preparation to manage rising costs.
“Even like, $10 to $100 a month,” Pendleton said. “The NC 529 savings plan is great. And that’s an aggressive, age based plan. That’s a good opportunity.”
As financial grades draw more attention, families are increasingly weighing not just where students will thrive academically, but also which schools are best positioned to remain financially secure over the long term.
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Investors and analysts said the market was moving beyond the smaller hotel conversions that dominated the past two years, with more sizeable transactions expected as financing conditions improve, distressed sales accelerate, and buyers hunt for assets capable of generating stable income.
“This year and next year, there will be more sizeable transactions,” said Kavis Ip, CEO of Centaline Investment.
Unlike earlier student housing projects typically backed by smaller private investors, the Regal deal was structured with an equity partner and sized for eventual exit to institutional buyers such as insurers, sovereign wealth funds and private equity firms.
“We always wanted to do deals of this size,” Ip said. “Large institutional-grade assets create a completely different buyer pool when you eventually exit.”
In February and March 2026, Snowflake was the stock Wall Street couldn’t quite figure out. The stock was down 50% from the early January high to early April 2026, according to TradingView data. Snowflake was caught between a decelerating core business and an AI narrative that kept getting pushed further into the future.
Then Snowflake reported earnings. And the stock jumped 37% in a single session. Goldman Sachs responded with one of its most dramatic price target increases on a major software stock this year, raising its Snowflake (SNOW) target in a note shared with me at TheStreet.
SNOW is now trading at $255.37, up 16.42% year-to-date after the post-earnings surge, according to Yahoo Finance.
The Goldman note identified two specific dynamics converging inside Snowflake’s business right now that the market had been underpricing. Once you understand both, the 37% single-day move starts to look less like euphoria and more like a rational repricing.
Goldman Sachs raises Snowflake price target to $278 from $216
Right after earnings, Goldman Sachs raised its Snowflake (SNOW) target to $278 from $216 in a note shared with me at TheStreet, while maintaining its Buy rating. The two AI inflections Goldman mentioned in the note are compounding simultaneously within Snowflake’s business.
The first is external: the proliferation of AI coding tools is making it dramatically easier for enterprises to migrate from legacy data platforms to modern ones like Snowflake. Migrations that previously required months of engineering work are being compressed.
More Wall Street:
The cost of switching has fallen. The urgency to switch has risen as companies need governed, structured data environments to run AI applications. Snowflake is the direct beneficiary of both forces.
The second is internal: Cortex Code. That’s Snowflake’s own AI coding product, launched in general availability in mid-February 2026, which embeds a context-aware AI coding agent directly into the development workflow.
It enables customers to build, deploy, and iterate on data pipelines, analytics, and AI agents faster while remaining fully governed within the Snowflake environment.
Related: Snowflake stock analyst reveals surprising stock forecast
Adoption has been the fastest of any Snowflake product in company history, with over 7,100 accounts already using it — approximately 50% penetration — according to the Q1 earnings release report and the note.
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