Fifty-seven percent of Generation Z members have no idea of how much they have in personal savings versus 46% of the general population, a new survey out Friday shows, most likely because they haven't had to worry about financial management.
"It goes along with just getting started," Emily Holbrook, senior director of planning at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, told CNBC Friday in discussing the results of the insurer's 2019 Planning & Progress Study, which polled more than 2,000 U.S. adults.
The age group spans those 22 years old and younger — and many are just beginning their careers, Holbrook said.
"We're just dipping our toe into the workplace," she said, suggesting the age group's thinking. "It's the beginning of our professional lives."
Gen Zers also haven't had to be concerned about major money issues, Holbrook told CNBC.
"They haven't really run into the type of situations and financial goal commitments that would have maybe triggered that initially, like buying a home, getting married, thinking about children," she said.
However, a November survey by RaveReviews.org found that 89% of Gen Zers said that planning for their financial future made them feel empowered, while 64% had begun researching financial planning topics.
Gen Zers, still, risk falling into "the same debt trap" that other generations have experienced, Holbrook told CNBC.
Wages remain stagnant — and middle-class life costs 30% more than 20 years ago, writes Alissa Quart in author of "Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America," according to the report.
"I would highly encourage [Gen Zeers] to think critically about the role of personal finance and making that a part of their overall goals," Holbrook said.
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