On May 13th, we staged a virtual event on "Staying The Course: Client Behavior Amid Volatility." As volatility related to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased investor anxiety over the past few months and has had a considerable impact on individual finances, this was a timely topic to delve into.

The half-hour event featured a conversation between Adam Grealish, Director of Investing at Betterment, and Investopedia Editor in Chief Caleb Silver. This gave us the unique opportunity to hear directly from a leading financial brand about investor behavior in the current climate, and how it’s likely to affect financial marketing.

Key Takeaways

• 54% of investors surveyed by Betterment have had their income directly impacted as a result of COVID-19
• Income losses have disproportionately impacted younger generations with 33% of Gen Z and 18% of millennials reporting job losses
• 41% of investors plan to save or put their stimulus check toward their emergency fund while 27% plan to use their stimulus check to cover rent and/or utility bills
• Betterment’s survey shows how broadly this is affecting people throughout the country
• Approximately 33% of investors did not have a fully-funded emergency fund going into this crisis

WATCH THE REPLAY
Our thanks to The Balance and Investopedia for organizing this event as our exclusive programming partners.