The BlackRock Foundation and Commonwealth Launch National Research Effort to Understand First-Time Investors Who Entered Capital Markets Since 2020

Individual Investors Growth - 46 million new brokerage accounts were opened by individual investors in the U S during 2020-21, an 80% increase over a two-year period [1] - More than 75% of these new investors remain invested today, indicating a sustained interest in the market [1] The Investor Diaries Initiative - The Investor Diaries is a research initiative launched by The BlackRock Foundation and Commonwealth to understand new investors, particularly those earning low to moderate incomes (LMI) [9] - The initiative aims to provide insights into the financial circumstances, motivations, behaviors, and needs of LMI investors, and the role of capital market investing in their financial wellness [9] - The project will use voice diary entries, a national survey, and analysis of large transaction data sets to capture the experiences of LMI investors [9] Partnership with Investment Platforms - Commonwealth has partnered with Betterment and moomoo to capture participants' experiences with both robo-advised and self-directed platforms [10] - Betterment offers automated investment technology with diversified, expert-built portfolios, while moomoo provides an accessible platform for self-directed investors with advanced tools and features [11] About Commonwealth - Commonwealth is a national nonprofit that builds financial security and opportunity for LMI households through innovation and partnerships [6] - Over the past two decades, Commonwealth has enabled over 2 million people to save nearly $8 billion [6] About The BlackRock Foundation - The BlackRock Foundation focuses on making saving and investing more accessible and affordable for LMI households [7] - The foundation's Emergency Savings Initiative has provided access to more than 10 million people and led to $2 billion in new liquid savings between 2019 and 2022 [7] About Betterment - Betterment is the largest independent digital financial advisor, helping more than 900,000 customers manage over $50 billion with low-cost, expert-built investing portfolios [12] About moomoo - Moomoo is an investment and trading platform that provides global investors with pro-grade tools, data, and insights to make informed investment decisions [4] - The platform offers advanced charting tools, technical analytics, and in-depth data, along with educational resources and community features [4]