Core Insights - The pace of new investors entering the market has significantly declined over recent years, as indicated by a new analysis from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority [1] Investor Trends - In 2024, only 8% of investors reported starting to invest within the last two years, a sharp decrease from 21% in 2021 [2] - The survey included 2,861 U.S. respondents with non-retirement investment accounts, highlighting challenges faced by younger investors in terms of investing knowledge and risk assessment [3] Demographic Changes - Tracking investors from 2021 to 2024 showed a median age increase from 31 to 38 for those with less than two years of experience, suggesting that many younger adults who began investing during the pandemic have exited the market [4] Investment Preferences - Individual stocks remain the most common investment in non-retirement accounts, followed by mutual funds, but the growth in ETF ownership has stalled between 2021 and 2024 after a 10% increase from 2015 to 2021 [5] - The ownership of penny stocks, REITs, private placements, or structured notes has slightly declined, returning to levels last seen in 2018 [6] Risk Appetite - The percentage of investors willing to take average risks for average returns remained stable at 48%, while those willing to take substantial risks for significant returns dropped by 4% [7] - Among investors under 35, the willingness to take substantial risks decreased from 24% to 15%, although 62% still believe that taking considerable risks is necessary [8]