EPISODE · Nov 18, 2025 · 4 MIN
The Youth Are Thriving
from Competitive Compass · host Anuj Shahani
Gen Z and Millennials are doing great.Gen Z and Millennials feel fantastic about their financial situation. Please re-read the previous sentence. It’s easy to get caught in the doom loop that surrounds all of us. Doom & gloom gets more clicks, and we all know this, yet we allow the negativity to cloud our judgment.This summer, I wrote The Mythbuster Memo, my worst-performing newsletter for the year. One can’t make this up. Probably it was too positive for readers?IF you believe in data, then please consider that Gen Z andMillennials are feeling much better about their financial health. This helps explain the growth across the board, including premium cards, across various experiences, and new products.Patrick has a fantastic presentation on 2026 Financial Services Marketing Predictions. I’m happy to schedule this forthe first two weeks of December or in the new year. He identifies three key themes for next year:1. Control Amid ChaosContinued macroeconomic uncertainty, combined with adecreasing interest rate environment, will drive banking competitors to highlight budgeting tools and lenders to promote refinancing as a proactive form of reasserting control.2. Old Money, New TricksA surge in financial confidence among the youngest segments of adults will reshape brand strategy, as financial services companies target Gen Z adults as intrafamily influencers who can steer their parents to new products and planning techniques.3. Simpler Is SmarterPremium card relaunches are pushing the boundaries ofproduct complexity, causing competitors to use simplicity as a differentiator in marketing. As financial brands refocus on checking accounts and primary status, doing the basics better will be a recurring theme.
What this episode covers
Gen Z and Millennials are doing great.Gen Z and Millennials feel fantastic about their financial situation. Please re-read the previous sentence. It’s easy to get caught in the doom loop that surrounds all of us. Doom & gloom gets more clicks, and we all know this, yet we allow the negativity to cloud our judgment.This summer, I wrote The Mythbuster Memo, my worst-performing newsletter for the year. One can’t make this up. Probably it was too positive for readers?IF you believe in data, then please consider that Gen Z andMillennials are feeling much better about their financial health. This helps explain the growth across the board, including premium cards, across various experiences, and new products.Patrick has a fantastic presentation on 2026 Financial Services Marketing Predictions. I’m happy to schedule this forthe first two weeks of December or in the new year. He identifies three key themes for next year:1. Control Amid ChaosContinued macroeconomic uncertainty, combined with adecreasing interest rate environment, will drive banking competitors to highlight budgeting tools and lenders to promote refinancing as a proactive form of reasserting control.2. Old Money, New TricksA surge in financial confidence among the youngest segments of adults will reshape brand strategy, as financial services companies target Gen Z adults as intrafamily influencers who can steer their parents to new products and planning techniques.3. Simpler Is SmarterPremium card relaunches are pushing the boundaries ofproduct complexity, causing competitors to use simplicity as a differentiator in marketing. As financial brands refocus on checking accounts and primary status, doing the basics better will be a recurring theme.
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The Youth Are Thriving
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