WHEN THOMAS PAINE WROTE hardened in 1776,“ These are the times that try men’ s souls,” it’ s a safe bet he wasn’ t thinking about 2025— or referring to Gen Z and millennials.

But the times are indeed tumultuous, and younger Americans are contending with historic levels of uncertainty, both at home and abroad, played to a soundtrack of somber news: About affordability and persistent inflation. Housing costs that have soared more than 50 % since the pandemic. Career paths that are likely to be disrupted by AI. Constant fears of a recession that fails to arrive. Wars in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. Widening economic inequality.

Indeed, each day seems to spring another headline or survey about the crisis engulfing people under 44 and the things they can’ t afford. Unless they are ultra-rich, they might have pushed back traditional life milestones, things like buying a home or having children.

Natalie Colley, a young advisor from Francis Financial, graduated from college and started her career in the heart of the financial crisis, and even she says she’ s never seen it this bad.“ Right now, more than any recent time that I can remember— it really feels like the world is going to collapse,” says Colley, a partner and senior lead advisor at the New York City-based firm.“ It feels like, how are we going to get out of this?”

Yet getting their next-gen clients“ out of this” with sound portfolios and secure financial futures is what Colley, 40, and other young advisors are tasked with doing.

Advisors in their 30s and early 40s have been battle-

in different ways by financial turmoil and stress. Starting with the 2008 financial crisis through the Covid-19 pandemic to the bear market of 2022, they’ ve repeatedly had to draw strength from eternal advice: to follow the“ stay calm and stay invested” playbook. They must tell clients how to put on noise-cancelling headphones, tune out the headline noise and think for the long term, as Colley puts it.

She says one of the most important jobs is to lift people out of their anxiety and let them gain perspective and take confidence in the fundamental tenets of investing.“ If we’ re talking about the stock market specifically, it’ s really where you have to come back to basics of having a very well-balanced portfolio, making sure you have enough cash on hand. Making sure you know your numbers and are living within your means.”

Optimism Amid Uncertainty

Americans under 44 are an increasingly powerful financial force, and the young folks seeking out financial advisors aren’ t the sad stereotypes living in their parents’ basements. With the help of stocks and homeownership, they’ re now growing assets faster than any other generation and they had amassed nearly $ 6 trillion in aggregate financial assets by the end of 2022, according to Cerulli Associates. But it hasn’ t been easy.

Some advisors are optimistic that the soaring multidecade stock market rally will continue to advance— and that the economy will continue to avoid a recession, at least in the near term, despite signs of a softening economic underbelly.

Young advisors are also sanguine about their own businesses, the future of the RIA space and the role of artificial

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Economic turmoil has forced young advisors to become wise beyond their years.

WHEN THOMAS PAINE WROTE hardened in 1776,“ These are the times that try men’ s souls,” it’ s a safe bet he wasn’ t thinking about 2025— or referring to Gen Z and millennials.