Megan Pecson – Wealth Management & Accumulation Through a Gen Z Lense

9/25/2026

This is my favorite part of the industry, but it is also the most daunting part for some. I’ve learned that it’s because of the mere lack of knowledge about it.

I was very fortunate growing up in a household where my mother would put my birthday and Christmas money away for me. She would always say “I’m putting your money away somewhere safe, if you need $20 to hang out with your friends just ask me.” I grew up conscious that I was saving for a downpayment for a house or car before I could even open a joint or teen bank account. This prepared me to then be more comfortable with the idea of investing at a young age.

By my early twenties, without a financial advisor, I had opened my own personal accounts, investment accounts, and retirement accounts. As I have developed my career in finance, my portfolio has continued to grow. Along the way, I found myself naturally caring about educating others. I would ask questions like, “Why are you spending so much on groceries?” “Do you know the difference between a savings account and a retirement account?” or “Do you know what your money is actually earning?”

I quickly realized there was a lack of knowledge and awareness about the financial options available to many people. And honestly, it makes sense. We aren’t necessarily taught these things in school. Throughout my public and secondary education (yes, including finance college courses) they do not start with the basics. I discovered a divide in financial awareness.

You could, put it into google, chat, or even ask a financial professional, and you may get a lot of complicated responses: “Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, diversify!” Those concepts are important, but I want to make investing simple and REAL. At its most basic level, investing comes down to two questions: How much could I gain or lose, and what level of risk am I taking to get there?

The amount – It can go up, down, or stay the same.

The risk – Does it have the potential to go negative? How safe is it?

Now, both depend on WHERE the money is. When investing I like to consider what my goal, want, need, budget, and risk tolerance is.

ACTION STEPS:

Start with a few basic questions:

What do I have?
What is my goal?
What do I want?
What do I need?
What can I afford?
How much risk am I comfortable taking?