Jennifer Sor
8 min read
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Some young Americans are turning to trading stocks full-time as an alternative to a traditional 9-to-5.
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BI spoke to three Gen Z and millennial traders about how they've navigated the market full-time.
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Their outcomes varied, with one trader returning to work after six months.
Carmine Rosato, a 26-year-old based in New Jersey, has never worked a traditional 9-to-5, but his alternative path has been lucrative.
According to income statements he showed Business Insider, Rosato has managed to make as much as six figures in a month.
There are ups and downs, but he's become used to the swings in his time as a full-time day trader, he said.
"I was just drawn to the freedom and the unlimited upside," he told BI in an interview. "I just saw a path that could give me full control over my time."
Younger Americans have flocked to the stock market in recent years. Online communities on Reddit, YouTube, and Discord are thronged with Gen Zers and millennials who claim to trade the market full-time or are actively trying to — many in an effort to escape the typical career path and the 9-5 workday.
Andrew Menaker, a psychologist and trading performance coach who says he works with retail traders trying to go full-time in his practice, thinks the trend is a response to the economic struggles that younger people face.
"How do I get a good job? It's harder for young people these days to get a head start, and I think they recognize that," he said, pointing to concerns like AI destabilizing the workforce, and general macroeconomic uncertainty. "Day trading feels like a way to regain some kind of control."
Here are the stories of three full-time Gen Z and millennial traders.
Rosato first became interested in the stock market when his high school teacher assigned a project that involved students creating a model stock portfolio.
Rosato says he grew up seeing many of his family members unhappy and overworked in their corporate jobs. Being his own boss and the prospect of a comfortable life were major motivators for him to learn how to trade.
"I wanted a Lamborghini. I wanted a nice watch. I wanted to go on vacation," he said. "And I'll even attribute that to the Wolf of Wall Street."
Rosato said he practically locked himself in his dorm room for two years while he learned how to day trade. Eventually, he started hitting his stride and made a deal with his father that allowed him to drop out of school once he made enough money.
He left college at the end of his sophomore year.
