By Katie Gomez

Everyone wants financial freedom, but most of us think it’s out of our reach or control. Stock trading has an intimidating reputation. Younger traders are using social media to show off the successful trading, making it look more accessible than ever. New phrases pique across social media platforms, such as “financial-freedom,” “career autonomy,” and “work from home.” Stock trading and investing is slowly moving away from the old investment concept to an exciting, fulfilling, and lucrative career for almost anyone. 

Over the last decade, there’s been an exponential rise in entrepreneurship and autonomy, especially in the U.S.. Examples range from online businesses like amazon stores or Etsy pages to social media content creation, remote copywriting, or even selling online programs;—people are creating jobs seemingly from thin air. Many people today are thriving financially by turning hobbies into careers leveraging their skills and determination, and you can do the same with trading and investing.

Stock trading is no different. We’re creating jobs and expanding the market from the comfort of our homes. The COVID-19 lockdowns played an integral part in this transformational rise because it forced people to stop the work they had been doing and try something else. This free time compelled them to sit and think about their jobs/how they make money, observe how others are making money, and reconsider whether or not they want to make a change. We all were living in a mode of subconscious programming until this virus hit in 2020, virtually shattering the world reality as we had known it. The pandemic provoked many existential crises, which some see as a silver lining from a couple of crazy years. 

Most were just eager to get back to normal, but others started to question why we should want that when we can create a new normal. They saw it as a chance to take risks, reinvent themselves, and take back control of their lives because what better time to do so than amid a time filled with uncertainty? 

For example, many people started to be more careful about their finances and realized they could be managing it themselves instead of paying a broker. If this is a thought that has come across your mind once or twice, know that you can take control of your finances whenever you decide. During the early stages of COVID, we had little control of what was happening, so we turned to things we could control, such as our finances. At this time, the thought of regaining control of our finances through stock trading and investing satisfied that taste of freedom and sense of comfort we were craving. For instance, at Trade Ideas, many executives and employees started taking control of their 401k and have continued to do so successfully. 

The pandemic offered an opportunity to experience the financial freedom, the luxury of working from home, and the feeling of autonomy found by managing their own money. The younger Millennials and GenZ especially started to get a taste of controlling their finances with services like Robinhood. Robinhood and other fractional share broker apps let the younger generations begin building their portfolios because it was an easily downloaded free app they could access on their phone.

If there is one good thing to come out of the COVID experience, it’s the gift of reflection. The last several years gave us time to reflect and change perspective. Now we have the power to control our financial future by taking charge of our money. I am not suggesting you quit your job and become a stock trader. However, you can start moving in the right direction by recovering your 401k accounts from your stock brokers to get your money out of mutual funds. It is time for you to take back the power and reclaim control of your finances and your future.