New York Families Feeling the Sting of Missed Crypto and Stock Gains

Most of us have had a moment where we think, “Man, I should have done that.” When it comes to money, a new survey shows many Americans feel that way about investing, especially in crypto and stocks.

The survey asked just over 1,000 people about their biggest money regrets. More than half said they wish they had invested in cryptocurrency earlier. Others said they felt the same about stocks or buying a house when prices were lower.

Kids Are Learning This Stuff, But Adults Are Catching Up

Here’s some good news. In 35 states, including New York, high school students have to take a money class to graduate. That means more teens are learning about saving, budgeting, and investing before they head out on their own. But many adults didn't learn this in school.

Lots of People Regret Skipping Crypto

When it comes to crypto, 52.5 percent of people said they regret not investing at all. Another 47 percent said they did invest, but wish they had started sooner. Only a few people said they never even thought about it.

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Bitcoin was the biggest “missed chance” for most people. About half said that was the one they wish they had bought. Ethereum was close behind. What’s surprising is that most people said they would have started with less than 100 dollars.

Big Price Jumps Made People Say “Wow”

Part of the regret comes from how much prices changed. At the end of 2023, Bitcoin cost about forty two thousand dollars. By the middle of 2025, it went up to about one hundred six thousand dollars. Ethereum has gone up and down more, which is why some people think it is riskier. Even so, many still wish they had bought some earlier.

Stocks Felt Safer, But Many Still Waited

Crypto was not the only thing people talked about. Stocks came up too. About half of the people said they have invested in stocks, but almost the same number said they wish they had started sooner.

When asked which stock they missed out on the most, many said NVIDIA or Palantir. Some also mentioned Tesla, Meta, and a few other big companies. So even people who did invest still felt like they waited too long.

Not Buying Property Hurt the Most

If crypto and stocks sound bad, this one hurts even more. Nearly 80 percent of people said their biggest money regret was not investing in property. That could mean not buying a house, not buying sooner, or selling too early. After that, missing out on a stock and missing out on crypto were next on the list. So for a lot of people, the regret is about not taking a chance when they had one.