Biggest financial missed opportunities

Learning how to manage money is one of the most essential skills for young adults. In 2024, the Council for Economic Education reported that 35 U.S. states now require high school students to complete a personal finance course in order to graduate, [1] marking a promising move toward better equipping younger generations with stronger financial confidence and knowledge.

To explore how knowledge impacts financial decision-making, a survey conducted on behalf of Integra Credit asked 1,008 people across the U.S. about their experiences with money. Many respondents highlight key opportunities they wished they had seized, whether that’s missing the chance to invest in stocks or cryptocurrency or making different spending decisions.

The findings highlight a wide range of experiences and attitudes toward personal finance. Missed opportunities and decisions made without enough information were common themes, underscoring the ongoing importance of financial education in shaping America’s financial well-being.

Key findings

Over half (54.2%) of those surveyed said they’ve missed out on a financial opportunity at least once throughout their lifetime.
81.7% of those surveyed said the reason they chose not to invest in stocks was because they consider it to be too risky.
On average, the respondents would have initially invested $610 into stocks, and at its peak, they believe it could have been worth $2.4K on average. This means that the participants have missed out on an average of $1.8K by not capitalizing on stocks.
52.5% said they regret not investing in cryptocurrency, and 46.9% said although they eventually did invest, they could have done it sooner.
Over three-quarters (77.2%) of those who admitted they have financial regrets said that unnecessary overspending was the biggest cause of these regrets.
75.4% of people with regrets said student loans were one of the most regretted debts.

The top financial opportunities missed out on in the U.S.

Over half (54.2%) of those surveyed said they’ve missed out on a financial opportunity at least once throughout their lifetime. Almost half (46.0%) of the respondents said they missed out on this opportunity within the last 12 months, whereas 45.4% said they failed to capitalize on this opportunity 1-3 years ago.

Over a quarter (79.8%) said this missed financial opportunity related to property. Not investing in a certain stock (77.3%), and missing out on cryptocurrency (77.2%), completed the top three regrets. These results show how many people wish they had taken chances on investments that could have helped grow their money over time.

The most commonly missed financial opportunities
Rank	Financial opportunity missed	Percentage
1	Property	79.8%
2	Not investing in a particular stock	77.3%
3	Not investing in cryptocurrency	77.2%
4	Selling crypto too early	77.0%
5	Selling a stock too early	75.5%
6	Selling a property too early	73.9%

*Respondents could select multiple answers

On average, missed financial opportunities have led to a $1.1k loss

However, on average, respondents report that they would have initially invested around $671. Whereas they believe that on average they would have made up to $1.7K, meaning that respondents could have missed out on around $1.1K from these unseized moments.

Investing in stocks and cryptocurrency

As part of the research, the survey participants were asked whether they’d ever considered investing in stocks or cryptocurrency.

In 2024, an estimated 62% of U.S. adults invested in the stock market [2]. Reflecting that trend, the survey found that just over half of respondents (50.5%) have also taken the plunge. Whereas it’s clear there are some regrets about not reacting quicker, as 47.3% said they invested in stocks, but could have done it sooner. This is echoed by 53.5% who said they now regret not investing in stocks at the time.

When asked which stock the participants considered to be their biggest missed opportunity, almost half (46.5%) chose NVIDIA, and 44.3% chose Palantir. Less popular stocks include Facebook (Meta) (2.4%), Tesla (2.4%), Coinbase (1.1%), General Electric (0.8%), and Berkshire Hathaway (0.5%).

Over four-fifths (81.7%) thought investing in stocks would be too risky

The most common reason for not investing in stocks at the time was risk, as 81.7% of participants said that the reason they didn’t invest was because they thought it was too risky. In addition to this, 77.5% said they were waiting for a better moment, but as stock market prices continue to peak, they sadly missed it.

The most common reasons people chose not to invest in stocks at the time
Rank	Reason they didn’t invest in stocks at the time	Percentage
1	Thought it was too risky	81.7%
2	Was waiting for a better moment but missed it	77.5%
3	Didn’t have enough money at the time	77.1%
4	Got talked out of it by someone else	74.1%
5	Didn’t know how to get started	73.7%

*Respondents could select multiple answers

For most (47.7%), this missed opportunity came within the last 1-3 years, and for another 43.3%, this opportunity was missed in the last twelve months. Alongside this, most respondents (44.9%) said they would have initially invested as little as $51-$100, but 43.8% think this investment could have been worth between $500-$999 at its peak.

However, respondents say they would have initially invested about $610 on average, which they believe could have grown to an average of $2.4K. That is nearly a 4x return, including their initial investment, meaning they missed out on around $1.8K in potential gains.

For the 38% of Americans who have not invested in the stock market [2], this equates to a loss of $237.5 billion across the States.

Nearly half (49.9%) said that Bitcoin was their biggest missed opportunity in cryptocurrency

When it comes to cryptocurrency, the survey highlights key regrets on not taking action sooner. 52.5% said they now regret not investing in cryptocurrency, and 46.9% said they eventually did invest, but they could have done it sooner. Just 2% said they’ve never considered it, and 1.2% said they considered it but ultimately chose against it.

Investopedia categorizes cryptocurrency as “a digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. Most cryptocurrencies exist on decentralized networks using blockchain technology—a distributed ledger enforced by a disparate network of computers.” [3]

Bitcoin, in particular, stands out as the top regret, with nearly half (49.9%) saying it was their biggest missed opportunity. Following closely behind is Ethereum at 43.7%.

However, despite this regret most respondents (88.6%) would have invested less than $100 in cryptocurrencies initially. Most participants (47.6%) said they missed the opportunity to invest in crypto between one and three years ago.

At the end of 2023, Bitcoin was priced at $42,258. By June 2025, the price of Bitcoin climbed to around $106,000. [4] In comparison, Ethereum has experienced volatility over the past few years. In November 2021, Ethereum reached its highest price of $4,815, but as of the end of July 2025, the price was at $3,788.6. [5]

Financial regrets across the U.S.

The research revealed that an overwhelming 98.8% of those surveyed have made at least one financial decision they regret.

77.2% say their biggest financial regret is unnecessary overspending on things they didn’t really need

When analysing common financial regrets among Americans, impulsive spending tops the list. A significant 77.2% of people admitted to spending too much on things they didn’t really need.

The most common types of financial regret
Rank	Types of financial regret	Percentage
1	Unnecessary overspending	77.2%
2	Using Buy Now, Pay Later options	76.2%
3	Getting into credit card debt	76.1%
4	Falling for a financial scam	73.7%

*Respondents could select multiple answers

This was closely followed by Buy Now, Pay Later options (76.2%), accumulating credit card debt (76.1%), and falling for a financial scam (73.7%).

Finance-related scams and fraud are prevalent across the States. [6] In fact a study from 2025 reports that more than 2 in 3 Americans (around 68%) have experienced a financial scam or fraud in their lifetime. [7]

In particular, schemes such as “Pyramid schemes” are illegal in many U.S. States due to the fraudulent system they’re built on. [8]

Not only that, but credit card balances in the United States have reached a staggering $1.18 trillion as of the first quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. [9] While credit cards can serve as a useful financial tool, the data suggests that many Americans are becoming increasingly reliant on them and leaving them with financial regrets.

These findings highlight how quick financial decisions that are often made without full understanding can lead to long-term regret across a wide range of spending and borrowing behaviors.

How much money is lost through financial mistakes?

The survey asked respondents how long their financial regrets have affected their lives. Alongside this, the research also explored how much on average people continue to spend in an effort to fix these mistakes.

Over half (53.2%) are still paying for their financial regrets

Of those surveyed, a significant 53.2% said they are still paying for their financial regrets today. This includes over half (51.8%) of Gen Z participants admitting they continue to feel the impact of these decisions, which could affect their financial future.

Overall, the research found that on average these regrets have cost participants around $1.8K.

Debt regrets facing America

According to the survey, 55.5% of those surveyed have taken on debt that they later regretted. As household debt increased to $18.20 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, [9] it’s no surprise to see how many have become regretful of their financial decisions.

Interestingly, one of the most regretted types of debt highlighted is student loans. At the end of 2024, the U.S. faced outstanding student loans to the value of 1.77 trillion dollars. [10] Not only that, but it’s estimated that the average federal student loan debt balance is $38,375. [11]

Among those who selected student loans as their top financial regret, 50.5% were aged 18–26 and 49.0% were aged 27–42, highlighting how this sentiment is particularly common among Gen Z and Millennials.

Women were also more likely than men to regret taking out student loans (55.5% compared to 44.5%).

Some suggest that this regret is tied to the perceived value of the education received. In 2024, a report found that 68% of those repaying student loans said their education wasn’t worth it when weighed against its impact on their overall well-being. [12]

Methodology

The survey was conducted on behalf of Integra Credit on June 25th 2025, and asked 1,008 people in the U.S. from a range of backgrounds questions relating to their finances and regrets regarding financial decisions.

To establish the top financial regrets, the survey asked respondents about investing, stocks, cryptocurrency, debt and missed financial opportunities. For some questions, respondents were able to select multiple answers, so the results do not all add up to 100%.

U.S. population data accessed via Census.gov, accurate as of July 11th 2025.