Swing trading statistics at a glance
Swing trading sits in the middle ground between long-term investing and constant day trading, and the latest investor survey data shows how broad that middle ground has become. The numbers below highlight who trades more often, which channels investors use to place trades, and where concerns about security and disclosures show up.
Quick takeaways
- 36% of investors made 4 or more trades in non-retirement accounts in the past 12 months (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 47% of investors ages 18 to 34 made 4 or more trades in the past year in 2024, compared with 38% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 80% of investors under 35 use a mobile app to trade (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 35% of investors worry that managing investments through the internet makes their accounts less secure (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 10% of investors have made margin purchases (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
Table of contents
- How active investors behave
- Trading frequency by age, gender, and experience
- How investors place trades
- Risk perception and market behavior
- Fees, disclosures, and account friction
- What these statistics suggest for swing trading
How active investors behave
The survey data does not measure swing trading directly, but it does show the broader habits that usually surround active trading. That matters because swing trading depends on repeat decision-making, access to trading tools, and the willingness to act on shorter time horizons than a traditional buy-and-hold approach.
One useful benchmark is overall trading frequency. 25% of investors made no trades in non-retirement accounts in the past 12 months, while 31% made 1 to 3 trades and 36% made 4 or more trades (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). For a topic like swing trading, that 36% bucket is the clearest sign of recurring market participation among everyday investors.
Another important signal is age. Among investors ages 18 to 34, 47% made 4 or more trades in the past year in 2024, up from 38% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That increase suggests that younger investors remain especially engaged in more active trading patterns. Investors ages 35 to 54 also show a high level of activity, with 45% making 4 or more trades in 2024, compared with 47% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). Investors ages 55 and older are lower at 27% in 2024, versus 28% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
Fast comparison table
| Group | 4+ trades in 2024 | 4+ trades in 2021 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 18 to 34 | 47% | 38% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Ages 35 to 54 | 45% | 47% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Ages 55 and older | 27% | 28% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Less than 2 years of experience | 30% | 44% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| 2 to less than 10 years of experience | 34% | 45% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| 10 or more years of experience | 34% | 40% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
That table shows an important pattern: more experience does not automatically mean more frequent trading. Investors with less than 2 years of experience were at 30% for 4 or more trades in 2024, down from 44% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). Investors with 2 to less than 10 years of experience were at 34% in 2024, down from 45% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). Investors with 10 or more years of experience were also at 34% in 2024, down from 40% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
Trading frequency by age, gender, and experience
Swing trading tends to attract people who are comfortable checking positions regularly and acting on shorter-term price movements. The survey data helps separate that behavior into a few useful dimensions.
Gender differences are present but not extreme. 43% of men made 4 or more trades in the past year, compared with 26% of women (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That gap shows that active trading participation is not evenly distributed across the investor population.
The experience data is equally telling. 30% of investors with less than 2 years of experience made 4 or more trades in 2024, while 34% of investors with 2 to less than 10 years of experience did so and 34% of investors with 10 or more years of experience did so (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). In other words, the most experienced group is not the most active by this measure.
A closer look at the activity mix
- 25% made no trades in non-retirement accounts in the past 12 months (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 31% made 1 to 3 trades in non-retirement accounts in the past 12 months (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 36% made 4 or more trades in non-retirement accounts in the past 12 months (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
That split matters because swing trading usually depends on a person falling into the more active end of the market. If someone trades only a few times a year, they may still follow charts or markets, but they are not operating with the same cadence as a swing trader who repeatedly opens and closes positions.
The age pattern is stronger than the experience pattern
For active trading, age appears to be a stronger signal than experience in this dataset. The under-35 cohort is far more likely to use mobile apps, more likely to trade on a frequent basis, and more likely to take risk as a route to financial goals. That combination is a good proxy for the kind of investor behavior associated with swing trading.
How investors place trades
The way investors execute trades is one of the clearest signs of how trading has shifted. The survey shows that 62% of investors use a website to execute trades, 46% use a mobile app, 45% use a specific financial professional, and 39% use any available representative at a financial firm (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
That mix suggests that trade execution is no longer centered on a single channel. Many investors use more than one method depending on convenience, speed, or account type.
Execution channels in the survey
| Trading channel | Share of investors | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Website | 62% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Mobile app | 46% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Specific financial professional | 45% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
| Any available representative at a financial firm | 39% | FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey |
Mobile trading is especially important for younger investors. 80% of investors under 35 use a mobile app to trade, compared with 61% of investors ages 35 to 54 and 19% of investors ages 55 and older (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). For swing trading, that channel matters because speed, flexibility, and frequent monitoring are often part of the workflow.
Why channel choice matters for swing trading
A swing trader usually wants quick access to markets, not just a periodic check-in. A mobile app can make that easier, but it can also lower the friction between impulse and execution. The survey data does not say whether that is good or bad; it simply shows that the tools enabling more active trading are widely used.
If you look only at the most mobile-first segment, the picture becomes even sharper. Under-35 investors use mobile apps at a much higher rate than older groups, and they also report higher use of finfluencer recommendations and word-of-mouth sources (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That combination suggests that younger active traders may be blending social signals with fast execution more than older investors do.
Risk perception and market behavior
Swing trading is often discussed as a strategy, but investor psychology is just as important as the mechanics. The survey gives a few clues about how investors think about risk in general.
34% of all investors feel they need to take big risks to reach their financial goals, while 62% of investors under 35 feel that way (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That is a large generational gap, and it helps explain why younger investors are often overrepresented in active trading and speculative behavior.
Risk perception around cryptocurrencies also shows a split. 26% of investors say cryptocurrencies are an extremely or very risky investment, down from 33% in 2021, while 66% say cryptocurrencies are an extremely or very risky investment, up from 58% in 2021 (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). Those two figures point to a more complicated market narrative: some investors are becoming less alarmed, while a larger share overall still sees crypto as risky.
Viral and speculative investment behavior
The survey also captures meme-stock or viral-investment participation. 13% of investors have purchased meme stocks or other viral investments, 29% of investors under 35 have done so, 18% of investors ages 35 to 54 have done so, and 2% of investors ages 55 and older have done so (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
That is relevant to swing trading because it highlights the overlap between short-term trading and momentum-driven behavior. Not every swing trader chases viral names, but the same appetite for movement, attention, and timing often appears in both groups.
Information sources linked to active behavior
- 85% of investors under 35 use word of mouth from friends, family, or colleagues as an investment information source (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 30% of investors use YouTube for investment information (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 26% of investors say they use recommendations from social media finfluencers (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
- 61% of investors under 35 use finfluencer recommendations in investing decisions (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
These figures do not prove causation, but they do show a strong relationship between younger investors and social sources of investment information. For swing trading, that matters because short-term strategies are often discussed, packaged, and amplified through social channels.
Fees, disclosures, and account friction
Active trading is not only about opportunity. It is also about cost, understanding, and trust. The survey data shows that investors still struggle with these areas.
44% of investors think they pay account service fees, and 41% think they pay trade fees or commissions (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That does not tell us the exact fee structure each person faces, but it does show that many investors perceive meaningful friction in the trading process.
51% of investors recall receiving disclosures about their investments, but only 11% of those who recall receiving disclosures say they read the entire disclosure (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That gap is important. Even when disclosure materials are delivered, very few investors report reading the entire document.
Security concerns in online trading
35% of investors worry that managing investments through the internet makes their accounts less secure (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). The concern is slightly higher among investors under 35 at 40%, compared with 32% among investors ages 35 to 54 and 34% among investors ages 55 and older (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
That tension is easy to miss. Investors want fast digital access, but many also worry about the security tradeoff that comes with it. For swing trading, where timely execution matters, that concern can influence platform choice, login habits, and willingness to trade from a phone.
Margin use and trading intensity
29% of investors have an account that allows margin purchases, but only 10% of investors have made margin purchases (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). By age, 22% of investors ages 18 to 34 have made margin purchases, compared with 11% of investors ages 35 to 54 and 4% of investors ages 55 and older (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
Margin use is not the same as swing trading, but it is a useful indicator of how far some investors are willing to extend their risk. The under-35 group again stands out as the most active and risk-tolerant cohort in the dataset.
What these statistics suggest for swing trading
Taken together, the survey paints a clear picture of the investor profile most aligned with swing trading.
First, active trading is concentrated among younger investors. The 18-to-34 group has higher trading frequency, higher mobile usage, and higher willingness to take risks to reach financial goals (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey).
Second, digital execution is the norm. 62% of investors use a website to execute trades, 46% use a mobile app, and mobile app use is especially common among younger investors (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That means swing trading is increasingly a digital activity, not a phone-call or advisor-only activity.
Third, social and informal information channels matter. Younger investors rely heavily on word of mouth and finfluencer recommendations, and 30% of investors overall use YouTube for investment information (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). Even though the survey does not measure strategy quality, it does show that information flows are fast and social.
Fourth, the market is not uniformly enthusiastic about risk. 34% of all investors feel they need to take big risks to reach their financial goals, but 62% of investors under 35 feel that way (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). That divide is central to understanding why swing trading and other active strategies often cluster around younger age groups.
Finally, there is a persistent gap between disclosure availability and disclosure reading. 51% recall receiving disclosures, yet only 11% of those respondents say they read the entire disclosure (FINRA Foundation 2024 Investor Survey). For anyone evaluating swing trading, that is a reminder that the mechanics of access are not the same as understanding the risks.
For readers comparing active trading styles, the data suggests a simple takeaway: swing trading fits best where digital tools, frequent decision-making, and a higher tolerance for short-term movement come together. The survey does not recommend the strategy, but it shows where the behavior is most likely to appear.