Sharesies Releases Kids Accounts in Australia

Sharesies Australia has launched Kids Accounts, a new offering that allows adults to build investment portfolios for children, following research revealing deep financial anxiety among Australian parents.

The move comes as a YouGov survey commissioned by Sharesies found that 50% of parents worry their children will be unable to buy a home, 44% fret about funding further education, and 41% are concerned about affording extracurricular activities such as sport or music. Nearly half (49%) of respondents said such concerns influenced their decision to limit family size or not have children at all.

The online survey, conducted between 30 April and 5 May 2026, polled 1,014 Australians aged over 18, with a separate sample of 1,010 parents of children under 18. Data was weighted by age, gender and region.

Survey highlights parental financial anxiety

Despite the worries, 87% of respondents said they would invest for their children if a simple platform existed. On average, they would be willing to contribute A$376 per month. However, one in five parents have nothing set aside for their children, and 29% of those currently investing say they are contributing less than they planned a year ago, citing rising costs.

“Kids have an incredible financial advantage—the gift of time,” said Brooke Roberts, Sharesies co-founder and co-CEO. “By providing the tools to build portfolios for both adults and the next generation under one roof, we're helping families access that advantage early.”

Sharesies Australia, which holds an Australian Financial Services Licence, said Kids Accounts require no minimum investment and provide access to over 10,000 companies and ETFs across Australian, US and New Zealand share markets. The accounts are managed within the same app used for adult portfolios. The firm said further tools linking investing, spending and saving would roll out over the coming year.