Callie Cox, chief market strategist at Ritholtz Wealth Management and author of OptimistiCallie, shares her thoughts on the new investor “trend” in an interview with Business Insider.

“Cash, the ultimate security in the investment world, has suddenly become the hottest topic on Wall Street.

Even with the S&P 500 index up 22% this year, Americans have more than $230 billion invested in the stock markets: investment funds that pool cash and short-term debt. Typically, cash is reserved for investors who want protection in times of volatility. But 2024 was the second year with the largest cash savings since the 1970s, after 2023.