According to a survey from the National Association of Professional Financial Advisors (NAPFA), more than one-quarter of Gen Zers learn about money from social media. When it comes to where they’re getting financial advice, YouTube and TikTok are the most popular platforms.
What Makes a Good Personal-Finance Influencer?
If your teen is interested in learning about money through social media, it’s important to steer them toward trustworthy information. Anyone can claim to be a finance expert, but it’s important to understand what credentials they have to back that up. For example, a reputable financial advisor is someone who:
Has a title or certification that requires college-level courseworkHolds professional credentials from an accredited organizationIs transparent in detailing the type of services they provide and the fees they chargeAvoids conflicts of interest and has a fiduciary duty to youHas a professional history free of ethical or disciplinary actions
Personal-finance influencers can be financial advisors, but more often, they’re everyday people who want to use social media to share their experiences with money. When looking for influencers to follow, it helps to consider things like:
Their background and credentialsWhat kind of content they create (are they trying to inform or sell you something?)How active their accounts areAny criticism they’ve received
Follower count alone isn’t a reliable indicator of who is an authoritative influencer, since those can often include bots. It’s more important to look at the quality of the advice being offered, the influencer’s background, and whether other outlets such as personal-finance websites recognize them as reliable influencers.
Top Personal-Finance Influencer Accounts
There are many personal-finance influencers to choose from, so finding ones to follow may feel a little overwhelming. The Balance has researched some of the top influencers to follow now to learn more about money.
Tori Dunlap: Her First 100K
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herfirst100K/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/herfirst100k Twitter: https://twitter.com/herfirst100k Podcast: https://herfirst100k.com/financialfeministpodcast Website: https://herfirst100k.com
Tori Dunlap saved $100,000 by age 25 and documented the journey on her personal-finance blog, Her First 100K. Dunlap refers to herself as a “Financial Feminist” and advocates for financial education and equality for women. She has more than three million followers on social media. Her goals are to teach women to save more, spend less, and become financially confident.
Vivian Tu: Your Rich BFF
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourRichBFF YouTube: http://youtube.com/yourrichbff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your.richbff/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourrichbff Website: https://www.yourrichbff.com
Vivian Tu is a former Wall Street trader who found TikTok fame sharing personal-finance tips. The Your Rich Bff TikTok account has almost two million followers and is packed with easy-to-digest content on everything from student loans to savings hacks. Tu’s goal is to help followers become financially literate and take control of their money.
Humphrey Yang: Humphrey Talks
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/humphrey TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@humphreytalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humphreytalks Twitter: https://twitter.com/Humphreytalks Website: https://beacons.ai/humphreytalks
Humphrey Yang is a former financial advisor who started a YouTube channel to help answer all the money questions he got from his friends. The content there largely revolves around investing and economics. Yang also has more than three million followers on TikTok, where he posts short videos on a variety of topics, including investing, taxes, and money hacks.
Nick Meyer: Nick Talks Money
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/nicktalksmoney/featured TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicktalksmoney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicktalksmoney/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicktalksmoney
Nick Meyer is a certified financial planner (CFP) and financial influencer with a growing TikTok following. Meyer’s content is geared toward people who are interested in saving money and building wealth. The goal is to make finance fun and accessible for people who want to start investing and fill the gaps in their financial education.
Teri Ijeoma: Trade and Travel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itradeandtravel YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradeAndTravel TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teriijeomaj?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teriijeoma/ Website: https://tradeandtravel1.squarespace.com
Teri Ijeoma is a financial expert and educator who had the No. 1 course on Teachable in 2020 and was named 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA Association. Her content and her course are mainly focused on investing your way to financial freedom. It’s designed for students who want to trade their way out of a 9 to 5 job or who just want to invest as a side hustle.
Bola Sokunbi: Clever Girl Finance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clevergirlfinance/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/clevergirlfinance Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleverGirlCGF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clevergirlfinance/?hl=en Website: https://www.clevergirlfinance.com Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-clever-girls-know-podcast/id1178113915
Bola Sokunbi is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) who wants to encourage and support women struggling with their financial situation. She first started her financial journey because she was inspired by her mother, whom she refers to as “the hustle queen.” Clever Girl Finance has evolved into one of the top personal-finance websites for women who want to get rid of debt and build wealth.
Taylor Price: Priceless Tay
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pricelesstay? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pricelesstay/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/pricelesstayy Website: https://www.pricelesstay.com
Taylor Price is a Gen Z money expert, financial activist, and founder. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and was in the Financial Analyst Honors program at the University of Albany School of Business. She’s built her social media following by posting videos on topics such as student loan debt, investing, and saving for retirement. Price’s goal is to help her generation conceptualize and understand personal finance without confusing jargon or terminology.
Steve Chen: Call to Leap
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalltoLeap/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/calltoleap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calltoleap/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calltoleap? Website: https://www.calltoleap.com
Steve Chen is a former public-school math teacher, YouTuber, and TikToker dedicated to helping followers achieve financial freedom through investing and passive income streams. He also offers coaching through his website for people who want to become intelligent investors and traders.
