In a world where personal finance advice is no longer confined to the traditional financial planner’s office, young people are increasingly turning to unconventional sources for financial guidance. The rise of “finfluencers” on social media platforms has brought about a significant shift in how financial advice is consumed and perceived by younger generations.
While older Americans tend to rely on professional financial planners, a 2025 Gallup poll reveals that 42% of individuals aged 18-29 seek financial advice on social media. This is nearly twice the rate of those aged 30-49. Many of these finfluencers lack formal financial credentials, yet they gain credibility through their social media presence and relatability.
Finance Meets Politics
Personal finance has taken on a political dimension, with young adults navigating a challenging economy while finfluencers critique the institutions and policies they blame for these conditions. This advice ranges widely, from risky trading strategies to more comprehensive financial practices, often opposing traditional financial advice.
A TikTok video by Rachel Cohen, a lawyer who publicly declares her refusal to pay an $8,800 federal income tax bill for political reasons, exemplifies this trend. Her videos, which have garnered millions of views, highlight her objections to federal immigration policies and the military-industrial complex. Despite threats from viewers to report her to the IRS, Cohen ultimately filed her return but placed the money in a high-yield savings account instead.
Tax resistance videos, like Cohen’s, have amassed millions of views on TikTok, demonstrating a widespread interest in challenging the status quo. While many of these videos originate from left-leaning users, they attract influencers from across the political spectrum.
Beyond protests, some personalities encourage their audiences to view their financial decisions as political statements. Vivian Tu, known as “Your Rich BFF,” explains the rising cost of raspberries through foreign and domestic policy decisions, urging viewers to share the video and contact legislators.
Similarly, Tori Dunlap, author of “Financial Feminist,” advises her 2.2 million Instagram followers to “GET RICH” as a form of protest amidst global uncertainties. Her advice, however, focuses on conventional financial tips such as improving credit scores, paying off debt, or automating savings contributions.
Finances and Values
Finfluencers often intertwine financial advice with personal values, appealing to audiences’ political beliefs. However, many followers may not realize that finfluencers often monetize their content through sponsored posts from credit card and fintech companies or by offering their own courses and materials.
Full transparency is not always guaranteed, as the disclosure of sponsorships is sometimes lacking. This is especially true in the cryptocurrency sphere, where promoters may have vested interests in the coins they endorse.
With growing distrust in financial institutions, Americans are increasingly open to advice that may be in regulatory gray areas. Personal finance decisions are becoming influenced by political and nonconformist sentiments.
Alternative Advice Channels
Not all young people turn to finfluencers for guidance. Many seek advice from anonymous users on platforms like Reddit. The r/personalfinance subreddit, for instance, boasts 2.8 million weekly visitors who engage in discussions about financial issues. This subreddit is just one of 189 finance-related communities identified in a recent report.
Unlike finfluencers, Reddit users typically share advice in text form and are less likely to be monetized. The platform allows for peer-to-peer learning and offers diverse opinions, with credibility established through community endorsements.
However, Reddit also harbors anti-institutional sentiments, with users criticizing the financial system and advocating for alternatives like digital currency. Other forums focus on reducing consumerism, promoting frugality, and simplifying lifestyles.
In this landscape, financial education is rarely neutral, as it intertwines with users’ personal and political lives. As finfluencer Ellyce Fulmore expresses: “The barriers you face, your personal experience, the systems that do or don’t work for you … personal, personal, personal, personal!”
