Why You Should Be Skeptical of Financial Influencers

There’s a joke floating around on finance Twitter: “Never take money advice from someone who makes their money giving money advice.” It’s funny—until you realize how many people are actually doing it.

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram these days and you’ll see an endless parade of financial influencers—#Finfluencers—doling out tips on everything from picking stocks to buying houses with “no money down” to paying off your debt with the help of some trendy budgeting app. Some wear crisp suits and pose in front of Lamborghinis. Others film themselves in their bedrooms, earnestly explaining why you should dump all your savings into some niche cryptocurrency you’ve never heard of.

And people eat it up. The big names rack up millions of views. Their content is everywhere: viral tweet threads, YouTube shorts, Instagram stories. For a generation raised on YouTube tutorials and who distrusts traditional institutions, it’s no surprise that financial advice would follow the same influencer playbook.

But here’s the problem: Most of these people have absolutely no business telling you what to do with your money.

Credentials? What Credentials?

In the old days, if you wanted to give financial advice, you had to pass exams, get licenses, or at least work at a bank long enough to learn the difference between a Roth IRA and a jar of loose change. Today? All you need is a ring light, a smartphone, and enough chutzpah to shout “NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE!” at the end of your video.

Sure, some financial influencers have real credentials. Maybe they’re CPAs, former bankers, or journalists who actually know how the system works. But many are just charismatic amateurs with a big following—and a knack for marketing themselves. Their business isn’t managing money. It’s managing attention.

The result: The most viral advice isn’t the most accurate. It’s the most entertaining. It’s the stuff that gets likes, shares, and affiliate commissions.

If It Sounds Too Good to Be True…

This is an ironclad law of the universe, right up there with gravity and “you always forget one thing at the grocery store.” If someone on the internet is promising you double-digit returns, “secret” tax loopholes, or a way to get rich quick with minimal effort, ask yourself: Why would they share this goldmine with a bunch of strangers on TikTok?

Because (spoiler alert) they’re not. They’re sharing it because they make money when you watch, click, buy, or sign up with their referral code.

This creates a weird set of incentives. It’s not that all financial influencers are scam artists. Some genuinely want to help. But the system rewards hype and sensationalism, not nuance or actual expertise.

That’s how you get advice like:

• “Leverage credit cards to buy real estate.”

• “Put everything into this hot new crypto coin.”

• “Velocity banking will solve all your debt problems.”

Nuance? Boring. The truth? Complicated. And complicated doesn’t go viral.

The Hidden Game

A lot of what looks like altruistic advice is really just marketing in disguise.

Ever see an influencer pushing a particular savings app, robo-advisor, or “life-changing” online course? They’re probably earning a fat affiliate commission or have a sponsorship deal. Sometimes, the line between “helpful content” and “paid promotion” gets blurry—even invisible. The FTC technically requires disclosures, but on TikTok and Instagram, they’re easy to miss. And even if the ad is clearly marked, the underlying message is the same: Trust me, I know what I’m doing.

But do they?

The Red Flags

1. Credentials That Don’t Add Up

A real financial professional has designations like CFP, CPA, or CFA. “I made six figures flipping NFTs” isn’t a credential. It’s an anecdote. If all you see is someone bragging about their own rags-to-riches story, that’s not expertise. That’s marketing.

2. The “Not Financial Advice” Paradox

So many influencers start or end with, “This isn’t financial advice…” before telling you exactly what to do. That little disclaimer isn’t a legal forcefield. If their “not-advice” is specific, actionable, or pressure-filled, that’s a big red flag.

3. “Act Now!” Urgency

If someone is yelling at you to buy, sign up, or invest right now before some imaginary window closes, pause. Real financial moves don’t expire at midnight, and anyone pressuring you for instant action is selling adrenaline, not wisdom.

4. Lack of Transparency

You deserve to know exactly how someone makes their money. Are they getting paid by the apps they recommend? Do they earn commissions for sign-ups? Are they just recycling content from Reddit forums? If they get cagey, vague, or dismissive when you ask, it’s time to move on. Real experts are open about conflicts of interest and how they get paid.

5. Cherry-Picked Success Stories

If the content is nothing but success—screenshots of massive gains, testimonials about overnight fortunes, or claims that “everyone who followed me got rich”—that’s a highlight reel, not reality. Actual investing involves losses, risk, and people who didn’t make it.

6. Overly Complicated Jargon

Sometimes, the goal isn’t to inform you—it’s to impress or intimidate. If someone’s hiding behind crypto-babble, complex diagrams, or stock chart wizardry but can’t explain things simply, you should wonder what they’re hiding. True experts can break things down for everyone.

7. Hate for Traditional Advice

This one’s sneaky: If someone constantly trashes index funds, diversified portfolios, budgeting basics, or anything that sounds “boring,” watch out. If the message is, “Ignore everything that actually works—Wall Street doesn’t want you to know this!”—that’s classic snake-oil. The basics are boring for a reason: They work.

8. Guaranteed Results

This one should set off alarm bells instantly. Nobody, not even Warren Buffett, can guarantee specific investment returns. If someone promises you “risk-free,” “guaranteed” money, or “can’t-lose” strategies, they’re lying—or worse, trying to sucker you in.

9. Unverifiable Claims

Be skeptical of big claims you can’t check—like showing off six-figure trading screenshots, luxury vacations “funded by options trading,” or testimonials that can’t be sourced. If someone can’t or won’t provide real proof, take everything they say with a grain of salt.

10. No Mention of Risk or Downsides

Every investment, side hustle, or financial maneuver has risks and downsides—sometimes big ones. If you’re only hearing about upside, and never about taxes, volatility, or the possibility of losing your shirt, you’re not getting real advice. You’re getting a sales pitch.

11. One-Size-Fits-All Advice

The best advice is personal—built around your needs, goals, risk tolerance, and quirks. Anyone telling you “everyone should do this” isn’t paying attention to reality. Blanket advice, especially for something as individual as money, is lazy and dangerous.

12. The Lifestyle Flex

Watch out for influencers who post more about private jets, rented Lamborghinis, designer clothes, and fancy dinners than actual finance. If the content is just flex after flex, chances are the real money isn’t coming from investments or side hustles—it’s coming from selling you the fantasy.

The Hidden Game

Most of what passes for financial advice online is actually marketing—sometimes subtly, sometimes blatantly. Ever notice how influencers seem to have a “favorite” app, course, or investment? Odds are they’re earning affiliate commissions or sponsorships. They win when you click, sign up, or buy.

This doesn’t mean every influencer is a scammer. But the internet rewards attention, not accuracy. Viral advice is rarely the advice that’s best for you. And the more entertaining or extreme it sounds, the more skeptical you should be.

How To Protect Yourself

• Check their background. Look for real credentials. Google them. See if they’re legit.

• Ask how they make money. Anyone worth listening to should be able to tell you clearly.

• Compare advice. Get a second (or third) opinion from a real professional—not just TikTok.

• Watch for red flags. If you spot any from above, hit unfollow and keep moving.

• Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Financial influencers can be fun, inspiring, even helpful. But at the end of the day, your money is too important to risk on someone’s viral post. Listen, but verify. Be curious, but cautious. And above all, remember that real wealth comes from boring stuff—patience, consistency, and, yes, sometimes even ignoring the algorithm.

Not financial advice. Just common sense.