Can finfluencers help Britain build a nation of investors?

Can finfluencers help Britain build a nation of investors?

This week, The Times launched its Smarter with Money campaign, drawing national attention to the UK’s long‑standing gaps in financial education. Its survey findings show that nine in ten adults learnt almost nothing about money at school, and that most believe this has left them worse off. This underlines a core challenge facing policymakers: even as financial products multiply, people’s basic understanding of how to use them hasn’t kept pace. 

The Times’ call for better financial teaching in schools and workplaces speaks to the same structural issues the Government is trying to address. With the Retail Investment Campaign set to launch in April, the Investment Association (IA) is preparing to bring retail investing much more firmly into the public conversation. It is part of the Leeds Reforms set out by Rachel Reeves, which support the wider ambition to position the UK as a leading global financial centre by 2035. This ambition ultimately depends on improving public understanding of investing. Whilst there is almost universal agreement that the classroom is an excellent place to start, social platforms have emerged as a new arena of financial education, driven in large part by the growing reach of finfluencers. 

The risks: misleading content and rising enforcement

To reach new potential investors, the IA will be moving beyond traditional channels by using social platforms and finfluencers. Much of this shift is driven by the fact that young people are increasingly learning about money on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. A 2025 BlackRock study found that 79% of Gen Z adults now use social media for financial advice, revealing mainstreaming of social channels in financial decision-making. This is arguably filling the gap left by limited financial education in schools – a gap that has contributed to eight in ten adults feeling too nervous to invest at all due to confusion and a lack of understanding (Capital.com, 2025).

Regulatory responses

Despite the IA’s move to legitimise these channels by incorporating finfluencers into its strategy, there remain real concerns around misleading financial information being shared online with young people particularly exposed to mis-selling. The risks were made clear in May 2024, when the FCA charged nine influencers - including several former Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex contestants - for promoting an unauthorised, high-risk trading scheme to millions of Instagram followers. 

According to analysis reported by Financial Planning Today (4 Feb 2026), FCA action against influencers jumped by 174% in 2025, with more than 650 social‑media takedown requests. Yet compared with some overseas regulators, the FCA still takes a relatively lighter‑touch approach: only around 13% of its cases involved arrests or criminal charges, and overall intervention levels remain lower than in similar markets.

In the UK, the FCA and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have issued dedicated guidance on social media financial promotions and influencer marketing, emphasising that firms remain fully responsible for content posted on their behalf. The EU has taken it a step further, with lawmakers agreeing to introduce new rules requiring firms that work with finfluencers to have proper contracts and oversight in place, alongside mandatory financial literacy efforts for younger and more vulnerable groups. 

Guidance vs advice: the red line

For creators and the firms partnering with them, the crucial (and ultimately legal) distinction is between financial guidance (education) and financial advice. Guidance offers general information, tools or explanations. It is not personalised and does not recommend specific actions with the consumer maintaining responsibility for decisions. On the other hand, advice is a personalised recommendation made by a qualified, regulated adviser who assesses needs and suitability; the firm is accountable, and FOS/FSCS consumer protections can apply (Hargreaves Lansdown).

In practice, finfluencer content should stay firmly on the guidance side unless the creator is authorised. 

The upside: broadening participation

Handled properly, finfluencers can be part of the solution. They speak in plain language, reach non‑investors, and can spark interest among groups under‑represented in markets - from younger savers to women and minority communities. Creators such as Damien Talks Money, who breaks down UK tax, investing and retirement topics in accessible terms, Mitch Shoesmith, a former banking professional producing clear, beginner-friendly investing explainers, and Nischa Shah, a former investment banker who educates her audience on wealth building and smart money habits, all demonstrate how high-quality content can support genuine financial understanding. 

Striking the right balance 

Finfluencers aren’t a passing trend but are now part of the financial communications landscape and are already shaping how millions of people encounter financial concepts. Their plainspoken style and accessibility can make investing feel less intimidating and spark curiosity among audiences who might otherwise feel shut out. At the same time, that reach means it’s important to keep clear distinctions between general guidance and personalised advice.  

With sensible guardrails, finfluencers could play a meaningful part in widening access to investing and supporting the UK’s ambition to build a more financially literate and engaged public.