Time to crackdown on ‘finfluencers’

Influencers who generate content on financial topics are rapidly rising in popularity on social media, having been dubbed ‘finfluencers.’  

The good news is that finance is becoming more accessible and appealing to younger generations through bite-sized, more light-hearted formats. Coupled with a lack of financial education in their school years, Gen Z and millennials are increasingly turning to finfluencers to improve their financial education and boost their levels of financial literacy. Unfortunately, this demand is not always being met by those qualified or experienced enough to educate others. 

City watchdog involvement  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is working with the Advertising Standards Authority to help educate influencers and consumers about the risks involved in promoting financial products. 

Sarah Pritchard, FCA Executive Director, Markets said, “We’ve seen more cases of influencers touting products that they shouldn’t be. They are often doing this without knowledge of the rules and without understanding of the harm they could cause their followers. We want to work with influencers so they keep on the right side of the law, as this will also help protect people from being shown scams or investments that are too risky.” 

The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.