Influencers of finance: discover how these content creators talk about money without taboos, influence young people investors and revolutionize online finance.
One day, they were office workers, engineers, students or journalists. The next day, they were the new stars of the Web, followed by tens of thousands of subscribers eager for advice on savings, the stock market or crypto-currencies. The financial influencers have invaded our screens, and they're not talking about lifestyle or fashion, but about budgets, investments, financial investments and economic freedom.
This movement, which began quietly a few years ago, has accelerated dramatically since the health crisis. As the world became aware of its economic fragility, an army of content creators with a passion for finance emerged to democratize access to financial information. And they're talking cash.
The educational role of financial influencers
Financial influencers first and foremost play an educational role. They explain in simple words what banking institutions often detail in obscure language. Life insurance, ETFs, real estate, SCPIs, Bitcoin or even monthly budget management... Nothing escapes their radar. In so doing, they fill an abysmal void left by schools and the traditional media, which are often reluctant to tackle finance in a concrete way.
Designers like Jawlan Wasselformer engineer at the French National Assembly and founder of Boursogramor Guillaume Simoninand passionate educators on Instagram, stand out for their willingness to pass on knowledge. They have become, in spite of themselves, the new popular economics teachers. Their content is short, visual and clear. Their mission: to make finance understandable to as many people as possible.
Financial influencers are investing heavily in Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. And it's no coincidence: according to a study by Mon Petit Placement34 % of 18-34 year-olds get their information on social networks about money. It's against this backdrop that financial influencers are gaining in popularity and credibility.
A diverse but highly connected community
The profile of financial influencers is far from uniform. There are seasoned experts such as Marc Touatia renowned economist, or Marc Fiorentinofounder of Meilleurtaux Placement. Others, like Owen Simonin (Hasheur) or Matthieu LouvetThey are self-taught and have turned their passion into a profession, winning hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Some initiatives target a specific audience: Cash Planco-founded by Léa Lejeuneaims to empower women to manage their finances. Alexandra Bationoof Let's talk budgetIt deals with practical, everyday issues such as wages, bills and monthly forecasts.
Their strength: proximity. Finance influencers talk like you and me, using personal anecdotes, diagrams and explanatory charts, and answering questions from their community. Finance becomes a living, breathing subject.
Comparison table: typical profiles of financial influencers
| Name | Speciality | Main platform | Estimated subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jawlan Wassel | Investing in the stock market | 63 000 | |
| Owen Simonin (Hasheur) | Cryptocurrencies | YouTube | 735 000 |
| Guillaume Simonin | General financial education | 6 000 | |
| Matthieu Louvet | ETF, passive investment | YouTube | 170 000 |
| Léa Lejeune | Financial independence for women | Instagram / Newsletter | 86 000 |
An increasingly professionalized business
Behind the word financial influencers hides a veritable industry. Agencies such as Sharewoodsspecializing in this field, have managed dozens of campaigns for brands such as Trade Republic, Sanofi, Axa and CAC 40 companies.
Some operate partnerships transparent, like Nicolas Chéronwhich always specifies its collaborations. Regulations are being tightened: the ARPP and the AMF are now supervising financial advertising on the networks.
Financial influencers thus become powerful prescribers, influencing the investment decisions of thousands of Internet users. But this responsibility also implies heightened vigilance.
The other side of the coin: scams and abuses
Behind the rise of financial influencers lie dubious practices. Some profiles, often from reality TV, have abused their notoriety to promote risky or even fraudulent financial products.
The AMF warns against promises of quick profits and disguised advertising. According to the Spak Observatory, 35 % of 18-24 year-olds have already fallen victim to a financial scam. Hence the importance of cross-checking sources, verifying information and paying close attention to transparency.
Financial influencers are getting organized to clean up their act. The creation of Finfluence Awards in 2024 is a first step towards greater ethics, recognition and responsibility in this booming sector.
Our opinion
Financial influencers meet a major societal need: access to a simple, straightforward financial culture adapted to our times. They offer keys to understanding how to better manage money, prepare for retirement, invest or simply make wiser choices.
But this liberation of speech about money must not blind us to the fact that finance remains a sensitive field, where mistakes are costly. The public must keep a critical mind, and the creators, a faultless code of ethics.
Not all financial influencers are experts, but they do have one merit: they have opened the way to a public discussion on money. A subject too long taboo.
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Share your impressions or experiences with financial influencers in the comments, and stay tuned for our next decrypts of the digital world.