The news: Fidelity partly credits finfluencers with increased Roth IRA adoption and a 73% YoY jump in Gen Z Roth IRA contributions in Q2 2026, per the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). This reinforces that finfluencers are influencing engagement as well as what young consumers do with their money.

Zooming in: The WSJ reviewed nearly 50 hours of financial content across 212 TikTok accounts and found everything from basic financial education to stock recommendations and paid wealth-building courses. Indeed, nearly one-third of the accounts discussed individual stocks or portfolio holdings, including recommendations to buy stocks before they rise. 

Many of the accounts it reviewed weren’t run by licensed or certified financial advisers. Instead, creators establish credibility by showcasing account balances or aspirational lifestyles or by positioning themselves as peers learning alongside their audience. 

Why it matters: TikTok puts investing content in the same entertainment feed where consumers discover products and creators. This corresponds with our recent coverage of US adults who have sought financial guidance in the past year, which found that 73% turned to the internet compared with 35% who consulted family members and 32% who worked with a financial advisor, per Gallup data. 

But that accessibility has risks: According to the WSJ, FINRA found that people who use social media for investment advice rated their financial knowledge higher than that of nonusers even though they performed worse on an objective knowledge test.

Implications for banks: Banks shouldn’t assume their first interaction with a younger customer happens on a bank-owned channel. By the time the person arrives at a bank or brokerage, a creator may already have explained the Roth IRA, suggested investments, and shaped expectations about financial success. That means:

• Banks should make financial education an acquisition strategy. Banks can turn education into a growth tool by making credible financial information as engaging and culturally relevant as creator content that consumers encounter on social platforms.
• Banks need a creator strategy—but credibility should be the differentiator. The opportunity is to pair creators’ accessibility and relatability with institutional expertise, appropriate disclosures, and trusted information.
• Banks should optimize for the handoff from social discovery to financial action. If TikTok inspires someone to open their first IRA or investment account, the institution that makes that next step easiest is best positioned to capture the customer. 

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