Influencers Finance: Discover how these content creators talk about money without taboos, influence young investors and revolutionize online finance.
One day, they were office workers, engineers, students, or journalists. The next, they became the new stars of the web, followed by tens of thousands of subscribers eager for advice on savings, the stock market, or cryptocurrencies. financial influencers have invaded our screens, and they don't talk about lifestyle or fashion, but rather about budgets, investments, financial investments and economic freedom.
This movement, which began discreetly 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 passionate about finance emerged to democratize access to financial information. And they mean cash.
The educational role of financial influencers
Financial influencers primarily play an educational role. They explain in simple terms what banking institutions often detail in obscure language. Life insurance, ETFs, real estate, REITs, Bitcoin, or even monthly budget management… Nothing escapes their radar. In this way, they fill a huge gap left by schools and traditional media, which are often reluctant to address finance in a concrete way.
Creators like Jawlan Wassel, former engineer of the National Assembly and founder of Boursogramor Guillaume Simonin, passionate educators on Instagram, stand out for their commitment to sharing knowledge. They have become, despite themselves, the new teachers of popular economics. 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 and YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn. And this is no coincidence: according to a study by Mon Petit Placement, 34 % of 18-34 year-olds get their information about money on social media. It is in this context that financial influencers are gaining popularity and credibility.
A diverse but highly connected community
The profile of financial influencers is far from uniform. We find seasoned experts like Marc Touati, renowned economist, or Marc Fiorentino, founder of Meilleurtaux Placement. Others, such as Owen Simonin (Hasheur) or Matthieu Louvet, are self-taught and have turned their passion into a profession, gaining hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Some initiatives target a specific audience: Cash Plan, co-founded by Lea Lejeuneaims to empower women to manage their finances. Alexandra Bationoof Let's talk budget, addresses concrete everyday subjects: salary, bills, monthly forecasts.
Their strength: proximity. Financial influencers speak like you and me, using personal anecdotes, offering diagrams and explanatory tables, and answering questions from their community. Finance then 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 |
| Lea Lejeune | Women's financial independence | Instagram / Newsletter | 86 000 |
An increasingly professionalized activity
Behind the word financial influencers a real industry lies hidden. Agencies like Sharewoods, specialized in this field, manage dozens of campaigns for brands such as Trade Republic, Sanofi, Axa and CAC 40 companies.
Some operate partnerships transparent, like Nicolas Chéron, which always specifies its collaborations. Regulations are being strengthened: the ARPP and the AMF now supervise financial advertising on networks.
Financial influencers are thus becoming powerful influencers, influencing the investment decisions of thousands of internet users. But this responsibility also requires increased vigilance.
The other side of the coin: scams and abuses
Behind the rise of financial influencers also lie questionable practices. Some profiles, often from reality TV, have abused their notoriety to promote risky, even fraudulent, financial products.
The AMF warns against promises of quick profits and disguised advertising. According to the SPAK observatory, 35% of 18- to 24-year-olds have already fallen victim to a financial scam. Hence the importance of cross-referencing sources, verifying information, and paying attention to transparency.
Financial influencers are organizing and want to clean up. The creation of Finfluence Awards in 2024 is a first step towards more ethics, recognition, and responsibility in this booming environment.
Our opinion
Financial influencers meet a major societal need: access to a simple, straightforward financial culture that's relevant to our times. They offer insights to better manage money, prepare for retirement, invest, or simply make smarter choices.
But this liberation of speech on money must not make us forget that finance remains a sensitive area, where mistakes are costly. The public must maintain a critical mind, and creators must maintain an unwavering code of ethics.
Financial influencers aren't all experts, but they do have one merit: they paved the way for public discussion about money—a subject that has been taboo for too long.
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