{"id":10744,"date":"2026-04-18T08:28:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10744"},"modified":"2026-04-18T08:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:29:09","slug":"young-investors-flock-to-social-media-for-investing-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10744","title":{"rendered":"Young investors flock to social media for investing advice"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"byline yf-z1ictt\">\n<div class=\"byline-attr yf-z1ictt\">\n<div class=\"byline-attr-logo yf-z1ictt\">Most investors sift through myriad sources before making an investment decision. Social media is speeding up the process \u2014 not always with good results.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-wrap yf-1muc6rc\">\n<div class=\"body yf-v6n2s3\" data-testid=\"article-body\">\n<div class=\"bodyItems-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">A new\u00a0<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.finra.org\/media-center\/newsreleases\/2026\/finra-foundation-research-examines-characteristics-behaviors-outcomes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:report;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;report&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"187\" data-y-link-id=\"1fv0zv90vykcr31hvip0\" data-v9y=\"1\">report\u00a0<\/a>from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation dives into how investors use social media and follow \u201cfinfluencers\u201d to inform their investment decis<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">\u201cThere\u2019s such an inundation of information and such a pressure to act quickly,\u201d Gerri Walsh, president of the FINRA Foundation,\u00a0<a class=\"link yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/retiring-head-of-finra-foundation-fomo-is-investors-biggest-mistake-143053886.html\" rel=\"\" data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:recently told me;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;recently told me&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"188\" data-y-link-id=\"1xxzkuq1np9g7l01zehv\" data-v9y=\"1\">recently told me<\/a>. \u201cIt&#8217;s very simple to make an investing decision that you might regret if you don\u2019t build in a speed hump for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/markets\/stocks\/article\/young-investors-tap-social-media-for-investing-advice-with-mixed-results-204433279.html\">Read on Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><strong>Younger investors are more apt to act on advice from a finfluencer<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">Those who said they make decisions based on recommendations from a social media personality were mostly younger \u2014 6 in 10 were between age 18 and 34 \u2014 while only a tiny sliver, 9%, were 55 or older, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">\u201cThis research shows that social media is a significant resource for investors, but it comes with both potential benefits and costs,\u201d Walsh said. Many people who turn to these sources score low on investment knowledge tests yet tend to be overconfident about their investment savvy, she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">This cohort of investors answered an average of 42% of questions correctly on an objective investment knowledge quiz, yet 63% rated their investment knowledge as high. \u201cThat makes them vulnerable to investment fraud and raises serious concerns,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">Nearly 7 in 10 social media users and finfluencer followers reported losing money to fraud.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"mailto:%20kerry.hannon@yahooinc.com\" data-i13n=\"slk:Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.;cpos:4;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.;slk:Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"194\" data-y-link-id=\"1ph6buf03dwqks0i0e6b\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong><em>Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">\u201cIf you\u2019re the person who lost money to a fraud, that can feel like \u2018I\u2019m just a fool who couldn\u2019t identify something that was too good to be true,\u2019\u201d Walsh said. \u201cThe reality is that scammers are so sophisticated, they make those opportunities seem both real and true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\">As for making investing decisions, there\u2019s value in devoting time to research. \u201cIt\u2019s often a more complex question than a 15-second video or a one-minute blog post could possibly cover,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline-attr-logo yf-z1ictt\"><a class=\"primary-link fin-size-small yf-119g04z\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/author\/kerry-hannon\" target=\"_self\" data-ylk=\"elm:author;elmt:link;itc:0;slk:Kerry%20Hannon;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;author&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Kerry Hannon&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;}\" data-rapid_p=\"181\" data-y-link-id=\"12ce70g0zypqpl017ha5\" data-v9y=\"1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"byline-attr-logo-img yf-z1ictt\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/g.2SvojXrwMNsUGlR9EcQQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTgwO2g9ODA-\/https:\/\/o.aolcdn.com\/images\/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fo.aolcdn.com%25252Fimages%25252Fdims%25253Fimage_uri%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fs.yimg.com%2525252Fos%2525252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2525252F2023-07%2525252F41712030-1c23-11ee-bcf7-7d286db2677e%252526compress%25253D1%252526progressive%25253D1%252526quality%25253D75%252526client%25253Dhawkeye%252526signature%25253D1de715733bdefcb02d735079f8145447d5b31ff0%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253D850fb3720e7261df724b58ed79f7f65a79a681be%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D4f2b35afece555fd336b1d5801a4fe34b86903bf&amp;compress=1&amp;progressive=1&amp;quality=75&amp;client=hawkeye&amp;signature=a5075ca77bffbb522c38a04e6704e3941da848c2\" alt=\"Kerry Hannon\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline-attr-author yf-z1ictt\"><a class=\"primary-link fin-size-large noUnderline yf-119g04z\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/author\/kerry-hannon\" target=\"_self\" data-ylk=\"elm:author;elmt:link;itc:0;slk:Kerry%20Hannon;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;author&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Kerry Hannon&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;}\" data-rapid_p=\"182\" data-y-link-id=\"18e2t1k03l05150w6dje\" data-v9y=\"1\">Kerry Hannon<\/a>\u00a0<span class=\"byline-attr-meta-separator yf-z1ictt\">\u00b7<\/span>\u00a0Senior Columnist<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><em>Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including &#8220;<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/kerry-hannon\/retirement-bites\/9781541705845\/?lens=publicaffairs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"slk:Retirement Bites;cpos:5;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future,;slk:Retirement Bites;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Retirement Bites&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"195\" data-y-link-id=\"0y5tap71dlcwv90wmmdw\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future,<\/em><\/a><em>&#8221; &#8220;<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?page_id=9253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"slk:In Control at 50+;cpos:6;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work;slk:In Control at 50+;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;6&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;In Control at 50+&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"196\" data-y-link-id=\"1s9prws1u7war700k0r8\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work<\/em><\/a><em>,&#8221; and &#8220;Never Too Old to Get Rich.&#8221; Follow her on\u00a0<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/kerryhannon.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"slk:Bluesky;cpos:7;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Bluesky;slk:Bluesky;cpos:7;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;7&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Bluesky&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"197\" data-y-link-id=\"11se6600zdvnte1heyln\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>Bluesky<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KerryHannon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"slk:X;cpos:8;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:X;slk:X;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;X&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"198\" data-y-link-id=\"0ov0ycs0xbn4o20k4jna\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>X<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrapper\" data-testid=\"read-more\">\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/preferences.newsletters.yahoo.net\/subscribe\/mindyourmoney\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"slk:Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter;cpos:9;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter;slk:Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter;cpos:9;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;9&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"200\" data-y-link-id=\"1kz8e2o0i1vaqg0e2xo4\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/\" rel=\"\" data-i13n=\"slk:Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo ;cpos:11;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo;slk:Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo ;cpos:11;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;11&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo &quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"202\" data-y-link-id=\"1m4vff216hrxq51w0l7c\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/\" rel=\"\" data-i13n=\"slk:Finance;cpos:12;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Finance;slk:Finance;cpos:12;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;12&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Finance&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" data-rapid_p=\"203\" data-y-link-id=\"0nr54xi0y78xlq19t8bb\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Finance<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Young investors flock to social media for investing advice\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new\u00a0report\u00a0from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation dives into how investors use social media and follow \u201cfinfluencers\u201d to inform their investment decis<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Young investors flock to social media for investing advice\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29,101,597],"tags":[677,121],"class_list":["post-10744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finances","category-personal-finance-2","category-yahoo","tag-finfluencers","tag-investing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-18-at-8.19.09%E2%80%AFAM.png?fit=1290%2C578&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3YFQS-2Ni","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10744"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10748,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10744\/revisions\/10748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}