The Blog

From Buffet to Barrett: How One Millennial is Gathering Wisdom from Top Finfluencers

By Sarah Penney 

In a previous article, I explained that I’ve recently started to invest some of my savings and have been trying to increase my financial knowledge (and confidence!) by navigating social media algorithms to find the most informative sources of information. 

A significant, and unexpected, source of wisdom has been financial influencers, affectionately known as ‘finfluencers’! 

This shouldn’t have been so surprising, as the world of influencer marketing is booming, predicted to reach an eye-watering $22 billion by 2025. 

Finfluencers have emerged relatively recently, but it’s an area of the market that’s growing quickly, and like in other corners of the internet, there are both good and bad players.  

The influencer marketing space needs regulation, particularly as Generation Z matures and turns to social media for advice on more important life decisions, like their finances. However, while we wait for this to happen, we need to use some common sense to identify which finfluencers we give credence to, and how much we allow them to influence our decision-making.  

Luckily, a multitude of exceptional finfluencers are bridging gaps in financial literacy. I’ve been avoiding the ‘finance bros’ and anyone who suggests you can get rich quick and have found many influencers who are instilling a passion for personal finance, and equipping individuals with the knowledge and empowerment required to make sound financial choices. 

Here are some of the finfluencers that resonate with me. 

Warren Buffett 

Perhaps an odd choice for a young millennial, but you can’t beat the classics. Warren Buffett, the original finfluencer, has nuggets of wisdom that ring as true today as they ever have. A testament to this is that “Warren Buffett quotes” is still one of the most searched terms on Google. He’s still a go-to for guidance for investors of all ages.  

One of my favourite Buffett quotes is: “The stock market is a device to transfer money from the impatient to the patient.” As someone who can struggle with patience and freaks out a little when my portfolio takes a dive, this is something I regularly remind myself of. 

Buffett is also the king of investor engagement, with his Berkshire Hathaway AGMs attracting up to 70,000 attendees and attracting active engagement from investors. 

Watch how Buffett responds to one young shareholder question.

Nischa 

An investment banker and qualified accountant turned influencer, Nischa is a great source of information and guidance on a range of topics.  

She covers topics from wealth building, to tax, accounting, money-saving tips and more.   

As someone who’s self-employed, I find her videos explaining taxation particularly handy – she has a clear and informative tone, instills trust and puts me in the right mindset to attack the admin! 

Here’s Nischa on how to pay less tax.

Alice Tapper, Go Fund Yourself 

I’m a real fan of Go Fund Yourself. Alice has defied the odds and created a real, friendly, and helpful community with Go Fund Yourself. Both the community pages and Instagram page are spaces where people can get help and support on matters ranging from work dilemmas to navigating debt.  

The weekly Instagram debates are always topics that spark diverse perspectives and get me talking to my friends and family about tricky financial matters. Also, don’t miss the Financial Confessions! 

Cathie Wood 

I like to follow a mix of influencers who help me to think about the mechanics of managing my finances and those who give tips and insights about opportunities I might want to consider for my portfolio. 

Cathie Wood is a great person to follow for the latter. She’s the Founder, CEO and CIO of ARKinvest and shares her take on what’s happening in the markets. She comes across as honest and trustworthy, and both hers and the ARKinvest Twitter feeds offer plenty of food for thought and additional research.  

Watch Cathie Wood on Elon Musk’s pay deal. 

Mr MoneyJar 

Timi Merriman-Johnson has been growing in popularity recently, with TV and various podcast appearances. His Mr MoneyJar Show features varied and interesting guests, talking on topics that appeal to those who are just getting to grips with personal finance, through to those who are more experienced and building a portfolio.  

There are some great tips on getting paid more, starting a side hustle and building an investment portfolio. 

Here’s the Mr Money Jar Show on building wealth as a woman.

Gary’s Economics 

Gary Stevenson is a trader and economist turned influencer and activist. His content is often skewed by his political views, but he discusses complex topics in clear terms, inspiring action. I particularly like his videos sharing stories about his life as a trader, as well those about generating passive income, inflation and the housing market – he shares strong points of view that you won’t get elsewhere, and I’m all about gathering diverse perspectives. 

Gary’s Economics on how to get rich.

Claer Barrett 

Claer Barrett is a columnist for the Financial Times, podcast host, TV and radio commentator. She’s a fountain of knowledge and is brilliant at communicating with the masses on personal finance issues.  

I particularly like her FT columns, in which she often covers topics relating to investing, how you can become a better investor and where to look for greater value in your portfolio.  

Her social media focusses more on personal finance than wealth-building, she always makes me chuckle and often discusses topics I haven’t really considered before. 

Diverse perspectives are critical in today’s world, particularly when it comes to making investment decisions. I would never follow the advice of a finfluencer without doing my own research and exploring alternative points of view, it’s important to be aware of finfluencer’s motivations for what they put out on social media, but with a careful outlook, they can be incredibly enriching.  

I truly believe we’re in a privileged position to be exposed to so much knowledge and experience at our fingertips, and I’m thankful for these people for sharing this with the world! 

Sarah Penney is TEA’s Millennial Money Writer, covering personal finance and investing from the perspective of a young millennial building a career, travelling the world and navigating the world of investing. She explores subjects that promote understanding of markets, investment trends, and macroeconomics, through her lense. 

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