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Financial information is readily accessible across the internet. Accredited websites, blogs, and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are teeming with financial influencers—but can they be trusted?
Jessica Inskip, director of investor research at Stockbrokers.com, joins Stocks in Translation, hosted by Yahoo Finance’s markets and data editor Jared Blikre and producer Sydnee Fried, to discuss the 2025 financial landscape and the "word of the day"—financial literacy. Blikre defines financial literacy as “the ability to understand and effectively use financial skills like budgeting, investing, savings, and management of debt to make informed decisions and achieve financial goals.”
Inskip highlights the essence of financial literacy as “being prepared and… having a plan but also understanding the steps to make that plan.”
The discussion shifts to the challenges younger generations face when consuming financial information on short-form platforms like TikTok.
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“The type of people who are producing content on TikTok—not all are bad, but the vast majority, due to the regulation that is around finance in general, have no experience,” Inskip explains. “Even those that have good intentions… a lack of information could still lead to misinformation.”
When relying on influencers for financial advice, vetting them is crucial. Inskip outlines her process: "First, can they break down the basics? Secondly, what is their background? … Have they worked in finance? If they haven't, that's okay. How do they position themselves? Do they call themselves an expert and they're not, or are they saying, ‘learn with me?’”
Inskip also addresses the issue of outdated social media regulations, tying it to FINRA Rule 2210, which requires that a compliance professional must review any electronic communication sent to 10 or more people. “If you look at people who work at self-directed firms, everyone who has a Series 7, that introductory license—that's thousands, hundreds of thousands. And you may have five compliance people; therefore, it's too costly, and it's not going to happen,” she explains.
“So not only are we not making a place where it's regulatory-friendly… You are discouraging those who [want to] take the correct steps to learn in the right place from being content creators,” adds Inskip.
Twice a week, Stocks In Translation cuts through the market mayhem, noisy numbers and hyperbole to give you the information you need to make the right trade for your portfolio. You can find more episodes here, or watch on your favorite streaming service.
This post was written by John Tejada.