Abstract
This study evaluates the content of YouTube finance influencers (finfluencers) to assess whether they provide overly promotional advice or can help improve the low financial literacy of Generation Z. A total of 407 videos sampled using the nine knowledge areas tested in the TIAA Institute Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index) were analyzed using Structural Topic Modeling (STM). Eight topics were observed in the videos, ranging from general literacy to emergency planning. Comparing the observed topics to the P-Fin Index categories showed that finfluencers address six of the nine key areas of financial literacy, with gaps in the coverage of long-term focused content, such as retirement fluency. The findings suggest that finfluencers provide accessible content focused on many key areas of financial literacy, making them a viable tool for financial education. However, because many finfluencers operate in a largely unregulated space and may lack required disclosures or credentials, efforts to promote accountability and transparency are essential to ensure their reliability as educational resources.
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Recommended Citation
Alfred, Alyse
(2026)
"Assessing YouTube Finance Influencers: Guidance or Hype for Generation Z?,"
DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive: Vol. 7:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.