1 in 3 Americans Scrolls TikTok for Financial Advice. Here’s What the Best Money Gurus Have to Say

This post may contain affiliate links which may compensate us based on your interaction. Please read the disclosures for more information.

They strive to make money easy and understandable for regular people. 

Younger generations of Americans are flocking to mobile apps for financial advice. TikTok, a social media app with over 78 million users, offers youngsters with short attention spans a thriving financial community. It’s quick, easy, and above all, digestible.

The app’s usage isn’t limited to Generation Z. Not by a mile. According to a study by Personal Capital, a whopping 1 in 3 Americans scrolls TikTok for financial advice. Self-styled money gurus have a lot to say on how folks should manage money, and Americans are taking notice.

TikTok scrollers deserve information from trustworthy sources. Here’s what some of the best money gurus have to say, about everything from investing to job interviews.

Dollar-cost average

Ramit Sethi (@ramit.sethi), author of NYT bestseller I Will Teach You To Be Rich, recommends investors beat swings in the stock market by dollar-cost averaging. Dollar-cost averaging normalizes. It also makes investing easy — when you’re averaging, you’re not timing the market, a stressful endeavor.

Bonus: Automate your investments. That way, investors aren’t tempted to spend their money on frivolous purchases. It’s a helpful mental trick and a time saver. The best stock brokers offer investors low fees and perks.

Job search with Google

Vivian Tu (@yourrichbff), author of the popular “Your Rich BFF” newsletter, has a hot tip for job searchers with zero experience. She recommends searchers ditch LinkedIn and hop straight onto Google, where you can type your dream job right into the search bar. Google offers a “no experience” filter and brings job searchers a broad range of recommendations across the web.

While Vivian has a point — Google is fantastic for job searchers — it’s worth having a LinkedIn page so recruiters can reach out. I’ve had multiple job offers from recruiters who reached out to me through LinkedIn. Consider leveraging both free platforms.

Consider the Roth IRA

Humphrey Yang (@humphreytalks), ex-financial advisor and full-time content creator, warns of one common mistake people make when signing up for a retirement account through their employer. It’s simple: Consider the Roth IRA option when opening a retirement account.

Employers typically offer two retirement accounts: the 401(k) and the Roth IRA. Many folks default to the 401(k) option, and Yang considers this a mistake. Opening a Roth IRA might make more sense for people who anticipate making more income (and climbing the tax bracket ladder) before retirement.

Withhold salary expectations

Tori Dunlap (@herfirst100k), author of NYT bestseller Financial Feminist, thinks interviewees should not be expected to disclose their expected salary during an interview. She suggests interviewees respond to requests for salary expectations by deflecting.

Stuck on what to say? Tori suggests the following template: “It’s hard to understand the full scope of the role at this stage of the process; I’d like to know your budget.” Hot tip: Stick that into ChatGPT and give it a whirl if you want to change the exact phrasing.

Ditch credit card interest

Seth Godwin (@seth.godwin), a personal finance guru with over 1.6 followers on TikTok, thinks credit cards should accommodate your lifestyle, not the other way around. He reasons that no amount of rewards will make up for expensive credit interest charges. If you find yourself paying off credit card debt, ditch the card and switch to debit.

It’s solid advice worth following. That said, using credit cards responsibly can save consumers on fees. The best credit cards maximize perks for responsible users — the trick is staying ahead of your monthly payments.

Curation is essential because the app will recommend similar content to the stuff you follow. Be stingy with follows to keep your content informative, and whenever possible, check sources. The best money gurus make financial TikTok worth checking out.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR until 2024

If you’re using the wrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Our experts love this top pick, which features a 0% intro APR until 2024, an insane cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee.

In fact, this card is so good that our experts even use it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Read our free review

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

 Read More