The problem with Finfluencers

It has never been easier to get financial advice and never been harder to know which advice is worth listening to. Everywhere you turn, someone online is telling you what the “norm” is, what you “should” be doing, and exactly how much money you need to retire comfortably. Finfluencers have built massive platforms on the promise of simple answers, quick wins, and universal rules. The problem is that much of this information is outdated, untested, or just plain wrong for you.

A few of our clients are sharing with us the information they are receiving – and we are delighted that you’re checking in! What we have found is that these are often based on old rules of thumb that have already been challenged or disproven. Unfortunately, the internet has a long shelf life. Once a catchy idea, article, or video takes hold, it spreads forever, even when better information replaces it. Since Finfluencers are unregulated, they are not required to stay current and they certainly are not required to take responsibility when their advice causes financial harm. In most cases, they are unlicensed, unaccountable, and rewarded for reach and likes, not accuracy or suitability.

The biggest issue is that, due to the nature of the delivery model, nearly all of it is one size fits all advice. This is especially dangerous in a country like Canada where financial rules differ not only federally but provincially. Someone in Ontario might be reading a strategy that would only apply in the US. Someone in BC is watching a video created in Alberta with completely different provincial legislation. None of that nuance tends to make it into a thirty second reel.

Finfluencers are successful because they tap into something very human. We want easy answers. We want certainty. We want a shortcut. An arbitrary target like “you need five million dollars to retire” sounds impressively concrete. It gives people a direction that feels comforting, even though it has nothing to do with their life, their values, or their version of comfort. We’ve been asked time and time again by journalists and reporters to support an arbitrary number, and we continue to annoy them by not only refusing but also stating strongly that people need to stop throwing around “magic” numbers.

When that number is in the millions, it sounds like it might be right. The truth is that it’s meaningless without context. Someone with no debt, modest lifestyle expectations, and a strong pension plan does not need the same retirement portfolio as someone supporting extended family, living in an expensive city, or planning to travel six months a year.

The danger is that these generic benchmarks (given by both Finfluencers and possibly even your own circle of friends) trick people into feeling behind or inadequate even when they are doing just fine. We had a client recently advise that he felt like he was spending more than he used to. He wasn’t. Not even close. We looked at it together and realized he was simply spending more on things he genuinely loves, and less on the things he thought he should enjoy, but actually didn’t. Because of that, he felt like he was spending so much more than he had in the past! Remember that finances, like many, many things, are relative. They’re personal. They’re about you.

We are inundated by consistent messaging from newspapers, finfluencers, social media, and our community. That messaging isn’t really on our side. It invites us into a trap – comparison. Comparison is seductive because it gives us a shortcut that feels like clarity. Someone else’s number. Someone else’s rule. Someone else’s definition of success. Finfluencers know this and build their content around it. They make it seem like your financial life should follow a template and that the only thing standing between you and success is your willingness to follow their steps. If you don’t, then you’re not only wrong, but you’re missing out.

The actual shortcut is far less glamorous and far more effective. It is knowing yourself. Knowing what you value, what matters to you, how you want to live, and what you do and do not care about spending money on. When you understand your own priorities, arbitrary rules lose their power.

You stop worrying about whether your retirement number matches your colleague’s. You stop thinking you should enjoy brunch or luxury travel or whatever the algorithm is pushing that week. You start making decisions based on who you are, not who the internet tells you to be.

Financial planning is not about keeping up with anyone else. It is about building a life that fits you. Finfluencers cannot do that for you. They do not know your values, your goals, your needs, or your story. When you build your financial life around who you are and what you truly care about, everything else starts to make more sense. The noise quiets down. The pressure to keep up loses its hold. Your choices stop feeling like reactions to someone else’s standards and start feeling grounded in your own.

That is exactly the work we do. We’re here to help you figure out how to make your dreams and values mesh with the nitty gritty decisions and moves it takes to build a life and legacy that gets you genuinely excited. We focus on what is right for you, not what looks impressive on paper or what the internet claims is the norm. Whether you are an entrepreneur carving your own path or part of a multi generational family with shared assets and shared goals, we support you in creating a plan that feels personal, meaningful, and true.

Your financial life should reflect the dreams that matter to you. When your path is aligned with your values, clarity comes naturally and the future feels a lot more like your own.

Here’s to embracing that mindset and making 2026 your most intentional, fulfilling, and successful year yet. We’re honored to be part of your journey.

Your Spring Planning Team

Practice Notes:

As the year winds down, your Spring Planning team is working tirelessly to wrap things up before we power down for the holidays on December 19. We’ll be back refreshed and ready to connect on January 5.

Every holiday season, we honor the incredible people we work with by making donations to local causes that matter to our community. This year, Julia and Ashlee involved their kids in choosing where to give. Despite the age difference between our children, they both agreed on supporting those who have less during the holidays, whether it’s food or gifts. We’re proud to support organizations like Covenant House Vancouver and the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.

Covenant House provides shelter, food, and support services to vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, offering them a safe place to rest and hope for a better future. The Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau works tirelessly each year to deliver food hampers and gifts to families facing financial hardship, helping to make the holiday season brighter for thousands of children and their families.

It’s heartening to see our kids understand the importance of helping others, and it reminds us we’re raising some truly special individuals.

As we head into the holidays, we look forward to a well-deserved rest and hope you find time for peace, love, and renewal. We’ll gently ease into 2026, savoring the space between January 1 and the Lunar New Year on February 17.

We’re also excited to share some news with you when we return. We can’t wait to reconnect.

Spring in the News:

​Some seniors are engaging in part-time work, which brings both social and financial benefits. The Globe & Mail interviewed several seniors who are working this way, and asked Julia for her thoughts on how this might impact the choices those seniors are making. Read the full article here.

Julia chatted with Christina Crowe, Registered Psychotherapist from Dig A Little Deeper, Psychotherapy & Counselling about Money Systems That Actually work for ADHD brains. Check out the full podcast here.

Please check out our media page here for videos, podcasts, interviews and more.

Planning News Digest (Book Recommendation Edition):

• Is someone in your life learning how to build a life with their romantic partner? Money Together by Heather & Doug Boneparth is a real-life story based book about all the difficulties having money together can bring, with some great answers about how to navigate through them with success.
• We never stop recommending Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. It’s amazing for anyone going through any kind of transition like retirement or getting your first job. The worksheets in the book are the part that really turns ideas into action.
• The Wealthy Barber (Updated 2025!) by David Chilton is out and available. He’s also been talking with many of our good friends on his podcast. You may see someone you know popping up there in the future too!
• And don’t forget that everything by Daniel Crosby, is currently free through year end on Kindle. Dr. Crosby is hoping that you’ll take what you otherwise might have paid for any of his excellent books on money and meaning, and donate to a charity that supports survivors of tragedy around the world.

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