Active investors go solo as social media shapes research

TikTok and Instagram rank second for investment ideas at 32%.

Nearly two-thirds of active investors make investment decisions independently, with 34% deciding fully on their own and another 31% mostly solo, according to a report from Trust Bank.

Another 17% follow financial content, whilst 12% use financial advisors, 4% delegate decisions to robo-advisors, and 2% rely on community trades.

“Independent investing has become the default behaviour, with most young investors relying primarily on their own judgement and research,” Trust Bank said.

Social media also serves as a gateway to investing education, with 40% saying they get investment ideas from YouTube.

Another 32% cited TikTok or Instagram, 31% financial news, 22% Telegram or Discord, 17% friends and family, 16% blogs and podcasts, and 15% financial advisors.

“They value a mix of accessible and actionable content, with short video explainers (41%), personalised insights (36%), and regular market commentary (35%) emerging as the top three formats,” the report said.

Other formats valued by active investors include in-depth guides (31%), interactive simulations (27%), peer learning (22%), and live webinars (22%).

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Trust Bank

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