5 Finance Experts to Follow in 2023
As I began compiling this list of smart, savvy, and engaging finance creators, I realized I discovered the majority of them on TikTok. I assure you, the irony that the United States may soon be facing an all-out ban on TikTok is not lost on me, but it does deeply please me that four of five of the platforms on this list are run by women. Do yourself a favor and follow these finance experts on every platform. Your wallet will thank you!
Erin Confortini (Formerly Money to Miles) - @itserinconfortini
Erin Confortini is the youngest finance creator on this list, but that doesn’t mean she lacks the credentials and knowledge of any finance bro or wise elder one could encounter. Confortini graduated from Robert Morris University with a dual bachelor’s in finance and economics and went on to earn an MBA in risk management. This finance phenom shares content centered around creating a reasonable budget, investing for retirement, and creating a positive relationship with money at a young age. She was recently invited to a panel discussion with the governor of Pennsylvania focused on the financial literacy of Gen Z.
Vivian Tu, Your Rich BFF
Vivian Tu began her career as a trader on Wall Street, where she quickly realized the world of trading, investing, and other traditional paths to financial freedom were a complete mystery to most people, particularly the younger generations. Tu began to put an end to Wall Street gatekeeping by sharing knowledge, tips, and tricks she had learned during her time on the trading floor. From credit card point hacks, to how to invest in a Roth IRA, Tu shares sound advice designed to help us make the most out of our money while we are still young, with the end goal typically being financial freedom and early retirement. For me personally, Tu has been especially helpful in developing my understanding of why and how to invest in different types of accounts or stocks, how they all work, and how much investment and time it will likely take to reach my individual goals.
Mandy Phillips, @MortgageMandy
Undoubtedly, buying a home is one of the biggest, most complicated, and stress-inducing purchases any of us will make in our lifetime. Luckily through her informative videos, Mandy Phillips is cleverly and hilariously lifting the veil from the entire process of purchasing and selling real estate. Phillips’ background includes ten years of work as a licensed real estate agent at her own firm before branching out to add a mortgage loan department and become a loan officer. She now serves as a branch manager within the firm she co-owns with her husband. When it comes to the process of buying a home, Mortgage Mandy videos run the gambit. She discusses everything from what happens at a loan pre-approval meeting, to what you can and cannot do with your investments and income throughout the closing process. Many of the scenarios played out in these videos are downright comical and deeply educational at the same time. As someone who spent five years working in real estate and dealt with every type of so-called “Karen” on a nearly daily basis, I often find myself laughing hysterically at Phillips’ spot-on commentary surrounding the mystery and misery of obtaining a home loan.
Editor’s note: We’d also recommend the EiE Homebuying 101 Master Class, which can be immediately accessed upon joining the membership here.
Beginning in May 2021, the team at Doomberg (a spin on the name of popular finance publication, Bloomberg) began writing a Substack newsletter to “highlight the fundamentals missing from many economic and policy decisions.” The newsletter has since grown to become one of the top finance newsletters on the Substack platform. Semi-satirical in nature, Doomberg aims to educate its readers while maintaining a cheeky, sarcastic tone about the state of the economy. The team prides itself on its track record for successfully predicting and warning readers of potential economic disasters. In keeping with its tongue-in-cheek doom and gloom theme, the Doomberg mascot is none other than a cartoonish green chicken, inspired by the ever-paranoid Chicken Little.
Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams, Make Me Smart
Hosted by American Public Media correspondents Kai Ryssdal And Kimberly Adams, Make Me Smart is a companion podcast to the long-running Marketplace broadcast from American Public Media and National Public Radio. New episodes of the podcast are dropped every weekday, keeping listeners up-to-date with the latest financial news. The hosts tackle topics from the stock market to foreign trade to the current collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Following in the footsteps of its parent program, Make Me Smart’s format is shaped as a casual conversation about the state of the economy, in a way that is not only easy to understand, but attention-grabbing and entertaining. The show also holds “What Do You Want to Know Wednesdays,” where Ryssdal and Adams answer economic questions submitted by listeners.
