More than eight in 10 Canadian self-directed investors surveyed use financial content creators, artificial intelligence or both as part of their investment process, according to research from Global X Investments Canada Inc. and National Bank Direct Brokerage.
The study found that 77 per cent of respondents watch financial creators, commonly known as finfluencers, at least occasionally, while 56 per cent have used AI in their investment process. The findings point to the growing role of digital information sources in how investors research opportunities, evaluate financial information and make investment decisions.
The research was conducted by RKI through a national online survey in June 2026 involving 834 qualified Canadian do-it-yourself investors.
“The modern DIY investor isn't waiting for information to come to them. They are actively assembling it from multiple sources and using different tools for different parts of the process,” said Stephanie Wolfe, executive vice-president and head of marketing at Global X.
“Financial creators are making investment ideas and concepts more accessible, while AI is giving investors a new way to explore those ideas, ask questions and test their own thinking”.
Financial content prompts action
The survey found that 83 per cent of respondents who watch financial creators had taken at least one action after consuming their content. Those actions ranged from learning financial terminology to changing investment strategies.
Twenty-six per cent said they had learned new financial terms, while 24 per cent reported increasing their savings. Another 18 per cent said they had started investing, 16 per cent had changed their investment strategy and 16 per cent had spoken with a financial adviser.
Increased confidence was another reported outcome, particularly among respondents with less than $100,000 in investable assets. Confidence ranked as the leading benefit of financial-creator content among women, Generation Z investors and Generation X investors.
“Creator content is not only driving the flow of investment dollars,” Wolfe said. “For many investors, it is helping make investing feel more understandable and approachable. That can lead to better questions, greater confidence and, ultimately, a greater willingness to take control of their financial future.”
The findings also showed that people who watch financial creators were more likely to use AI for investing. Among those respondents, 68 per cent said they used AI as part of their investment process, compared with 14 per cent of those who did not watch creator content.
Claude-Frédéric Robert, president of National Bank Direct Brokerage, said the combination of digital resources is changing how investors build their knowledge, while raising questions about the reliability of the information they encounter.
“We're seeing a new generation of investors build knowledge in ways that would have been unimaginable a decade ago,” Robert said. “The challenge is no longer access to information. It's understanding which sources to trust, how to validate ideas and how to turn information into informed investment decisions.”
Younger investors adopt AI but question advice
AI use was more prevalent among younger respondents, with Generation Z investors approximately three times as likely as baby boomers to use the technology as part of their investment process.
However, widespread adoption did not necessarily translate into trust. The survey found that 95 per cent of Generation Z respondents who used AI still identified at least one reason to question AI-generated financial advice.
The research found that investors used financial creators and AI for different purposes. Creators offered accessible explanations, financial tips, Canadian perspectives and step-by-step guidance, while AI was commonly used to check investors' own thinking, generate ideas, research markets and summarize financial information.
The findings also showed differences in investment activity between people who watched financial creators and those who did not. Finfluencer viewers made an average of 9.9 portfolio adjustments annually, compared with 2.3 among non-viewers.
Viewers were also more likely to describe themselves as aggressive investors, at 14 per cent compared with four per cent among those who did not watch creator content. Generation Z and millennial respondents reported the highest levels of portfolio activity and risk tolerance.
Stock investing was the most popular financial-creator topic, followed by budgeting and saving, retirement planning and financial news.
Women report confidence benefits
The study identified differences in how men and women engaged with financial content. Women were more likely than men to describe themselves as risk-averse, at 39 per cent compared with 25 per cent, and were less likely to consume financial content weekly.
Despite those differences, increased confidence ranked as the leading reported benefit of financial-creator content among women, suggesting the material can help them feel more comfortable engaging with investing.
The survey also found that some investors combine independent research with professional advice. Forty-six per cent of respondents said they managed at least some of their investments independently while also working with an adviser.
Among finfluencer viewers who had an adviser, 84 per cent said creator content had changed that relationship, most commonly by helping them ask better questions or seek confirmation. Meanwhile, 96 per cent of investors who combined independent investing with advice said they would pause or reconsider if their adviser recommended against an investment they had discovered through a creator or AI.