Random excerpts from our podcast posted June 13, 2026! Listen here: Guard Your Savings Podcast With Dolph Janis
There has been a massive trust switch shift happening over the last decade. I mean, younger people are especially more likely to trust someone who’s speaking casually into iPhone than sitting behind a desk in a suit. Well, I don’t wear a suit. I mean, I’m no different than anybody else. This is my outfit. Nice pants, nice shoes, khaki shirt, sometimes a vest if it’s a little chilly outside because I’m no different than you.
The only difference is my specialty is financial advice. I’m an educator first and an advisor second.
Some of these people that are influencers on Instagram or TikTok may not really have the financial experience you need; you may not know these people are at all except they’re popular, they’re good looking, and they put on funny videos, so they must be “somebody.” Be careful with that.
Just because they seem “authentic” on social media doesn’t mean they’re qualified. And that’s the number one thing. Are they qualified? Every person who needs financial advice has a different story. They’re in a different situation. I mean, some have are married, some are not. Some have two kids; some don’t have any. Some have three kids. Some have young kids. Some have kids. It goes on and on. Some had really good jobs. Some people came in the money, some people didn’t. So, what does that tell you?
Everybody’s situation is different but they’re listening to someone on TikTok or YouTube and that influencer may be talking about a general philosophy for everybody.
It’s not a one size fits all.
Maybe this guy says, “Put your money in a money market.” This other guy says, “Put it in a bond fund.” Another guy says, “If you buy this crypto account and keep it for this many years, it’s going to be perfect.”
You really need PERSONALIZED ADVICE.
One of the problems with social media is that its algorithms don’t measure accuracy. They measure engagement. The people that speak with the most certainty often get pushed to the top, even when the advice is an overly sympathetic or it’s just flat out wrong.
I mean, think about what you’re listening to and is it right for you? And I can’t stress that enough times: EVERY client I have has a completely different situation and needs a different plan containing different strategies. I mean, social media is creating a financial culture where sounding confident matters more than actually being correct. Turning financial advice into entertainment is what social media is doing.
Are we watching the same emotional mistakes from the.com bubble or the mega stock era bubble? Are they playing out faster now? I mean, the stock market is over 50,000 for heaven’s sake. I mean, do you think it’s going to get up to 100,000 in the next five years or have the same kind of crash we saw during the 2008 global recession? I don’t know. I personally think right now it’s a little overvalued. I don’t know about you, but I think the tech bubble and this AI thing is just driving the Dow Jones right now.
But when you look at your portfolio and think about your future, remember that your family is more important than anything. That’s why taking care of them, and putting financial protections in place is so important. Gambling and hoping to “win the lottery” on a risky investment proposition may not be the right approach.
Are you looking to grow your money with no risk? Are you looking to create an income stream? Are you looking for legacy planning? Do you need Medicare advice? Do you want tax software run for you? Are you wondering about Social Security?
