My Money Week 2025: More young people getting money advice from influencers than school - call for change

• One in five young Britons say they never learned how to manage their finances at school
• More are turning to influencers than experts or teachers for money advice
• There’s also a growing shame gap, with younger people made to feel more embarrassed about how they handle their finances than other age groups
• Money experts are calling for better access to financial education in schools to start them on the right foot

MPs are calling for better finance education in schools as part of the national curriculum overhaul - as polling reveals Gen Z is turning to social media for money tips.

This coming week (June 9 to 13) is UK youth finance charity Young Enterprise’s My Money Week, an annual week of activities that aim to get children and teens excited and interested in managing their money. This year’s event calls on schools, families and policymakers to recognise that financial education isn’t just about numbers - and we’re missing a vital opportunity to set young people up for future success.

To mark the occasion, Young Enterprise and banking giant HSBC have released some new research, including a survey of more than 1,000 young Britons aged 16 to 24. It uncovered a generation eager to improve their own financial situation, but who have been left navigating a difficult landscape of judgement and misinformation when it comes to money.

Finance experts say their low confidence in all matters money-related is a consequence of growing up without reliable financial education, and a number of politicians have spoken out in agreement - using the ongoing review of England’s national curriculum as an opportunity to call for change.

So how exactly do young people feel about their finances, and where are they getting their information? And what do experts and MPs say needs to change to help them secure a more stable future? Here’s what you need to know this Money Week:

How does Gen Z feel about money?

The research found that about half of the young people polled were trying to save, but they’re stressed - with only about 42% feeling financially secure.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of Gen Z respondents said they have “felt judged” or embarrassed about how they manage their money - whether by family (39%), friends (31%), or by social media (17%). That figure sat at just 33% for the wider UK population, exposing what Young Enterprise described as a generational “shame gap” between young and older generations.

Alarmingly, one in five (20%) young respondents said they never learned how to manage money at school or college. Nearly half (48%) felt that this lack of financial education at school was the biggest obstacle preventing young people in the UK from developing sound financial habits.

Many were turning to other sources of information about money, running the risk of getting bad advice or being fed misinformation. Almost a quarter (24%) of Gen Z said they relied on social media influencers for financial advice, compared to just 13% who would turn to their school or college to learn how to manage their money.

About the same amount said they had gone to a qualified financial planner. But most (61%) said they turned to family for financial advice, with Young Enterprise said highlighted “not just a reliance on informal sources, but a lack of accessible, trustworthy alternatives in the system”.

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What needs to change?

Young Enterprise CEO Sarah Porretta said their results showed the myth that young people were careless with money “just doesn’t hold up”.

“Gen Z want to be financially capable, but they don’t feel supported. From chats at the dinner table to scrolling on social media, we need to give young people better tools, better guidance, and a better emotional foundation for managing money,” she continued. “Teachers are doing their best in a crowded curriculum, but they need more support too - we can’t expect them to tackle this challenge alone.”

Lisa Smart, a Liberal Democrats member and MP for Hazel Grove, said that every young person deserved the chance to build a secure financial future - “but right now too many are left without the knowledge or confidence to make informed choices”.

“As someone who’s been a school governor for almost 20 years, I see the life-changing impact of teaching financial skills early,” she continued. “That’s why I’m campaigning to ensure every child has access to high-quality, age-appropriate financial education - wherever they live.”

Events like Young Enterprise's My Money Week showed just how powerful that learning could be when it’s done well, Smart said. “Now it’s time to make it part of every child’s experience.”

Labour MP David Burton-Sampson, who represents Southend West and Leigh, said he was shocked to learn that the majority of young adults “are struggling to cope as things get more expensive, and many of them don’t know where to turn”.

“I would love to see a world where everybody is financially literate, where people understand their finances and manage them properly. It is good for people and it is good for our economy,” he continued. “Financial education develops tools for life and creates good habits. Many people lack the basic skills of financial acumen and that disadvantages them through life.”

The young people he met knew just how important a good financial education was, he added, and it is vital they are set up to thrive in the future. “I would like to see schools and higher educational organisations really engage to expand their teaching in this area. Training has to be given to teachers and the subject should be promoted by the Government in both primary and secondary education.

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