New research from Global X and National Bank Direct Brokerage reveals how self-directed investors are combining financial creators and AI to find ideas, validate information and build confidence.

• 84% of DIY investors surveyed use finfluencers, AI, or both as part of their investment journey.
• 83% of finfluencer viewers took action after consuming creator content.
• 95% of Gen Z AI users still see reasons to question AI-generated financial advice.
• For women, increased confidence was the most important benefit of financial-creator content.

TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- As social media and artificial intelligence reshape how Canadians access financial information, a new study from Global X Investments Canada Inc. ("Global X") and National Bank Direct Brokerage ("NBDB") finds that DIY investors are increasingly combining financial creators and AI to build their knowledge, discover investment ideas and test their own thinking.

The study is part of a broader initiative to better understand how self-directed investors navigate an increasingly digital information landscape and to support investor education through ongoing insights and resources.

The study found that 84% of surveyed DIY investors either watch financial creators, often referred to as "finfluencers," or use AI for investing. More specifically, 77% of surveyed Canadians watch financial creators at least occasionally, while 56% have used AI as part of their investment process. The findings also suggest that these trends are consistent across the country, with Quebec DIY investors showing similar adoption of both financial creators and AI.

DIY investors who follow financial creators are significantly more likely to use AI. Among finfluencer viewers, 68% use AI as part of their investment process, compared with just 14% of those who do not watch creator content.

"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, 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."

"We're seeing a new generation of investors build knowledge in ways that would have been unimaginable a decade ago," said Claude-Frédéric Robert, President of National Bank Direct Brokerage. "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."

Financial Creators Are Moving Investors from Content to Action

Finfluencer content is influencing more than what investors watch. 83% of viewers reported taking at least one action after consuming it.

The most common outcomes included:

• 26% learned new financial terms;
• 24% increased their savings;
• 18% started investing;
• 16% changed their investment strategy; and
• 16% spoke with a financial advisor.

Separately, confidence represented another significant result. Investors with less than $100,000 in investable assets ranked increased confidence as the leading outcome of watching financial creators. Confidence also ranked first among women and among both Gen Z and Gen X investors.

"Creator content is not only driving the flow of investment dollars," Stephanie 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."

A New Investing Information Ecosystem

The findings suggest financial creators and AI are not competing for the investor's attention as much as becoming part of the same research process.

Financial creators can provide accessible explanations, quick financial tips, Canadian perspectives and step-by-step guidance. AI is most often used to double-check the investor's own thinking, generate ideas, research markets, and summarize financial information.

Together, these tools are creating a more self-directed and participatory approach to investing, particularly among younger Canadians.

AI adoption is also significantly higher among younger investors, particularly Gen Z and Millennials.

Gen Z investors are approximately three times as likely as Boomers to use AI as part of their investment process. However, adoption does not necessarily mean unquestioning trust: 95% of Gen Z still identified at least one reason to question AI-generated financial advice.

Finfluencer Viewers Invest Differently

The research found clear behavioural differences between DIY investors who watch financial creators and those who do not. Younger investors, in particular, appear eager to play a more active role in managing their investments, using a wider range of information sources, tools and content to inform their decisions.

This greater level of engagement is reflected in investor behaviour. Finfluencer viewers were more active and more aggressive investors than non-viewers, making over three times as many portfolio adjustments annually (9.9 vs. 2.3) and being three times more likely to identify as aggressive investors (14% vs. 4%). Younger investors were also the most active and risk-tolerant, with Gen Z and Millennials reporting the highest portfolio activity.

Stock investing was the most popular financial-creator topic overall, followed by budgeting and saving, retirement planning and financial news. The study also identified differences by gender. Women were more likely to describe themselves as risk-averse – 39% compared with 25% of men – and were less likely to consume financial content weekly. However, increased confidence ranked as the leading result women received from financial-creator content, pointing to its potential role in making investing more accessible to audiences that have traditionally reported lower confidence.

Financial creators and AI remain part of a broader information ecosystem. 46% of respondents manage at least some of their investments independently while also working with an advisor. Among finfluencer viewers with an advisor, 84% said creator content had changed that relationship, most commonly by helping them ask better questions or seek confirmation. Similarly, 96% of hybrid investors said they would pause or reconsider if their advisor recommended against an investment they discovered through a creator or AI.

Additional research findings are available here: GlobalX.ca/NBDB

About the Research

RKI conducted the national online survey in June 2026 among 834 qualified Canadian DIY investors, including 402 residents of Quebec and 432 residents of the rest of Canada.

To qualify, respondents were required to manage at least some of their investments themselves, actively seek financial information, use social media and hold at least $10,000 in investable assets. The asset threshold was reduced to $1,000 for respondents under age 30 to better represent investors beginning their investment journey.

About Global X Investments Canada Inc.

Global X Investments Canada Inc. is an innovative financial services company and offers one of the largest suites of exchange traded funds in Canada. The Global X Fund family includes a broadly diversified range of solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. Global X has over $60 billion of assets under management and more than 160 ETFs listed on major Canadian stock exchanges. Global X is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mirae Asset Financial Group, which manages more than $1 trillion of assets across 21 countries and global markets around the world.

About National Bank Direct Brokerage

National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF), as well as a trademark owned by National Bank of Canada (NBC) that is used under licence by NBF. NBF is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, and is a subsidiary of NBC, a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). NBDB provides order execution only services and makes no investment recommendations.

About National Bank of Canada
With $635 billion in assets as at July 31, 2026, National Bank of Canada (the "Bank") is one of Canada's six systemically important banks. The Bank has more than 37,000 employees in knowledge-intensive positions and operates three business segments in Canada: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and Capital Markets. A fourth segment, U.S. Specialty Finance and International, complements the growth of its domestic operations. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities at nbc.ca or via social media.

Global X Disclaimers

This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase exchange traded products managed by Global X Investments Canada Inc. and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding any particular investment. Investors should consult their professional advisors prior to implementing any changes to their investment strategies. These investments may not be suitable to the circumstances of an investor.

The research findings presented are based on self-reported survey responses and should not be interpreted as an assessment of the suitability or effectiveness of any particular investment approach, source of information or technology.

Global X Investments Canada Inc. ("Global X") is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Ltd. ("Mirae Asset"), the Korea-based asset management entity of Mirae Asset Financial Group.  Global X is a corporation existing under the laws of Canada and is the manager and investment manager of the Global X Funds.

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SOURCE Global X Investments Canada Inc.