Beware: TikTok Could Lead You to Financial Disaster

So, they want to ban TikTok. The social-media platform has spread like wildfire throughout the world. Now the U.S. government wants to shut it down. Politicians say the ban is for national-security purposes — that it’ll keep us from being manipulated by the Chinese government. Americans are up in arms about this. Everyone seems to […] You're receiving this email as part of your subscription to Crowdability. [Unsubscribe here](. [Crowdability Editorial]( [feature] Beware: TikTok Could Lead You to Financial Disaster Matthew Milner So, they want to ban TikTok. The social-media platform has spread like wildfire throughout the world. Now the U.S. government wants to shut it down. Politicians say the ban is for national-security purposes — that it’ll keep us from being manipulated by the Chinese government. Americans are up in arms about this. Everyone seems to have an opinion. My take? Shut it down — the sooner, the better. Why? Because TikTok doesn’t just pose a security concern… For investors like you, it could also lead to financial disaster. Let me tell you why. The Rise of TikTok To set the stage, let me give you a brief rundown on TikTok. TikTok is a social-media platform that enables users to upload and share videos. In 2018, the platform began gaining popularity. Today, TikTok has more than two billion users worldwide, including about 150 million in the U.S. alone. TikTok is owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, which has leveraged the platform’s popularity to reach a $220 billion valuation. But with tensions running high between the U.S. and China, U.S. lawmakers recently made a push to force ByteDance to sell TikTok, or face a ban of its use in America. Politicians have expressed concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses a national-security risk because Beijing could use the app to gain access to Americans’ data or run a disinformation campaign. Part of TikTok’s appeal is the unique user experience compared to platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter). While Meta and X primarily feature text and photographs, TikTok enables users to create short, homemade videos. In the beginning, these videos were mostly centered around music — a group of friends dancing to a hit song or someone learning to play the guitar. These days, you’ll find videos on all sorts of topics, from dinner recipes to home-improvement tutorials to makeup tips. But a huge part of TikTok is now devoted to another topic… And this is what I need to warn you about today… Welcome to FinTok You see, TikTok content creators have started offering information about personal finances and investing. It’s called financial TikTok, or FinTok for short. And it’s quickly become a popular source for financial information, tips, and advice. So-called experts and gurus on FinTok are referred to as “finfluencers” (a take on the social-media influencer title). And videos labeled with #FinTok have more than 4.7 billion views. Not surprisingly, FinTok videos are popular among younger people. More than a third of Gen Z’ers — those ages 16 to 27 — seek financial advice through TikTok. But according to a study from February 2024, more than 30% of TikTok users range in age from 35 to 65+. And these users are starting to consume FinTok videos, too. What makes FinTok so appealing for all these users? Short and Blingy Most TikTok videos are less than a minute long. And there are millions of them on the platform. So if a finfluencer wants your attention, they know their video has to be “blingy” to stand out. That’s why so many videos feature luxury cars, exotic beaches, and mouth-watering profit claims. Such videos tend to focus on three benefits: - Making bigger returns than the average investor. - Investing in a way that’s fun and exciting. - Getting started with a small amount of capital. The thing is, not only do most FinTok videos never educate their viewers… but they also never mention the risks or challenges involved. In fact, research conducted by the CFA Institute found that 80% of FinTok content containing investment recommendations included NO disclosures at all! Furthermore, many videos are just preposterous. For example, one finfluencer claimed the Federal Reserve has a secret million-dollar bank account for every American citizen. (Sorry to be the bearer of bad news: not true!). But what if there were a real way to get access to the benefits mentioned above? In other words, what if there were an exciting way to potentially earn far bigger returns than average — even when starting with a small stake? As it turns out, there is… A Solid Investing Strategy I’m talking about investing in startups. Consider the benefits I mentioned earlier: Above-average returns — According to Cambridge Analytics, an advisor to institutions like The Rockefeller Foundation and Harvard University, investing in startups has returned an average of 55% per year over 25 years. That’s far higher than the stock market’s average 8% return. Exciting — When you invest in startups, you’re investing in the future of big ideas — from robots and drones to artificial intelligence. Get started with a small stake — For many deals, you can get started with an investment of just $100 or so. Of course, startup investing isn’t risk-free. No type of investing is risk-free, despite what those TikTok videos say. But thankfully, we can help you minimize that risk and maximize your upside. We’re Here to Help You see, at Crowdability, we help you identify the most promising startups — the ones best positioned for success. That helps lowers your financial risk and gives you the best shot at making the biggest profits. Here are three ways for you to get started: First, check out our weekly “Deals” email. We send this out every Monday at 11am EST, and it contains a handful of new startup deals for you to explore. Second, check out our [free white papers]( like “Tips from the Pros.” These easy-to-read reports will teach you how to separate the good deals from the bad. And third, if you’d like to accelerate your success in startup investing, consider signing up for our online course, [The Early-Stage Playbook]( or for one of our premium research services like [Private Market Profits](. You can learn more by clicking the links above, or by calling us at 844-311-3191. In the meantime — go ahead, Washington: ban TikTok! When it comes to investment education and the best investing ideas, we’ve got that covered. Happy investing. Best Regards, [Matthew Milner] Matthew Milner Founder Crowdability.com [Click Here to Leave a Comment for Matthew »]( [related] - [If You Hear These Four Words, Hang Up]( - [This Smartphone is 1,000 Years Old]( - [FDA Grants “Breakthrough Therapy” Status to LSD]( - [Do You Like Bugs? NASA Needs You]( - [Elon Musk Proves Mind-Control is Real]( [related] - [Mark Cuban Doesn’t Do Dishes — And Misses Out on 250x Gains]( - [Robotic Worms Could Save Your Life]( - [How to Invest in the “Next” Pelé]( - [Should You Invest in Reddit’s IPO This Week? Here’s the Answer]( - [The Strongest Man in the World — A Senior Citizen]( [watch] [Crowdfunding Portals]( Crowdfunding Portals Where should you go to find private, early-stage investment opportunities? You should visit special websites known as “crowdfunding portals” that feature deals from all around the country. Learn more about them in this special video... 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