Investing FOMO: How to Handle Watching Everyone "Get Rich"

Watching everyone on your feed "10x their portfolio" is a special kind of financial gaslighting. Here's how to handle investing FOMO without wrecking your actual plan.

Why does investing FOMO feel so intense right now?

Because your feed is rigged to show the winners. Social media algorithms amplify dramatic wins and quietly hide the losses. For every "I turned £1k into £50k" video, there are hundreds of people who tried similar trades and lost big, but they don't post about it. You're essentially looking at a highlight reel where the bloopers have been edited out.

Add a group chat where someone's always bragging about crypto gains or "the next NVIDIA", and it's not surprising that sensible long-term investing starts to feel boring and inadequate. It isn't. You're just comparing your reality to their curated highlight reel.

What does the actual data say about "get rich quick" investing?

Unkind, to most attempts. Studies of retail day-traders in the US and UK consistently show that around 70-90% lose money over any meaningful time period. In crypto, the numbers tend to be even more brutal: the vast majority of retail buyers of speculative coins end up in the red when measured over a few years. Meanwhile, a boring global tracker held for 20 years has historically made almost everyone who did it significantly wealthier.

The tortoise really does beat the hare. It just doesn't post about it as much.

What are the emotional tells that FOMO is driving your decisions?

A few reliable ones. You start checking prices multiple times a day. You feel a rush when something moons. You feel anxious or resentful when you're not in the latest trending asset. You start increasing bet sizes to "catch up". You consider dipping into emergency savings to invest in the hot thing. You tell yourself "this time is different".

If any of that sounds familiar, the most valuable thing you can do is slow down. Not because chasing trends is morally wrong, but because decisions made from FOMO statistically tend to be the ones that hurt the most later.

How much "fun money" is actually reasonable?

A common rule of thumb is the 95/5 or 90/10 split. Keep 90-95% of your investable money in boring, diversified long-term investments (global tracker inside an ISA, pension contributions). Allocate a small slice, 5-10%, as "fun money" that you can use to chase individual stocks, sectors, crypto, or whatever the current obsession is.

This way the core of your financial future is safe, and you get to participate in the interesting stuff without betting your life on it. If the fun money 10x's, brilliant. If it goes to zero, your retirement doesn't go with it.

What's the UK-specific angle here?

Two things worth knowing. One: the UK has strong tax advantages for long-term, boring investing. ISA and pension wrappers shelter gains from tax in ways that short-term speculation just doesn't benefit from. A 20-year tax-free compound inside an ISA genuinely outperforms most short-term trading after tax and fees. Two: UK regulators have been cracking down on investing influencers ("finfluencers") who promote high-risk products without proper warnings. The FCA's finfluencer guidelines exist because the cost of copy-trading random content creators has been measurably high.

When someone's pushing a hot tip, it's worth asking whether they're properly authorised, whether they hold what they're pushing, and what happens if you follow them and lose money. Usually: no protection, yes they're paid, and nothing, respectively.

How do you fix it once you notice it?

A few boring but effective moves. Mute or unfollow finance accounts that trigger envy rather than insight. Delete the brokerage app from your phone (or move it to a hidden folder). Set up automated monthly contributions so the real investing runs on its own. Write down your plan (goals, time horizon, target allocation) on paper or a note, and re-read it when you're tempted to deviate.

And accept that you will miss some bull runs. That's fine. You'll also miss the crashes that follow them.

Where Mona Fits

Mona is built to quieten the noise. She helps you set up a long-term plan inside a Stocks and Shares ISA, automates contributions so you don't need to check your portfolio every day, and keeps you focused on the actual numbers that matter (your goals, your timeline, your total return) rather than whoever is shouting loudest on TikTok this week.

The Bottom Line

Investing FOMO is largely manufactured by the structure of social media, which shows you wins and hides losses. The data on short-term, high-risk investing is consistently harsh: most people lose money chasing trends. A boring, diversified, long-term plan inside an ISA or pension has historically made most UK investors meaningfully wealthier with none of the anxiety. A small "fun money" allocation lets you participate in the excitement without betting your future on it. If your feed is making you panic, the correct response is usually to adjust the feed, not the portfolio.

Turn off the noise and build real wealth. Start with Mona today.

For impartial information and guidance on investing, visit MoneyHelper.org.uk.

Join Mona’s early access waitlist

Join the waitlist

All articles

Investing FOMO: How to Handle Watching Everyone "Get Rich"

Watching everyone on your feed "10x their portfolio" is a special kind of financial gaslighting. Here's how to handle investing FOMO without wrecking your actual plan.

Why does investing FOMO feel so intense right now?

Because your feed is rigged to show the winners. Social media algorithms amplify dramatic wins and quietly hide the losses. For every "I turned £1k into £50k" video, there are hundreds of people who tried similar trades and lost big, but they don't post about it. You're essentially looking at a highlight reel where the bloopers have been edited out.

Add a group chat where someone's always bragging about crypto gains or "the next NVIDIA", and it's not surprising that sensible long-term investing starts to feel boring and inadequate. It isn't. You're just comparing your reality to their curated highlight reel.

What does the actual data say about "get rich quick" investing?

Unkind, to most attempts. Studies of retail day-traders in the US and UK consistently show that around 70-90% lose money over any meaningful time period. In crypto, the numbers tend to be even more brutal: the vast majority of retail buyers of speculative coins end up in the red when measured over a few years. Meanwhile, a boring global tracker held for 20 years has historically made almost everyone who did it significantly wealthier.

The tortoise really does beat the hare. It just doesn't post about it as much.

What are the emotional tells that FOMO is driving your decisions?

A few reliable ones. You start checking prices multiple times a day. You feel a rush when something moons. You feel anxious or resentful when you're not in the latest trending asset. You start increasing bet sizes to "catch up". You consider dipping into emergency savings to invest in the hot thing. You tell yourself "this time is different".

If any of that sounds familiar, the most valuable thing you can do is slow down. Not because chasing trends is morally wrong, but because decisions made from FOMO statistically tend to be the ones that hurt the most later.

How much "fun money" is actually reasonable?

A common rule of thumb is the 95/5 or 90/10 split. Keep 90-95% of your investable money in boring, diversified long-term investments (global tracker inside an ISA, pension contributions). Allocate a small slice, 5-10%, as "fun money" that you can use to chase individual stocks, sectors, crypto, or whatever the current obsession is.

This way the core of your financial future is safe, and you get to participate in the interesting stuff without betting your life on it. If the fun money 10x's, brilliant. If it goes to zero, your retirement doesn't go with it.

What's the UK-specific angle here?

Two things worth knowing. One: the UK has strong tax advantages for long-term, boring investing. ISA and pension wrappers shelter gains from tax in ways that short-term speculation just doesn't benefit from. A 20-year tax-free compound inside an ISA genuinely outperforms most short-term trading after tax and fees. Two: UK regulators have been cracking down on investing influencers ("finfluencers") who promote high-risk products without proper warnings. The FCA's finfluencer guidelines exist because the cost of copy-trading random content creators has been measurably high.

When someone's pushing a hot tip, it's worth asking whether they're properly authorised, whether they hold what they're pushing, and what happens if you follow them and lose money. Usually: no protection, yes they're paid, and nothing, respectively.

How do you fix it once you notice it?

A few boring but effective moves. Mute or unfollow finance accounts that trigger envy rather than insight. Delete the brokerage app from your phone (or move it to a hidden folder). Set up automated monthly contributions so the real investing runs on its own. Write down your plan (goals, time horizon, target allocation) on paper or a note, and re-read it when you're tempted to deviate.

And accept that you will miss some bull runs. That's fine. You'll also miss the crashes that follow them.

Where Mona Fits

Mona is built to quieten the noise. She helps you set up a long-term plan inside a Stocks and Shares ISA, automates contributions so you don't need to check your portfolio every day, and keeps you focused on the actual numbers that matter (your goals, your timeline, your total return) rather than whoever is shouting loudest on TikTok this week.

The Bottom Line

Investing FOMO is largely manufactured by the structure of social media, which shows you wins and hides losses. The data on short-term, high-risk investing is consistently harsh: most people lose money chasing trends. A boring, diversified, long-term plan inside an ISA or pension has historically made most UK investors meaningfully wealthier with none of the anxiety. A small "fun money" allocation lets you participate in the excitement without betting your future on it. If your feed is making you panic, the correct response is usually to adjust the feed, not the portfolio.

Turn off the noise and build real wealth. Start with Mona today.

For impartial information and guidance on investing, visit MoneyHelper.org.uk.

Join Mona’s early access waitlist

Join the waitlist

All articles