In short
- Since 1 May 2026, SEBI-registered entities and their agents must show their registered name and number on a handle's home page and at the start of each securities-market video.
- ICAI's revised Code of Ethics, applicable from 1 April 2026, relaxes advertising norms for CAs, but we found nothing on paid endorsements of third-party brands. Get each CA's written confirmation.
- SEBI's board approved a Common Advertisement Code on 24 September 2026, with brand-level celebrity promotion allowed after prior approval. We found no notified text, so check status.
- Cast by credential: CAs for tax and compliance, registered analysts for investing, distributors for fund basics. Brief on features, process and risk, never tips or returns.
A finance professional creator works for a brand when the credential matches the claim. A chartered accountant fits tax and GST explainers, a SEBI-registered analyst or adviser fits investing, a registered distributor fits fund basics, and a licensed agent fits insurance. Three rulebooks then sit on top of the content: ASCI's Addendum II on financial influencers, SEBI's circulars on association and social media, and ICAI's Code of Ethics for chartered accountants.
Our fintech influencer marketing page covers the category, and our complete guide to influencer marketing in India covers the channel. Our post on SEBI's finfluencer rules explains the association test: a SEBI-regulated brand and its agents cannot be linked to anyone who gives unregistered securities advice or claims returns. This post does not repeat it. It looks at the person you hire: which professional, under which rules, with what brief, at what price.
Who counts as a finance professional creator
| Creator type | Credential to ask for | Main rules on their content | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chartered accountant, company secretary, tax consultant | ICAI membership number; for tax work, whether they are in practice | ICAI Code of Ethics (for CAs in practice); ASCI Addendum II names CA and CS | Tax, GST, filing and accounting tools |
| SEBI-registered research analyst or investment adviser | SEBI registration number and category | SEBI circular of 26 Feb 2026; ASCI expects the number on screen | Investing education, broker and app campaigns |
| Mutual fund distributor or other agent of a regulated entity | Registration number, plus the principal's name and number | Same circular, with the principal named first | Fund basics, SIP explainers |
| Insurance agent or licensed adviser | IRDAI licence | ASCI lists an IRDAI licence as a suitable credential; we did not read IRDAI's advertising rules | Insurance explainers |
| Financial educator without a licence | None, so no advice | ASCI allows generic information; SEBI's education-versus-advice test applies to regulated brands | Concepts, glossaries, budgeting habits |
Why brands hire them
Money decisions are slow and anxious, and a buyer needs someone to explain before acting. WPP Media and Kantar's 2025 survey found that about 83 percent of brands struggle to find the right creators and 95 percent in banking, financial services and insurance. A credentialed creator is a shortcut to trust that a follower count cannot give. The same credential is also the thing that attracts the rules.
What each rulebook asks
ASCI Addendum II (6 March 2025). Anyone giving technical advice, or commenting on the merits of financial products, needs suitable qualifications and must state them upfront. For stocks and investments that means SEBI registration with the number shown. For other financial advice it names credentials such as an IRDAI licence, CA or CS. ASCI's update of 28 April 2025 limits the rule to technical advice, so generic content does not need credentials.
SEBI's social media circular (26 February 2026). From 1 May 2026, for content uploaded on or after that date, SEBI-regulated entities and their agents must prominently show their registered name and registration number on the home page of each handle and at the beginning of every securities-market video or post. It covers YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Telegram, Reddit and closed groups. An agent such as a mutual fund distributor shows the principal's name and number and then its own. If your creator is registered, the number is a production requirement, so build it into the first seconds of the edit.
ICAI's Code of Ethics. The 13th edition applies from 1 April 2026, and ICAI's foreword describes relaxed advertising norms. For a chartered accountant in practice, clause (6) of Part I of the First Schedule still treats soliciting clients by advertisement or any other means as misconduct, and clause (7) allows advertising their services through a write-up that follows Council Guidelines. Those guidelines, updated to December 2025, bar exaggerated claims and testimonials or endorsements about the member or fees. Separately, the Code permits educational videos, audio and podcasts that carry the designation and contact details but not a website address.
Our reading, and it is only that: the Code's text says nothing about a CA promoting another company's product for a fee, and the two clauses are written for members in practice. A CA who fronts a brand's tax app is a case ICAI's text does not settle. Ask the CA to confirm in writing that the engagement is allowed, keep the content educational, and never brief a CA to pitch their own practice, their fees or their awards.
SEBI's Common Advertisement Code. On 24 September 2026 the SEBI board approved a single code for brokers, depository participants, advisers, analysts, bond platforms, portfolio managers and mutual funds. In SEBI's press release it permits celebrity promotion at brand level subject to prior approval, drops mandatory prior approval for other advertisements, and requires reporting within three working days after issue. We did not find the notified text. If your brand is regulated, ask compliance which rules apply on your posting date.
Which brands suit which creators
| Brand | Creator to cast | What the brand must settle first |
|---|---|---|
| GST, billing and accounting software | Chartered accountants and tax consultants | CA's written confirmation; educational framing |
| Business banking and current accounts | CAs plus small-business creators | Claims on fees and features cleared by compliance |
| Broker and investing apps | Registered analysts, or educators with clean feeds | The association test, in our SEBI post |
| Mutual funds | Registered distributors, or educators | Principal disclosure; no return claims |
| Insurance | Licensed agents, or generic educators | IRDAI's rules, which we have not read |
| B2B software for SMEs | CAs on LinkedIn and YouTube | Disclosure labels on both |
Briefing and approvals
Write the brief as three lists. What the creator may say freely: how a product works, published fees, steps, definitions. What needs compliance sign-off: any named security, any price, past performance, a tax saving in rupees, comparisons with another product. What is never said: guaranteed or risk-free returns, tips, price targets, and referral payouts that compliance has not approved.
Then plan the layers on screen. The credential line goes at the start, the SEBI number goes there too for registered creators, and the ad label follows ASCI's placement rules. Regulated advertisers also carry their own risk warnings, so take the wording from compliance. Use two reads: script before filming and cut before posting. Our approval workflow sets the order, and the disclosure line templates give wording.
Risks
| Risk | What it looks like | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Old tips resurfacing | A creator's earlier stock calls or return claims | Read 90 days back and the whole feed, as in our due diligence checklist |
| Competing income | The creator sells paid groups, courses or referral links | Ask for every income line; avoid direct conflicts |
| Lapsed registration | A number valid at signing but not at posting | Re-check before the last payment |
| Betting adjacency | A finance feed that also promotes betting apps | ASCI found illegal betting was 54 percent of influencer violations in FY2025-26, so treat it as a veto |
| Tax outcome claims | "Save ₹50,000" with no basis | Compliance sign-off and a source for every number |
| Comment-section tips | The creator replies with advice under the post | Brief a standard reply and monitor for 14 days |
What it costs
The figures are asking prices from the benchmarks behind our influencer rates guide, not audited deal data.
| Format | Micro (10K to 100K) | Mid-tier (100K to 500K) | Macro (500K to 1M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reel | ₹8,000 to ₹80,000 | ₹50,000 to ₹3.5 lakh | ₹2 lakh to ₹8 lakh |
| YouTube integration (60 to 90 seconds) | ₹15,000 to ₹60,000 | ₹60,000 to ₹2.5 lakh | ₹2 lakh to ₹6 lakh |
| YouTube dedicated video | ₹20,000 to ₹1.2 lakh | ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh | ₹3 lakh to ₹15 lakh |
Finance carries a premium. One rate guide puts it at 1.5 to 2 times a beauty baseline, another at two to three times lifestyle or comedy at the same audience size, and a booking platform reports personal finance fees up 30 to 60 percent year on year in 2026. As an illustration of the first guide's multiplier, a micro Reel priced at ₹40,000 in beauty would be about ₹60,000 to ₹80,000 from a finance creator of the same size. Add about 30 to 50 percent for ad rights and for 30-day exclusivity. Try the influencer cost calculator, and see finance creator rates by niche.
How we would run it
Brief, then compliance's claims list, then vetting on the Gully Score with credential checks against each issuing body's register, then contracts with credential warranties and takedown rights, two-stage approvals, ASCI-compliant labels and monitoring through the campaign. For a regulated brand we would also send the creator list to your compliance team before booking.
What we could not source
We did not read IRDAI's advertising rules, RBI directions on digital lending or card marketing, AMFI's code, or the full text of SEBI's February 2026 master circulars. We found no ICAI provision on paid endorsements of third-party products and no notified version of SEBI's Common Advertisement Code.
To plan a finance campaign with credentials checked and compliance in the loop, send us a brief. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
- Ease of Doing Investment: disclosure of registered name and registration number by SEBI regulated entities and their agents on social media platforms (circular HO/(79)2026-MIRSD-PODMMC), SEBI (26 Feb 2026)
- PR No.59/2026: Key decisions taken in the SEBI Board Meeting dated 24th September 2026 (item 4, Common Advertisement Code), SEBI (24 Sep 2026)
- Details and clarifications on association with persons engaged in prohibited activities (SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2025/11), SEBI (29 Jan 2025, updated 8 May 2026)
- Code of Ethics, 13th edition, Volume I (clauses (6) and (7) of Part I of the First Schedule; Council Guidelines for Advertisement, 2008, updated up to December 2025; applicable from 1 April 2026), Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (28 May 2026 (President's foreword))
- ICAI press release on the 447th Council meeting: amendments to the advertisement and website guidelines, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (12 Dec 2025)
- ASCI Code and guidelines page: Addendum II for health and financial influencers (6 Mar 2025), ASCI (undated page, accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- Press release: update to the influencer guidelines, ASCI (28 Apr 2025)
- 69% of Indian consumers turn to influencers for information and 63% for product discovery (WPP Media and Kantar), Campaign India (12 Jun 2025)
- Instagram brand deal rates in India 2026 (niche multipliers), Rate guide (low confidence) (4 Mar 2026)
- Micro influencer rates in India 2026 (finance and tech premium), Boss Wallah (low confidence) (14 Aug 2026)
- Influencer fees in India: complete pricing guide (year-on-year fee growth by niche), Booking platform guide (low confidence) (20 Mar 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Can a chartered accountant do paid brand promotions in India?
ICAI's Code of Ethics (13th edition, applicable from 1 April 2026) restricts a CA in practice from soliciting work and from advertising their own attainments or services except through a permitted write-up. We found nothing in it on a CA promoting another company's product for a fee. Ask the CA to confirm in writing, and ask ICAI's Ethical Standards Board if the brand is a close call.
What must a SEBI-registered finance creator disclose on social media?
SEBI's circular of 26 February 2026, effective 1 May 2026, requires regulated entities and their agents to show their registered name and registration number prominently on the handle's home page and at the beginning of each securities-market video or post. It covers YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn and other platforms. Agents also show their principal's name and number first.
Can a finance creator talk about returns in a sponsored post?
Not if the sponsor is SEBI-regulated and the creator has no permission to claim returns, because association with someone who claims returns without permission is banned. ASCI also expects advisers to show qualifications upfront. Brief on features, fees, process and risk. Read our SEBI finfluencer rules post for the association test.
How do I check a finance creator's credentials?
Ask for the number and the category it is held in, then check it against the issuing body's own register: SEBI for analysts, advisers and distributors, ICAI for chartered accountants, IRDAI for insurance licences. Keep a dated copy in the campaign file and re-check before the final payment, because registrations can lapse mid-campaign.
Are finance creators more expensive than other creators?
Usually. One rate guide puts finance at 1.5 to 2 times a beauty baseline, another at two to three times lifestyle or comedy at the same audience size, and a booking platform reports personal finance fees up 30 to 60 percent in 2026. Our calculator allows up to 50 percent over base. See the rates guide.
Do SEBI's advertisement rules for brands apply to creator posts?
They bind the regulated entity as advertiser. On 24 September 2026 SEBI's board approved a Common Advertisement Code that would permit celebrity promotion at brand level after prior approval and require post-issuance reporting within three working days for other ads. We did not find the notified text, so ask your compliance team which version applies.