Stock investors can generate long-term wealth by picking top companies and holding onto them for several years. The experts at Motley Fool have guided over half a million premium members on that path. The company provides stock analyses, live streams during market hours, and other resources to help investors succeed. The Motley Fool also posts various articles containing financial education and analyses of top stocks.
What is The Motley Fool?
The Motley Fool is a private financial education and investment company that was founded in 1993 by David Gardner, Tom Gardner, Todd Enter, and Erik Rydholm. Over 300 people work for the Virginia-based company. The company got its name from a court jester in the Shakespeare play, “As You Like It.” The company strives to make the world smarter, happier, and richer. The company believes investors should focus on the long-term and hold onto 25 individual stocks for at least five years.
The Motley Fool offers a stock-picking service that lists some of the best buys to help investors outperform the market and publishes many educational resources across key financial categories. Visitors can choose from articles, podcasts, and videos to learn more about the stock market. The company’s picks have historically outperformed the S&P 500. The Motley Fool places a strong emphasis on growth stocks, but investors can find insights and recommendations for value stocks, dividend stocks, and other types of stocks.
Investing Basics
You don’t want to rush into portfolio building without a plan. Doing so can result in many expensive lessons that are avoidable with a solid foundation. The Motley Fool can help you establish this foundation and build upon it.
The Motley Fool’s Investing Basics section covers everything beginner investors need to know. The articles published in this category cover the fundamentals, such as what stocks are and best practices for investing. You can also find reviews of the top savings accounts, brokerage accounts, and other accounts that can help you make money.
This section focuses on stocks, real estate, and crypto, but there is also a lot more to explore. You can learn about each major index in the market, why investors gravitate toward them, and what to consider before investing in an index.
The Motley Fool provides a healthy mix of articles, podcast episodes, and videos. You can read articles to grasp the lesson, and videos further supplement those lessons.
The Investing Basics section also has a useful Financial Dictionary component. This dictionary lets investors see key terms. If you ever wondered what AUM means, The Motley Fool has you covered (AUM stands for assets under management). Clicking on any of these terms will give you a more comprehensive definition. The key terms are listed in alphabetical order and are neatly organized.
Stock Market
Are you confused about what a P/E ratio is? Do you know how to conduct fundamental and technical analysis? These topics can be confusing for someone who is getting started with stock investing, but The Motley Fool simplifies the stock market for its audience.
The Motley Fool posts articles that analyze stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs. The company explains why stock prices went up or down on a given day and gives investors a better pulse of what is happening in the stock market. You can filter articles to show stocks in specific industries. Readers can also filter their articles based on the type of stocks they want to see. For instance, growth stocks have the greatest potential but often come with higher risks and lofty valuations. Motley Fool also lets you discover less risky value stocks. You can also find dividend stocks, large-cap stocks, and other types of stocks in this section.
The Motley Fool provides descriptions for each of these stocks that identify what investors look for and lists the pros and cons. The Motley Fool explains that growth stocks are usually more expensive than other types of stocks, but these stocks can deliver the best returns if they reach their potential.
Investors can get stock recommendations and access the Motley Fool’s Top 10 picks for the month in this section. These recommendations usually gravitate toward growth stocks, but The Motley Fool sometimes sprinkles value stocks into these recommendations. Each stock recommendation has a pitch from the company explaining why it made the list.
Retirement
Aspiring retirees have to navigate inflation, the rising cost of living, asset volatility, and other factors. You can’t work forever, and a good retirement portfolio can make your retirement years more enjoyable. Many people save up for retirement over multiple decades. It’s the end goal for many people who want a simpler lifestyle after working for so long. Some people continue to work part-time during their retirement years, while other people work for the rest of their lives.
Investors have to combine ambitious goals with realistic expectations. It’s up to you how you spend your retirement years, but The Motley Fool can help you get there. The company offers educational resources that help people plan for retirement and determine which retirement account is right for them. The Motley Fool’s retirement section also shares advice on what to do if you are already retired. The part of the retirement section helps consumers navigate taxes, withdrawals, and other financial elements of retirement. Investors will also learn how to factor in Social Security for their retirement plans.
Personal Finance
You can invest and earn high returns, but those returns won’t stick around if you have bad spending habits. Falling behind on debt, not pursuing career growth opportunities, and wasting money will not help you achieve your financial goals. Having a mentor through the process and educating yourself along the way can help you master your personal finances. That’s where the Motley Fool can help.
The Motley Fool’s personal finance section helps you get the most out of your money. You will learn about effective money management strategies and receive guidance on how to pursue significant financial goals. If you are an aspiring first-time homeowner, you will benefit from The Motley Fool’s home buying section. This portion of The Motley Fool contains the top mortgage lenders, current mortgage rates, and tips for buying your first home.
Those educational resources can help you buy a home sooner and secure a lower interest rate for your mortgage. You can then make lower monthly mortgage payments on your dream home.
Consumers can also find the top CDs, savings accounts, personal loans, and debt consolidation loans in the Personal Finance section. Finding the top accounts can help you earn more interest if you save your money and pay less interest on loans.
If you’re looking for a new credit card, you may benefit from the company’s list of top credit cards. You can find credit cards that offer the best rewards, lowest interest rates, and lowest fees. The Personal Finance section is vast and has many topics to explore.
What are the Pros and Cons of Investing with The Motley Fool?
The Motley Fool shares educational resources with investors to address every step of their financial journeys. The company has a lot to offer, but consumers should consider the pros and cons before getting started with The Motley Fool.
Pros
Getting started with the Motley Fool has several benefits for investors. Here are some of the advantages you can expect if you embark on your financial journey with The Motley Fool’s help.
- Get access to educational resources: The Motley Fool has an incredible library of content that can help you with stock investments, retirement planning, and all things personal finance.
- Receive top stock picks: The Motley Fool’s experts comb through thousands of stocks to find investments with the greatest potential. The Motley Fool’s recommendations have outperformed the S&P 500.
- The Epic Bundle: The Motley Fool offers four foundational stock recommendation services. You can get all of those recommendation services at a discount if you subscribe to the Epic Bundle. It’s the equivalent of paying for two services for the price of four.
- Detailed reports: You can request a detailed report from a Motley Fool expert about a top stock. The Motley Fool offers several stock reporting services that give investors key details about top stocks.
- Streamline your stock research: You don’t have to read the Wall Street Journal and keep up with market news to find the best stocks. The Motley Fool streamlines the research for you.
- Message boards: You can interact with members of the Motley Fool community in real time. This interaction can help you set more ambitious goals, get better with your money, and become a more successful investor.
- Historical stock recommendations: New members get to see all of the recommendations The Motley Fool has made for over 20 years.
Cons
- Some services and reports are expensive: It costs $100 to obtain a detailed report of a single stock. You can find Motley Fool services that cost a little over $100/yr, but some services cost over $1,000 per year.
- Motley Fool has many services available: While a company with more products and services can cater to more people, going through Motley Fool’s services feels like reading a restaurant menu.
- Not the best for day traders: Motley Fool caters its resources to long-term investors. If you are a day trader who relies on technical analysis, you may benefit from choosing another company. You can find resources about technical analysis on The Motley Fool, but day traders may want to find a company that caters more specifically to their craft.
How to Get Started with The Motley Fool
You can start with The Motley Fool’s free resources to learn about personal finance and stocks. The company has many articles, videos, and podcasts for you to learn from and explore. If you want to learn more about the company’s services, you can visit the “Our Services” page and browse through the choices. The Motley Fool has high-priced services that have delivered good results for its customers. It’s a case of getting what you pay for, and while the price is high, The Motley Fool experts are some of the best stock pickers in the industry. You can compare the services based on your preferences and see which one aligns with your financial goals.
