Mutual Funds Starter Guide

Investors with limited knowledge, time or money benefit heavily from the simplicity and instant diversification of mutual funds.

The Best Stock Newsletters as of May 31, 2025

Ranking of Top Stock Newsletters Based on Last 3 Years of Stock Picks

We are paid subscribers to dozens of stock and option newsletters. We actively track every recommendation from all of these services, calculate performance, and share our results of the top performing stock newsletters whose subscriptions fees are under $500. The main metric to look for is "Excess Return" which is their return above that of the S&P500. So, based on last 3 years ending May 31, 2025:

Rank	Stock Newsletter	Stock Picks	S&P500 Return	Excess Return	Percent Profitable	Max % Return
1.	Alpha Picks	64	70.4%	47.0%	73%	969%
	Summary: 2 picks/month based on Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating; Retail Price is $499/yr. See details in our Alpha Picks Review.			June, 2025 Promotion: Save $60
2.	Moby.co	308	43.3%	12.3%	74%	1764%
	Summary: 60-150 stock picks per year, segmented by industry; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Moby Review.			June, 2025 Promotion:Next pick free!
3.	Stock Advisor	72	41.2%	6.9%	78%	258%
	Summary: 2 picks/month and 2 Best Buy Stocks lists focusing on high growth potential stocks over 5 years; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Review.			June, 2025 Promotion: Get $100 Off
4.	Value Investor	39	17.5%	6.1%	38%	410%
	Summary: 10-25 stock picks per year based on Zacks' Quant Rating; Retail Price is $495/yr. Read our Zacks Review.			June, 2025 PROMOTION:$1, then $495/yr
5.	Rule Breakers	66	40.0%	4.7%	61%	311%
	Summary: 2 picks/month focusing on disruptive technology and business models; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2005; Now part of Motley Fool Epic. Read our Motley Fool Epic Review.			Current Promotion: Save $200
6.	TipRanks SmartInvestor	121	10.6%	3.7%	55%	340%
	Summary: About 1 pick/week focusing on short term trades; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2015. Retail Price is $379/yr. Read our TipRanks Review.			Current Promotion: Save $180
7.	Action Alerts Plus	394	20.0%	3.4%	57%	220%
	Summary: 100-150 trades per year, lots of buying and selling and short term trades. Read our Jim Cramer Review.			Current Promotion: None
8.	Stock Advisor Canada	36	32.3%	0.5%	69%	378%
	Summary: 1 pick/month from the Toronto stock exchange; Retail Price is CD$199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Canada Stock Advisor Review.			June, 2025 Promotion: Save $100
Top Ranking Stock Newsletters based on their last 3 years of stock picks' performance through May 31, 2025 as compared to S&P500. S&P500's return is based on average return of S&P500 from date each stock pick is released. NOTE: To get these results you must buy equal dollar amounts of each pick on the date the stock pick is released. Investor Business Daily Top 50 based on performance of FFTY ETF.

Build your wealth faster with best stock picks: See our new May 31, 2025 ranking of the BEST STOCK NEWSLETTERS.

MUTUAL FUNDS STARTER GUIDES
	What Are Mutual Funds?
A mutual fund pools money from a bunch of investors to purchase securities. Mutual funds come with advantages and disadvantages – learn the ins and outs here.
	How Do Mutual Funds Work?
Investments are managed by a portfolio manager – they decide when to buy and sell investments. Learn about how mutual funds work and how to make money off them.
	Advantages And Disadvantages?
Thinking of investing in mutual funds? It’s critical you know the advantages and disadvantages of investing in a mutual fund over a single stock.
	How To Buy Mutual Funds?
Thinking about investing but not sure how to buy mutual funds? The selection process is actually easier than you think. Learn how and where to buy mutual funds
	Mutual Funds Ratings
Need a quick-and-dirty opinion on a fund? Get familiar with mutual funds ratings. It’s important to know how a fund has performed before investing in it.
	Compare Mutual Funds
Comparing mutual funds requires careful examination. To get the full picture, it’s important to look at the fund’s performance over a period of time.
	Types Of Mutual Funds
There are so many different types of mutual funds to choose from. Find out which mutual fund types are best suited to your personal investing style.

Rank	Brokerage	Fees	Features	Sign-Up Bonus	Read Our Review
1.	Robinhood	$0	✅ U.S. stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptos ✅ Now 23,000,000 users ✅ Cash management account and credit card	Free stock up to $200 with new account, plus up to $1,500 more in free stock from referrals	Robinhood Review
2.	Moomoo	$0	✅ Free Level 2 Nasdaq quotes for advanced traders ✅ Access to U.S. and Hong Kong markets ✅ Learning tools built in	60 free stocks with $5k deposit; or 25 free stocks with $2k deposit	Moomoo Review
3.	Interactive Brokers	$0	✅ Access 150+ global stock exchanges ✅ IBKR Lite & Pro tiers for different experience levels ✅ SmartRouting™ and deep analytics for execution	Refer a Friend and Get $200	Interactive Brokers Review
4.	M1 Finance	$3 monthly sub 10k in assets	✅ Automated investing “Pies” with fractional shares ✅ Integrated banking & low-interest borrowing ✅ No trading fees with scheduled trades	$75-$500 Tiered Sign-up bonus	M1 Finance Review
5.	Webull	$0	✅ Extended-hours trading premarket and after-hours ✅ Built-in technical charts, screeners, and indicators ✅ Commission-free options trading	$10 and a 30-day complimentary subscription to Webull premium; $200-$30,0000 Tiered Sign up bonus	Webull Review
6.	Public	$0	✅ Fractional shares of U.S. stocks and ETFs ✅ No payment for order flow (PFOF) model ✅ “Alpha” tool with earnings calls and sentiment data	$100-$10,000 Tiered Cash Account Transfer Bonus	Public Review
7.	Composer	$32 a month	✅ Invest in fully automated stock strategies ✅ Build custom strategies with our no-code builder ✅ IRAs	$49 per successful referral with no limit on the number of referrals	Composer Review
8.	Stash	Growth $3; + $9 Month	✅ Stock-Back® debit card rewards in fractional shares ✅ Auto-invest and budgeting tools for beginners ✅ Curated theme portfolios for retail investors	$5 when you invest $5	Stash Review
9.	Acorns	Bronze $3; Silver $6; Gold $12 a month	✅ Automated investing portfolios ✅ ESG curated portfolios ✅ Retirement Accounts ✅ Acorns Early Invest for Kids' Accounts	Get a $20 bonus when you start saving & investing	Acorns Review
10.	Etoro	$0	✅ CopyTrading™ feature to follow top traders ✅ Trade U.S. stocks, ETFs, and crypto in one app ✅ Commission-free trades with themed portfolios	$10 Crypto Sign-Up Bonus	Etoro Review
11.	Robinhood Gold	$5	✅ 4% APY on cash ✅ 3% IRA match ✅ Level II data; Morningstar ✅ No interest on first $1,000 of margin	Save with Annual Fee	Robinhood Gold Review
12.	Cash App	$0	✅ U.S. stocks and bitcoin; $1 minimum ✅ Peer-to-peer payments ✅ Beginner-friendly financial ecosystem	Up to $200 in free overdraft coverage and earn 4% on cash	Cash App Review
Fees, features, sign-up bonuses, and referral bonuses are accurate as of May 31, 2025. All information listed above is subject to change.

The Best U.S. Brokerages as of June 30, 2025

Ranking of Top U.S. Stock Brokerages Based on Fees, Features, and Sign-Up Bonuses

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