When any of us go online in search of investment resources, there’s an embarrassment of riches. There’s also a bunch of nonsense. Having access to reliable information is a necessity if you want to invest wisely and maximize your returns. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced investor, finding the right tools and resources is critical to making informed decisions and achieving long-term investing success.
The challenge is to know how to separate the good information from the bad, the vetted from the unvetted, and the truth from the lies. For those looking to enhance their knowledge and gain access to reliable investment information, BetterInvesting® claims to offer solutions.
What is BetterInvesting?
BetterInvesting® is a financial education site where individual investors, both new and seasoned, can become members to learn about investing and gain access to detailed information about specific stocks and growth companies. The National Association of Investors™ (NAIC), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the parent organization of BetterInvesting®. It was established in 1940 by Fred Russell and his friends, who organized The Mutual Investment Club of Detroit. To learn more about the NAIC, check out Investopedia’s review of the organization.
Initially, their goal was to learn about investing and build wealth for themselves. Over time, their mission evolved to cater to the financial needs of ordinary people who may require guidance to invest their money effectively. Today, the National Association provides educational resources and tools to empower investors to make informed decisions.
BetterInvesting® is dedicated to teaching its members foundational investment principles, including the concept of investing regularly, the importance of reinvesting all earnings, and the benefits of diversifying one’s portfolio. This focus on long-term investing principles helps members avoid common pitfalls and develop successful investment habits.
Pro Tip:
BetterInvesting® is a unique financial education membership site that provides a ton of useful resources to members. Click here to get started on your membership today!
The BetterInvesting® Method
The BetterInvesting® Method is based on four principles designed to guide members in making sound investment decisions:
- Invest Regularly: This principle emphasizes the importance of committing a fixed amount to invest, regardless of market conditions. This approach, known as dollar-cost averaging, helps investors maintain a lower average cost per share of stock over time, mitigating the impact of market fluctuations.
- Reinvest All Earnings: Reinvesting dividends and capital gains is crucial for leveraging the power of compounding. By reinvesting, members can accelerate their investment growth over the long term.
- Invest in High-Quality Growth Companies: This principle encourages members to focus on companies that have demonstrated consistent earnings growth over time. BetterInvesting® provides tools and resources to help members identify and evaluate these growth companies.
- Diversify Your Portfolio: Diversification across different companies, industries, and asset classes reduces risk and helps protect the portfolio from significant losses if one investment performs poorly.
These principles serve as the foundation of the BetterInvesting® approach, providing a framework that reduces the likelihood of major losses and helps members avoid rookie mistakes.
Features
BetterInvesting® offers a range of features designed to educate individual investors and support their investment decisions. Depending on the membership level, users can access various tools, publications, and learning resources:
Stock Selection
The Stock Selection Guide is BetterInvesting’s flagship tool, designed to help members analyze and compare stocks. The SSG includes an explanation of the BetterInvesting Method, stock reporting, and comparisons to key benchmarks. There are two versions available: CoreSSG and SSGPlus. Members with an Individual Core Membership get access to CoreSSG, while those with a Plus membership can use the more advanced SSGPlus.
Stock Comparison
This online investing tool is particularly useful for members who want to make side-by-side comparisons of stocks within a specific industry or on their watchlist. Core members can compare stocks to 25 benchmarks, while Plus members can choose from 46 benchmarks.
Screening
With BetterInvesting’s Screening tool, it’s easy to compare potential investments against companies in the Morningstar database. If you want more information, check out our review of Morningstar.
There are 13 criteria in total, including 6 you can access with the Core membership and an additional 7 with the Plus membership.
Stock Reports
First Cut Stock Reports provide members with initial stock studies created by other members. These reports allow investors to evaluate stocks and make decisions based on insights gathered from their peers. This collaborative approach supports informed decision-making.
Pro Tip:
BetterInvesting® is a unique financial education membership site that provides a ton of useful resources to members. Click here to get started on your membership today!
Courses
BetterInvesting® offers a range of online courses and workshops covering topics such as stock selection, portfolio management, and long-term investing strategies. Members can learn at their own pace through pre-recorded sessions or attend live webinars for interactive learning.
Magazine
All members of BetterInvesting get a subscription to BetterInvesting Magazine, which is available in both digital and print formats.
Every member receives a subscription to BetterInvesting® Magazine, available in both digital and print formats. The magazine offers valuable insights, investment strategies, and education from experienced professionals, including Chartered Financial Analysts® (CFAs) and Certified Financial Planners® (CFPs).
Library
With over 100 educational videos in the library, members can explore various topics ranging from basic investment principles to advanced stock analysis techniques. The Video Learning Library is a valuable resource for those who prefer visual learning.
Clubs
One of the things that truly sets BetterInvesting apart from other investment education sites is their investment clubs. Here’s what BetterInvesting says about investment clubs.
“A stock investment club is made up of a group of people who come together to learn how to invest in the stock of good quality companies, pool small amounts of money to build a profitable stock portfolio, and apply that learning to their personal stock investments.“
We should note here that some SEC regulations may apply to investment clubs.
Any paying member can start or join an investment club. You can watch a free video about investment clubs here.
Pro Tip:
BetterInvesting® is a unique financial education membership site that provides a ton of useful resources to members. Click here to get started on your membership today!
Membership Cost
BetterInvesting® offers two tiers of individual memberships, each providing a comprehensive set of features and resources for members to build their investment knowledge and skills:
Individual Core Membership
The Individual Core Membership costs $10 per month, billed annually for a total of $120. It includes access to over 80 educational videos, archived webinars, the Core Stock Selection Guide (CoreSSG), the Online Stock Comparison Guide (CoreSCG), and more. Members also receive a subscription to BetterInvesting® Magazine and access to investment clubs. For those who choose a multi-year membership, discounts are available.
Individual Plus Membership
The Individual Plus Membership costs $12.08 per month, billed annually for a total of $145. This level includes all the benefits of the Core Membership, plus additional features such as full access to more than 100 educational videos, the advanced SSGPlus, comparison to 46 key benchmarks using SCGPlus, and more. It is ideal for those looking to dive deeper into stock analysis and long-term investing strategies. Multi-year discounts are also available for this membership.
Conclusion
BetterInvesting® is a comprehensive financial education membership site that provides valuable resources to individual investors. With a history dating back to 1940, it has become a trusted platform for those seeking to learn about investing, build wealth, and participate in investment clubs.
The investment clubs, long-term investing principles, and extensive educational resources set BetterInvesting® apart from other platforms. Whether you’re a beginner looking to understand the basics or an experienced investor seeking advanced tools, BetterInvesting® offers something for everyone.
For as little as $10 per month, you can join an investment club, gain access to educational resources, and start building a profitable stock portfolio. Explore the world of investing with BetterInvesting® and take the first step toward achieving your financial goals today!
Become a BetterInvesting member today!