There are a lot of financial services on the internet that offer newsletters full of stock market predictions and specific stock recommendations. There are many services that come and go as they try to make a name for themselves with their “proprietary analysis” or other “secret” method.
But there are also a few that have withstood the test of time. Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is one of the most popular stock picking services. And now with over 750,000 paid subscribers, The Motley Fool is definitely legit.
I can prove it. Read on to learn more…
First of all, the Motley Fool is more than legit–their popular Stock Advisor and their Rule Breakers services have both significantly outperformed the S&P500 by a wide margin since they were launched. This is quite remarkable given that most fund managers on Wall Street struggle just to match the market’s return.
Take a look at this chart below dated April 28, 2023. It is really all you need to know about their most popular, which also happens to be their most profitable, subscription service.
Going back to their launch in 2002 of their Stock Advisor service, the average return of all 500+ stock picks (that’s 2 stock picks per month) have crushed the S&P500. As you can see from the chart, their picks spiked in late 2021 but took at hit in 2022 like most stocks. But for their last 9 months, their picks are back on their strong uptrend.
Take a look at their current ad that shows an average return of 500+% vs the market’s 130% return. No other stock subscription service comes close to that 20 year record.
So are they legit? The answer is an absolute YES.
There are lots of other reasons they are legit. So HOW legit are they? They are also beating all of the most popular stock picking newsletters as you can see from our extensive analysis below.
As you can see from above, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s and Rule Breakers 2023 picks and last 12 months of picks are also doing really well. They are easily beating the other services listed above. FYI–the Everlasting Stocks (part of their Epic Bundle) is also a Motley Fool product.
In case you are wondering where I get all of this information, I am a subscriber to ALL of these services and another dozen or so. For example, I have been a paid subscriber to their stock newsletter services for over 7 years now. See my results in the table below.
So why else do I know they are legitimate? Because I have called them on occasion to ask about their other services and it is easy to get through to talk to a real person.
I have even called to cancel my service to see if they would give me a refund. They did. And then I re-subscribed.
Because I have met their staff at their Alexandria, Virginia offices and at various stock education and marketing conferences around the country.
And most importantly, because I have purchased about $1,500 of every single one of their Stock Advisor stock picks since January 2016 in my ETrade account and those picks have been super profitable and have absolutely crushed the SP500 returns. Take a look…
From the above chart, you see that as of December 31, 2021:
- the average return for those 5 years is 207% vs the market’s 92%
- their 2020 stock picks are up 73%, including TSLA being up 1,128%. Tesla has backed off a bit in price, but it is still a top winner. Here is a screenshot of my ETrade account as of July 16, 2023 where it is up 884% (I bought it at $28.59, split adjusted, on January 20, 2020 when they recommended it.)
- their 2019 stock picks are up 85% compared to the market’s 71%
- their 2018 picks are up 217% compared to the market’s 83%
- their 2017 picks are up 259% vs the market’s 110%
- and their 2016 picks are up an amazing 402% vs the market’s 142%
FYI–their Stock Advisor stock picks from their services have outperformed the SP500 each year for the last 5 years. They do this by picking a lot of stocks that double or triple each year.
- 78% of their picks are profitable
- 53 out of 120 stocks have more than doubled
- 33 have more than tripled
- and 21 have more than quadrupled
Look at those MAX RETURNS in the right column above and you will see how they get these great average returns. A few stocks from each year are simply fantastic (SHOPIFY was their pick in 2016; Zoom their pick in 2019, etc).
- TSLA is their 2020 top performer up 1,320%.
- HUBS is their top pick from 2019, up 423%
- SHOP (re-recommended), which is up 1,105% is their top performer from 2018
- NVDA, which is up 1,059%, is their top pick from 2017
- SHOP, which is up 4,628% is their top pick from 2016
So the KEY to using the Motley Fool Stock Advisor service is you must buy the same dollar amount of each of their stocks when they recommend them. In other words, if you are saving $2000 a month, you have to buy $1000 of each of their 2 picks per month.
Yes they do pick a few losers are you can see, but the average of all their picks is crushing the market.
IMPORTANT: The Motley Fool offers many stock newsletters and some have performed better than others. The results I present here are based on my experience with their STOCK ADVISOR service. It is the one that sells for just $89 for new subscribers (See the link below.) Anybody that says bad things about the Fool clearly has not subscribed to their STOCK ADVISOR service in the last 5 years!
So, THAT is how I know that the Motley Fool is LEGIT!
There you go, I just saved you hours of research and countless sleepless nights.
If you came here just to see all of that, then click here to visit their new subscriber page and get their next 24 stock picks for just $89.
But WAIT!
There is much more for you to know.
Motley Fool is definitely a legit investment-advice service that helps you stay on top of trends and conquer the market.
But it’s very important to have an understanding of the Motley Fool before signing up.
So, without further ado…
…let’s dive into the story and services of the Motley Fool!
The Motley Fool Story
The name of the Motley Fool comes from a comedy of Shakespeare.
The comedy is known as “As You Like It.”
In this comedy, there is a single character that can speak truth to power.
The “Motley Fool” can say the truth to the king without getting his head tossed off.
And so, the Motley Fool investment company pops up around the idea that someone should speak the truth in the investment space.
The truth helps ordinary people navigate the power of the stock market.
And the Motley Fool actually began with some interesting tactics.
They first gained some attention by publishing an April Fool’s joke with a string of messages about penny stock investing and a sewage-disposal company.
This led to an article in the Wall Street Journal, and they later got a content partnership with AOL.
That was in 1994, before internet investing advice really took off.
The company got portrayed in the New Yorker that same year.
In 1996, the founding Gardner brothers published an investing guide which hit the best seller list in the New York Times.
The company picked up attention and notoriety, with fans being polarized over the investing advice.
By 1997, they cut ties with AOL and created a domain of their own.
By 2002, after the dot-com bubble burst, the company moved to subscription revenue and launched its investment advice service.
The company believes that every dollar you invest should be treated with care and responsibility.
They think that finding the great businesses of the world is the best way to make a great return.
By keeping score and remaining transparent in the way that they deliver information, they inspire trust and encourage great investments.
Motley Fool Services
The Motley Fool is not an investment broker, it’s an investment guidance and education service.
They split the difference between advising brand new stock picks and providing long-term education around the way that the stock market works.
It’s this balance of evergreen advice and hot off the press news that keeps the Motley Fool so fresh.
If you want to be a great investor, you’re going to need to understand how the stock market works.
We’re talking nuts and bolts.
You have to know how the pieces move and the best way to bring the information to bear on your portfolio.
But you also have to understand the latest news and culture of the world.
Without hot tips in the moments that they break, even the best investors can lose money and miss opportunities.
By delivering both kinds of information, the Fool tries to maximize return.
*** UPDATE -- Tuesday, November 28, 2023 -- MOTLEY FOOL STOCK ADVISOR AVERAGE RETURN OF ALL 500+ STOCK PICKS IS 524% VS THE S&P500'S 133% ****
The Fool investing philosophy is hold stocks for at least 5 years, invest regularly, and ride out the dips. Here is just a sample of some recent picks:
- CRWD picked again October, 2023 and already it is up 27%
- TSLA picked again May, 2023 and it is up 46%
- CRWD picksed March, 2023 and it is up 70%
- NOW picked January, 2023 and it is up 84%
- TTD picked again Dec, 2022 and it is up 30%
- AMZN again Nov, 2022 and it is up 55%
Also, the Motley Fool just launched a special promotion: $110 off (see the link below).
Here is their release schedule of their upcoming stock picks:
- November 30 2023 - New Stock Recommendation
- December 7, 2023 - List of 5 Best Stocks to Buy Now List
- December 14, 2023 - New Stock Recommendation
- December 21,2023 - List of 5 Best Stocks to Buy Now
So, if you have a few hundred dollars to invest each month and plan on staying invested for at least 5 years, we haven't found any better source of stock picks.
New Pricing: Motley Fool has slashed it price $110 for its top stock picking service.
CLICK HERE to save $110 and get it in real-time.
Motley Fool Services
Long-Term Investments
The Motley Fool is going to be ideal for traders who want to buy great stock and then hold it for a very long time.
They are not day traders trying to make a few bucks off the fluctuations of the market.
The brains behind the Motley Fool focus on long term investing.
Motley Fool investments may lose money initially, but often swing big in the long run.
Money-Back Guarantee
The Motley Fool offers a full refund after 30 days, no questions asked.
And that’s on top of a month-long trial program that allows you to see what is going on.
And additionally, many of their premium subscriptions give you a full year window to get your money back if you aren’t happy with the service.
That kind of money-back guarantee is a great way of convincing potential customers that they mean business.
People don’t have problems getting their money back either, because the company runs a no-questions asked policy that makes sure that people don’t experience problems.
Motley Fool Stock Advisor
Every month, the team carefully vets and selects 2 stock picks that they officially recommend for you to consider picking up.
They also provide 10 stocks that they think are great to buy in the moment.
You also get access to a bunch of education resources, and a great selection of stocks for people who are just jumping into the market.
Stock Advisor lists for $199 a year, but you can sometimes get it for $99 or less.
When you consider the +300% return that the service has claimed over about 20ish years, this is well worth the investment if you put in enough money.
Motley Fool Rule Breakers
Rule breakers focuses on higher-growth businesses that the Motley Fool thinks are well-poised to be the leaders of the market of the next day.
They provide a couple of stocks that they think are good picks each month, and they also offer 5 stocks out of 200 that they think are the hottest buys at the moment.
You’ll also get recommendations for starter stocks and access to plenty of educational resources.
Rule Your Retirement
An investment service specifically produced to help you rule your retirement.
Not only do you get a guide to how you should invest, you get great advice on how to set up your portfolio, rebalance on the fly, and trade mutual funds and ETFs.
With mutual fund and ETF recommendations, you’ll be able to set up a financial portfolio that helps you unfold your retirement over time.
With this service, you also get information about social security and how to maximize benefits moving forward.
That’s great for many of us that don’t really understand how social security works and what we might do with it!
You also get advice on how to set up estate planning and insurance that makes retirement a lot less stressful.
Market Pass
One of the biggest premium services, Market Pass is not currently accepting new members.
If you’re already a part of the massive Market Pass subscription.
You get new stock ideas every single week from both stock advisor and rule breakers, but you also get access to research on long-term trends and hot ideas.
You’ll get white papers on artificial intelligence and the latest biotech.
Options
Also closed to new members, the Options university teaches you the most popular strategies and basic ideas about options and stocks.
You get notifications and recommendations for the portfolio.
You’ll get new commentary and news about options, and you can learn how to generate income even on a flat market.
Here is our review of the Motley Fool Options Service.
Total Income
For a couple thousand a year, you can get investment ideas about bonds and high-yield stocks that can help you make passive income.
It also has total income access to the options service, and you can follow different strategies.
The service is currently not open to new members.
Supernova
For all the fans of David Gardner’s amazing picks, you can pay $3,000 a year to get specific advice for your portfolio.
You can build a portfolio around the investment strategies that David uses to play the stock market.
Explorer
Currently closed to new members, the explorer program features a special team that picks four stocks each month that they think will maximize growth over the future of the stock market.
Global Partners
A service focused on stocks and investments outside the United States.
If you love investing in international growth opportunities, then this might be a great service for you.
The Global Partners program is currently closed to new members.
Premier Pass
Premier pass lets you access Rule Your Retirement, Rule Breakers, Supernova, Options, Explorer, Total Income, Market Pass, Stock Advisor, Crypto Society, and Marijuana Masters.
It’s $4000 a year, and is currently closed to new members.
Motley Fool Offerings and Culture
Fools are people who use the Motley Fool to think about the market in unconventional ways that return better than conventional profits.
The Motley Fool produces tons of different profits and places to learn about investing and business culture.
CAPS
CAPS is the name of the Motley Fool community message board that gets fools talking to one another about the market.
They have stock ratings and research that allows you to get the community buzz around different ideas.
You can see active community members who are each ranked by stock performances, and hear what each of these community members are saying.
As community members give advice on stocks, you can round out your portfolio with on-the-ground opinions.
Podcasts
Buzzing soundscapes full of games, gimmicks, and flippancy.
And yet the advice is really serious.
The Motley Fool crew has a group of intelligent, goofy hosts who take the stock market really seriously without taking themselves too seriously.
It’s a nice break from the tone of more serious news.
These people speak candidly about the way that the market is moving.
They aren’t scared to call out bigger companies and pitch up and coming companies.
Motley Fool Money is probably the flagship podcast, where a group of hosts cover the news of each week.
They will also interview best-selling authors and take a look at the stocks that are performing well.
Market Foolery, meanwhile, is a quick daily look at what is happening in the world of stocks.
It quickly keeps you up to date on things in business and can let you know if it’s time to get in or out of a stock that you’ve had your eye on.
Industry Focus is another daily podcast by the Motley Fool, and this one focuses on specific industries that you should pay attention to.
They talk about the trajectory of given industries–from healthcare to energy–and talk about good and bad stocks within that industry.
Motley Fool Answers is a great podcast if you’re still getting your bearings in the world of personal finance–and let’s be honest, who isn’t?
The host and personal finance expert bring great wisdom to the real money problems that most of us face.
You’re sure to be entertained, and the knowledge that you pick up can help you reduce your stress and anxiety around money moves over time.
Want to be more confident in what you’re doing with your finances?
Try out this pod.
The final, and maybe most impressive podcast, is Rule Breaker Investing, ran by David Gardner.
David is the cofounder of the Motley Fool and is a trusted investment advisor.
He’s had massive success in the stock game over the years.
Each week, he talks about the stock market.
Sometimes he’s advising individual stocks and sometimes he’s talking about the biggest companies and hie predictions.
YouTube
The Motley Fool has a presence on YouTube, producing short form graphic videos and long from interviews about different stocks and education content.
They’ve interviewed CEOs and investors, but they’ve also done case studies on different kinds of stocks and companies.
They seek to provide both long-term investment advice and short-term investment news.
Social Media
The Fool also provides a ton of information and advice through their social media platforms, like Twitter and Instagram.
Conclusion
Yes, the Motley Fool is completely legit.
The company seeks to “make the world smarter, happier, and richer.”
You don’t have to spend a ton of money on a subscription service to get started.
Poke around the community, poke around the blog, and poke around the social media.
You’ll find genuine, authentic information and advice.
The podcasts are delightfully honest takes on the current state of the market.
The Motley Fool successfully fulfills its mission to make sure that people learn about the market while laughing a little too.
And within the paid subscription services, you can get great investment information. Click on the image below to see exactly how they got these impressive results and to see what their hottest stock picks are.
There are a selection of Fool portfolios and advice columns that have decades histories of outperforming the market averages.
Their sense of humor keeps you engaged, while carefully curated content helps you excel.
So, click here to save $110 and get a year of Motley Fool picks for only $89.
After all, they have great money back guarantees if you aren’t happy with the things that have happened to your stocks.
But you probably will be–the Fool has some great picks.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
And let us know if you’ve tried and loved the Motley Fool services!
*** Tuesday, November 28, 2023 ALERT—Motley Fool Picks Still CRUSHING the SP500!****
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s stocks picks, even with this recession, inflation, and COVID recovery have been performing very well as of late.
I have been a suscriber since 2016 and their average pick of the last 7 years is easily beating the SP500. Keep in mind these FIVE very important tips regarding the Motley Fool Stock Picks.
Tip #1 is that you need to buy them as soon as you get the alert because the stocks typically rise 2-5% in the first 24 hours of the pick being released.
Tip #2 is that I buy about $2,000 of each pick and I immediately place a 20% stop loss order to control risk.
Tip #3 is that their next stock pick should come out Thursday, so make sure you have subscribe now so you are ready.
Tip #4 is to always read your emails from the Fool because they also tell you when to sell stocks.
Tip #5 is to save $120 and get a Full Year of Stock Picks for only $79 (new members only)
