If so, do you believe the message boards are worth paying the $29.95 per year for? I generally enjoy the info on the website, and I’ve read a few books put out by the Gardners. However, I’m not sure if that would carry over into the MBs.
I am curious if there is intelligent conversation and ideas on the boards, or just people talking up their favorite stocks.
Thanks for your input!
Personal Opinion Only: I normally use the Motley Fool’s UK site which is free, but if the US content is the same as the UK content, I personally wouldn’t pay for access to the boards. They are useful and informative, but unless you are seriously concerned with finance, tax and stocks they aren’t really aimed at you.
I’m confused. Isn’t the whole point of the Motley Fool investing plan, and everything the gardner brothers do, centered around the basic tenet that a solid investing strategy has not changed in the past 20 years or so? That all of the little tricks of this fund or that fund are just a bunch of BS?
When I was reading their site, they seemd to repeat the same basic thing over and over and over again: Unless you are going to do it for a living, the best way to invest is in some S&P Index funds, with a little risk here and there and a little conservatism here and there.
Just what is there to gain from reading the message boards? Do you think there is a CPA there who wants to answer everyone’s questions for free?
It’s not worth $30, IMO. The moderation is uneven, and since they went from free to pay quite a few of the knowledgable members left for good. However, the message board software is nice, probably the best I’ve seen. I suggest that you use the trial period to review the boards, although I don’t think you can post, only read.
They don’t even have a portfolio tracking feature any more. The one they had wasn’t great, and rather than improve it they scrapped it altogether. I think that alone indicates that it’s overpriced at $30. What sort of financial site doesn’t bother with basic portfolio tracking?
Nikki Sixx and the rest of the band must be hard up for cash to be charging $30 to access their message board.
Wait, I thought you meant Motley Cr-- … ah hell, never mind.
If you’re going to send them money, subscribe to the newsletter, which has some solid stock recommendations.
I used to be really into them, but gradually became disillusioned as they transformed from common-sense finance education to ‘subscribe to our newsletter for hot stock tips!’, the very thing they’d been mocking and warning people away from for years. This past summer I subscribed to the message boards to see if there was anything worth discussing and found a depressing array of jack and shit. Then they got rid of their portfolio tracker which had been my only reason to even keep their site bookmarked at all.
Thank you to all. This really sums up my initial opinion as well. I liked their books full of basic, common-sense approaches to saving and investing. But I too was disappointed to see them start offering more and more newsletters and pay-for services that they had been disparraging earlier. I believe I’ll save my $30.00 per year, and put it in a stock, compounded annually at…
I’m glad to learn that I’m not the only one feeling this way about the Motley Fool site. Does anyone know of any sites similar to what the Motley Fool used to be?
Morningstar has a discussion forum, and a TON of great tools. www.morningstar.com
For instance, click on "etf"s, click on any square in the “value-growth” by “size” chart, and it will list all the ETFs available. Click on one, and you can see what it mimics, what it’s fees are, etc. etc. etc.
It’s $5 to register at the forum, and I think it’s a one-time fee. I think that’s mostly to keep bots out. They have a forum just for stock picks, but some of the forums are good.
I, too, am puzzled by Motley Fool. Half the stuff I get from them seems to be about wise investing, buy and hold, low fees, etc. etc. etc. And half the stuff is like, “TWO STOCKS YOU HAVE TO OWN NOW!!! Subscribe to our platinum service to get these picks.”