Rachel Morey

12 Best Stock Picking Services, Subscriptions, Websites and Apps in 2021

Rachel Morey
November 15, 2021

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Many investors choose to pay for a stock-picking subscription to help them research potential investments. There are plenty of newsletters, stock-picking subscriptions, and investment information sites designed to help people who want to buy individual stocks make good decisions.

Whether you are new to stock market investing or you just want to make more informed decisions without dedicating your free time to researching stocks, a subscription to a stock picking service or stock information website could provide the boost you need to build a profitable portfolio of growth stocks.

Why Subscribe To A Stock Picking Service?

Paying for advice about which stocks to pick can be a great time saver. It’s crucial that you trust your source of information, however. Subscribing to a stock picking service requires an investment, which can be tough to justify if the service doesn’t have a long and dependable track record of choosing up-and-coming companies.

To get your money’s worth, you’ll need to take the service’s advice and buy the stocks they recommend. Stock picking services make the most sense for investors who already have some money in the stock market and have the extra money and confidence it takes to buy individual stocks.

Even with a stock picking service, you’ll need to know enough about how the stock market works to determine whether a specific stock is a good fit for your portfolio. If you are new to buying stocks, it’s wise to spend time learning about how other investors research stocks. The Khan Academy offers a great deal of free and unbiased education about stocks and bonds in their Finance and Capital markets section.

What To Look For In A Stock Picking Subscription

🥇 Track record: The stock picking service should produce returns for subscribers that purchase recommended stocks. Look for how the service’s choices performed compared to a benchmark index. Growth stocks should perform over time.

💸 Price: Some stock picking services cost thousands of dollars each year. Look for a modestly priced service; not one that you couldn’t cover the cost of with gains from your portfolio.

📈 Results you can reproduce: Some of the best-performing investments aren’t available unless you are an institutional investor. They may be able to buy stocks at a lower price before it goes public. If you can’t reproduce the results in your portfolio, the service has no value to you.

📚 Education: A good stock picking service doesn’t just periodically send you the names of stocks to buy. You should gain knowledge when you read about how and why they chose a specific stock. The service should help you build the skills you need to evaluate recommendations based on your unique criteria, investment goals, and risk tolerance.

Top 12 Stock Picking Services, Subscriptions, and Websites of 2021

Below are the best stock picking services we’ve found and evaluated for 2021. The services vary based on the type of investing and/or trading you intend to do.

Best Stock Picking Service for Buy and Hold Investors: Motley Fool Stock Advisor

Motley Fool Stock Advisor concentrates on well-established companies with the potential to create wealth inside a portfolio. In the past, they’ve recommended Disney, Amazon and Netflix among others.

Stock Advisor track record: During the past 17 years, Stock Advisor has done five times better than the S&P 500.

Subscribers can see every recommendation offered by Stock Advisor throughout the entire history of the service.

Stock Advisor investor returns vs S&P500.

What you’ll get with Stock Advisor: Access to the full history of Stock Advisor recommendations, “Starter Stocks” recommendations to help build a foundation of solid growth stocks in your portfolio, two new monthly stock picks, access to the service’s “10 Best Buys Now” list chosen from 300 stocks on the service’s watchlist, access to a community of like-minded investors.

Motley Fool Stock Advisor price: $99 per year after a 30-day trial period

Best for: Investors who want to buy stocks in established companies with the intention of holding those investments for at least five years

Motley Fool Stock Advisor may be a good fit for you if:

You prefer to buy and hold stocks
You want to invest in undervalued companies with a track record of success
You have money to invest at least $10,000 in the stock market and can continue to add new stocks to your portfolio each month

Learn More

Best Stock Picking Service for Finding Undervalued Stocks: Motley Fool Rule Breakers

Motley Fool Rule Breakers is one of several subscription stock picking services provided by the financial media company. They recommend stocks in emerging industries that have a sustainable advantage along with competent management. Rule Breakers’ advisors look for companies with strong consumer appeal that are currently undervalued.

Rule Breakers Basics

Motley Fool Rule Breakers track record: Rule Breakers has a 15-year track record of beating the market.

Rule Breakers investor returns vs S&P500.

What you’ll get with Rule Breakers: Starter Stocks list to help establish a portfolio, five “Best Buys Now” stock recommendations per month, and two new stock pick recommendations per month.

Motley Fool Rule Breakers price: $99 per year after a 30-day trial period

Best for: Investors who want to consistently invest in growth stocks

Motley Fool Rule Breakers may be a good fit for you if:

You prefer to buy and hold stocks
You have enough disposable income to invest in at least two new stocks each month
You are financially stable enough to invest and hold stocks for at least five years

Learn More

Best Stock Picking Service for Day Traders: Trade Ideas Premium Plan

The Trade Ideas Premium Plan uses an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to help subscribers research potentially lucrative investments. The AI assistant runs more than one million simulated trades using over 70 proprietary algorithms each night before the markets open.

Scan results, curated by real people before they become official stock picks on the Trade Ideas platform, include the method used to choose the stock, why it may perform well and how to find similar stocks.

A live simulated reading room allows subscribers to see how the stock-picking service’s recommendations perform without risk. Users have access to real-time streaming ideas to facilitate skill-building.

What you’ll get with Trade Ideas Premium Plan: Price alerts, Trade of the Week newsletter, five new trade ideas each Sunday night, Rules-based virtual trading room for active traders and long-term investors, fully-functioning AI assistant (Holly) that you can connect to your separate brokerage account to execute trades automatically.

Trade Ideas Premium price: $2,268 per year or Standard for $1068.

Compare features below:

Best for: Long-term investors and day traders who want access to robust technology and also want to learn how to invest

Trade Ideas Premium Plan may be a good fit for you if:

You have an established portfolio and plan to purchase larger volumes of stocks
You want to learn how to invest and trade using a simulated trading platform
You are comfortable allowing technology to execute trades on your behalf
You are currently engaged in day trading or are interested in learning more about how to become a successful day trader

Best Stock Picking Service for Fundamental Investors: Zack’s Investment Research Premium Subscription

Based in Chicago, Zack’s Investment Research offers constant monitoring of stocks to help investors decide whether to buy, hold, or sell individual investments. You can access the investment research software on Zack’s Investment Research site for free. Bull and Bear of the Day provide insights about two stocks (one Bull and one Bear) to help investors decide which stocks to hold or buy and which to sell.

Zack’s rates stocks from one (strong buy) to five (strong sell) along with ratings for value and growth and momentum. Subscribers can enter their current stocks and funds to get up-to-date ratings 24/7.

What you’ll get with Zack’s Investment Research: Focus List including long-term stock recommendations, Equity Research reports, Custom Stock Screener, and The Zacks #1 Rank List.

Zack’s Investment Research Premium track record: Stocks rated as a #1 Strong Buy beat the S&P 500 by more than 14% (on average) for the past three decades. Stocks rated as a #5 Strong Sell underperformed the market by 8%.

Zack’s Investment Research Premium price: $249 per year after a 30-day trial

Best for: Fundamental investors

Zack’s Investment Research may be a good fit for you if:

You have an active portfolio and aren’t afraid to buy or sell stocks to maintain growth
Have the experience and knowledge needed to make independent decisions about your portfolio
Are willing to devote time and money to the pursuit of creating a profitable portfolio

Best Stock Picking Service App for Momentum Investors: Seeking Alpha App Premium Subscription

Seeking Alpha’s app provides comprehensive investment news along with the opinions of thousands of experienced traders. Subscribers to Seeking Alpha’s Premium Tier app can opt into push notifications, email alerts, and texts to stay on top of breaking news in the world of stock market investing.

Premium subscribers can create watch lists using the stock tracking portion of the app to get a custom feed.

Seeking Alpha Premium App track record: Quant performance beats the market by four-to-one, stocks rated as very bullish created a 1,369% return over the S&P 500 and had an average annualized return of 29%.

What you’ll get with Seeking Alpha Premium app subscription: Stock quant ratings, stock dividend grades, author ratings, author performance, unlimited access to all Premium content, watch list creation, news alerts, fewer ads than the free limited version of the app, and conference call transcripts.

Seeking Alpha Premium app price: $19.99 per month

Best for: Research-driven investors

Seeking Alpha Premium app may be a good fit for you if:

You want original stock news (not news-aggregator)
You want to interact with other investors about strategy
You base your investment decisions on ideas from other investors and original news

Read our full review of Seeking Alpha here.

Best Stock Picking Service For Comprehensive Investment Analysis: The Maley Report

The Maley Report offers no-frills information about stocks, including fundamental, macro, and technical analysis. Matt Maley has more than 35 years of experience trading on Wall Street and is now a market strategist at Miller Tabak + Co. Subscribers to The Maley Report have access to his analysis of what’s happening in the stock market.

What you’ll get with The Maley Report: Aggregates of Matt Maley’s videos, blog posts, and trade alerts, educational resources to help investors learn Maley’s strategy, a regular email newsletter with an overall outlook on the market and discussion of what’s to come.

The Maley Report price: $49 per month or $490 per year with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Best for: Fundamental investors

The Maley Report may be a good fit for you if:

You want actionable stock insights based on a number of factors
You want information from an experienced investor willing to discuss his methods for choosing high-performing stocks

Best Stock Picking Service For Active Traders: Pilot Trading

Pilot Trading uses artificial intelligence to watch other day traders in real time and make predictions about how the market may change from one minute to the next. Subscribers can create a custom watchlist or choose a pre-made one in the app. Link to a brokerage account to use the stock research app and make trades through the app.

What you’ll get with Pilot Trading: Information about real-time trading activity, alerts when market sentiment shifts, and the ability to link brokerage accounts.

Pilot Trading price: $19.95 per month after a 14-day free trial

Best for: Forex, futures, crypto, and stock traders

Pilot Trading may be a good fit for you if:

You are an active trader interested in cryptocurrency investment, futures, or forex
You want in-app trading that connects to stock trading platforms

Best Stock Picking Service For Day Traders: Scanz

Scanz offers two ways to get information to inform day trading activity. The Scanz News Streamer offers SEC filing on NASDAQ, NYS, and AMEX alerts. It also provides two broker integrations and streaming charges. The Trade Scanner offers Level 1 and Level 2 data on NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ with unlimited watchlists, a montage window, streaming charges, and breakout alerts.

Subscribers can choose between the services or bundle them to get a discount.

What you’ll get with Scanz: Access to customized alerts for price changes, percentage changes, volume changes, and important company news.

Scanz price: $79 per month for news only, $99 per month for scanner only, $149 per month for news and scanner; seven-day free trial

Scanz may be a good fit for you if:

You are an active day trader who wants up-to-the-minute breaking news that’s curated to help you reach your goals
You want to filter stocks based on a predetermined set of criteria, including penny stocks

Best Stock Picking Service For Penny Stock Day Traders: Tim Alerts

Tim Alerts is a platform created by Tim Sykes. The successful penny stock investor started with just $12,000 and in about ten years became a multimillionaire. Skyes started Tim Alerts to help penny stock investors learn how to make money in the stock market by purchasing penny stocks. The platform provides finance services, training for retail investors, and educational content.

What you’ll get with Tim Alerts: Access to a chat room with a paired trading app, daily penny stock picks newsletter with stock watchlists, and customizable push notifications.

Tim Alerts price: $679 per year

Best for: Penny stock traders

Tim Alerts may be a good fit for you if:

You are curious about investing in penny stocks and want to learn from someone with documented and ongoing success
You want daily stock picks delivered to your inbox
You learn best by interacting with other investors

Best Stock Picking Service For Income Investing: AAII Dividend Investing

AAII Dividend Investing provides direction to investors who want to build a portfolio of dividend-paying stocks. The platform provides subscribers with research and information produced by its proprietary stock picking process. AAII searches for and highlights stocks providing a mix of asset and yield quality. It also looks closely at recommended company’s management teams to make sure that the stock is likely to pay out dividends for years to come.

What you’ll get with AAII Dividend Investing: Access to a target portfolio with a mix of Geographical Exposure and GISC Sector investments, weekly webinars, and access to weekly stock ideas and the lead analyst.

AAII Dividend Investing price: $2 for the first 30 days and then $199 per year or $359 for two years

Best for: Dividend investors

AAII Dividend Investing may be a good fit for you if:

You want reliable information about low-risk dividend-paying stocks
You want instant access to the information you need to build a portfolio with fully vetted dividend stocks

Best Stock Picking Service For Swing Trading: Mindful Trader

Mindful Trader helps swing traders make confident decisions about when to buy and sell stocks. Short-term movements in the stock market can be hard to follow, even for devoted traders. Mindful Trader offers up to 15 text or email alerts each week to help traders manage an active portfolio of investments.

What you’ll get with Mindful Trader: Stock trade alerts via text and email, between five and 15 trade alerts each week, clear guidance about when it may be smart to open or close positions, and historical data on every recommended trade since Mindful Trader’s inception.

Mindful Trader price: $47 per month; cancel anytime

Best for: Swing traders

Mindful Trader may be a good fit for you if:

You want an easy way to take advantage of quick movements in the market
You want access to live positions in a portfolio with historical data

Best Stock Picking Service For REIT Stocks: Millionacres Real Estate Winners

Investors involved in real estate investing and REITs may find that the valuable and condensed information included with a Millionacres Real Estate Winners subscription helps them level up their investing game.

Millionacres Real Estate Winners aims to help investors understand the complicated world of real estate investment with recommendations and stock picks to help you create a portfolio of money-making stocks.

What you’ll get with Millionacres Real Estate Winners: Investing ideas with guidance on how to get started in the real estate market, monthly new stock recommendations, updates on previously recommended stocks, “Top 10 Investment Alerts” quarterly, unlimited access to education resources on the Millionacres site.

Millionacres Real Estate Winners price: $149 per year

Best for: Buy and hold REIT investors and those curious about getting started with REITs

Millionacres Real Estate Winners may be a good fit for you if:

You are a beginning investor interested in making successful REIT trades
You are an experienced investor seeking bit-sized monthly investment alerts about real estate equities and REITs to support your current trading activity
You want to use real estate investments to create a portfolio that produces consistent and reliable results for years to come.

Bottom Line

Stock picking services should help you build the skills you need to make independent decisions about your portfolio. Even if you only subscribe to a single stock picking service, it’s wise to gather information from a number of sources before you decide to buy or sell any single stock. Many of the services listed here offer free information and resources. Always research stock picks on your own and make sure they are a good fit for your portfolio.

If you decide to try out a stock-picking service, take full advantage of the service during the free trial (if there is one) before you commit.

Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms: Compare Yields

Rachel Morey
November 4, 2021

Real estate crowdfunding provides investors with a new way to diversify their portfolios by investing in real estate. Some crowdfunding sites offer non-accredited investors access to investments that may have previously been available only to wealthy or knowledgeable individuals.

Real estate investing (like many other types of investing) is risky. Real estate investments don’t necessarily follow the ups and downs of the stock market, which is part of their attraction. In a portfolio with many different investment types, real estate could help protect investors from the stock market’s volatility.

Investors who would like to experience the potential advantages of real estate investing without having to finance, own, and manage properties may find the idea of real estate crowdfunding appealing. Even though real estate crowdfunding is relatively new, several real estate crowdfunding platforms have a track record of producing good returns for their investors.

The platforms listed here are in alphabetical order. There are many differences between the platforms identified here. Each may be “best” for certain investors, so we’ve identified the type of investor that may find the platform most appealing.

What Is Real Estate Crowdfunding?

Real estate crowdfunding allows individual investors to pool their resources with other investors to amass a large amount of money quickly. Crowdfunding sites facilitate investments by gathering money from multiple investors to fund a single investment opportunity. Each investor receives a return that’s in proportion to the amount of their investment. If there’s a loss, the investors share that misfortune, as well.

Investors benefit from real estate crowdfunding because it offers exposure to potentially lucrative investments that may be otherwise unaffordable. Many platforms provide automatic investing, which decreases the amount of time individuals must spend researching, vetting, and executing specific investments. Distributions or lump sum returns provide the potential for good returns from real estate crowdfunding investments.

It’s crucial to understand that if you decide to get involved with real estate crowdfunding, your money could be tied up for three to five years. This type of investment can be high risk when compared to other investments. Depending on the platform and investment, fees could be high, as well. Some investment platforms work only with accredited investors.

How Does Real Estate Crowdfunding Work?

Real estate investment platforms connect investment opportunities with funding. Most real estate crowdfunding deals have a sponsor, a crowdfunding platform, and investors.

Here’s a brief explanation of how real estate crowdfunding platforms work:

The sponsor acquires, manages, and eventually sells the investment. They are an individual or a company that takes responsibility for the entire project.
The crowdfunding platform makes connections between the sponsor and potentially interested investors. It handles regulatory issues, explains the terms of available deals to investors, and collects money from investors.
The investors offer money to fund the project in exchange for a share of the potential profits.

The Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Sites of 2021

Best Overall: CrowdStreet
Best REIT Option: DiversyFund
Best for Institutional Commercial Real Estate: EquityMultiple
Best for Beginners: Fundrise
Best for Investing in Loans: PeerStreet
Best Property Research: RealtyMogul

CrowdStreet: Best Overall

CrowdStreet offers accredited investors direct access to commercial real estate investment deals. Potential investors can review, compare, and choose individual deals that meet their investment criteria. More than 100,000 accredited investors across the United States have used the CrowdStreet platform to facilitate their real estate investments.

CrowdStreet has managed funds. Advisory services offer transparent access, and the platform makes it easy for investors to get involved in potentially lucrative deals outside of the stock market.

CrowdStreet fees range from 0.50% to 2.5% for CrowdStreet funds. Other funds are also available on the platform, and their fees vary by offering. There’s a minimum $25,000 investment required. Average annual returns are 17.3% as of 2021. Investors who choose to participate in a CrowdStreet investment deal may experience much lower or higher returns than the average 17.3% returns.

Choose from individual institutional-quality real estate deals or a professionally managed portfolio.

CrowdStreet’s headquarters are in Portland, Oregon. The company was founded in 2014 and has since published more than 540 commercial real estate offerings. As of 2021, 63 investments have been fully realized.

Pros

A helpful chatbot helps users navigate the platform
Institutional-quality offerings
Investment deals are easy to find after you sign up for an account

Cons

Open to accredited investors only
High investment minimums
Early withdrawals prohibited

Platform	Avg. annual returns
CrowdStreet	17.3%

DiversyFund: Best for REITs

Investors become co-owners in a portfolio of real estate assets with their first investment on the DiversyFund platform. The DiversyFund team finds, vets, and creates access to properties with a high potential for positive investment returns. They sell the assets, split profits among investors, and reinvest cash flows to create even more wealth.

Unlike similar platforms, DiversyFund actually purchases properties. They require a low minimum investment of just $500 for the DiversyFund Growth REIT, and you don’t have to be an institutional investor to get involved. However, investors never pay management or broker fees, and there is usually a 2% to 8% developer fee. Average annual returns across all investments on the DiversyFund platform range from 17% to 18%. Today, total investor distributions exceed $135 million.

Pros

Investors never pay management fees
Mobile app (unique among real estate crowdfunding platforms)
Low $500 minimum investment

Cons

Limited choices among investment types
Early withdrawals are prohibited
Investors receive payment at the end of the investment term

Platform	Avg. annual returns
DiversyFund	17% – 18%

EquityMultiple: Best for Institutional Commercial Real Estate

EquityMultiple has a straightforward three-step process that allows investors to access institutional-quality opportunities quickly.

Create a free account to see the details of each property. Review EquityMultiple Marketplace deals to locate one that lines up with investing goals.
Choose an investment amount and submit an investment offer. E-sign the appropriate documents for EquityMultiple approval and fund the offer.
Monitor the direct equity in commercial real estate property via the EquityMultiple online portal. Get updates from the property sponsor, choose a distribution method, and manage tax documentation from the main dashboard.

EquityMultiple charges a 1% fee on equity investments, and other fees depend on the terms of the individual investment. There may also be origination fees associated with fund offerings. The minimum investment amount is $5,000, and participants must be accredited investors.

Previous investors with EquityMultiple experienced average annual returns of 16.8%. Since this is an average across all investment types, it’s possible to receive a much lower or higher return if you decide to invest with EquityMultiple.

The platform provides access to commercial real estate deals, including senior debt, equity, and preferred equity. Investors can also participate in tax-advantaged deals like Opportunity Zones and 1031 exchange investments.

Distributions are monthly or quarterly.

Pros

Diverse investment selection
Intuitive platform
Variety of distribution schedules

Cons

Limited redemption options
Open only to accredited investors

Platform	Avg. annual returns
EquityMultiple	16.8%

Fundrise: Best for Beginners

Fundrise follows a value investing strategy of acquiring assets for less than their intrinsic value and replacement cost. Through partnerships with local operators and hands-on management, the Fundrise team works to increase the value of assets available on the platform.

Investment options include equity, debt, commercial, and residential assets.

Funrise was designed to withstand economic distress, making it ideal for investors that want to diversify to minimize the negative impact of stock market volatility on their portfolio. Extensive underwriting and a conservative approach make Fundrise one of the best platforms for beginning investors.

Investors may pay a .15% advisory fee as well as a .85% asset management fee. There’s a minimum investment for each account level that ranges from $10 to $100,000. Average annual returns for Fundrise investments are 7.31% to 16.11% between 2017 and 2021.

Fundrise currently manages more than $1.5 billion of equity for more than 170,000 investors. There are five account levels available on the platform; Starter, Basic, Core, Advanced, and Premium. Each investment tier has a minimum investment amount along with varying investment strategies.

Pros

Accreditation not required
Highly-rated mobile app
Share redemption requests available at any time, although redemption is not guaranteed

Cons

Investors receive nonqualified dividends (taxed at ordinary income rates)
Investments are illiquid

Platform	Avg. annual returns
Fundrise	7.31% – 16.11%

PeerStreet: Best for Investing in Loans

PeerStreet provides the largest two-sided marketplace where accredited investors can purchase real estate debt. The platform sources loans from a network of private brokers and lenders. They also aggregate, service, and manage loans for investors. PeerStreet provides investors with the chance to invest in real estate without owning property.

PeerStreet is the first marketplace that allows non-accredited individuals to invest in real estate debt. When investors put money into PeerStreet and borrowers pay back outstanding loans with interest, dividends go back to the investors.

Investors interested in PeerStreet can review individual investments to decide whether to become involved. The platform allows investors to automatically diversify their portfolios by choosing investments across various lenders, asset classes, LTV ratios, rates, terms, and geographies.

PeerStreet fees are typically 1%, with a minimum investment amount of $1,000. Investors receive average annual returns of 2% to 9%. Loans have a maximum term of 36 months.

Pros

Different product offerings
Flexible terms
Powerful technology-fueled platform

Cons

Accredited investors only
Investment types limited to real estate debt
May expose investors to higher risks than other real estate crowdfunding types

Platform	Avg. annual returns
PeerStreet	2% – 9%

RealtyMogul: Best Property Research

Investors get institutional-quality deals with the RealtyMogul platform. Both accredited and non-accredited investors can invest in commercial real estate deals. The platform has more than 200,000 registered members and has financed more than $2 billion in property value.

Non-accredited investors can choose between two public non-traded REITs and accredited investors can add private placement investments to their portfolio. The platform provides access to individual properties, including office, industrial, retail, medical offices, multifamily, and self-storage. Qualified investors may also have access to 1031 exchanges. Investors can choose from passive income, growth, and diversification objectives when they set up their accounts.

Fees range from 1% to 1.5%, and the minimum investment is $1,000. Average annual returns historically range from 4.5% to 8%. Investors can get involved with the RealtyMogul platform with a $250 per month auto-investing REIT plan.

RealtyMogul is well-known for its attention to detail when vetting potential properties. They examine every property in person and evaluate deals using proprietary models and methods. RealtyMogul does not invest in ground-up construction or raw land, which are non-cash-flowing investments.

Pros

Range of investment types
Excellent due diligence
Start investing with just $250 per month

Cons

Fees vary according to investment type
Investments are illiquid
Long hold periods

Platform	Avg. annual returns
RealtyMogul	4.5% – 8%

FAQs About Real Estate Crowdfunding

How can an investor get started with real estate crowdfunding?

Investors new to the real estate investment scene can start by researching crowdfunding platform options. The best platforms have a track record of solid returns for past investors. They vet new deals thoroughly and have transparent fee structures.

Before getting involved in real estate crowdfunding, be sure to read the rules about how and when it’s possible to make withdrawals from the account. Understand how redemptions work, as well.

With real estate crowdfunding, there are no ongoing costs to own real property. It’s easy to track investment performance on the platform, as well.

A number of the best real estate crowdfunding platforms only work with accredited investors, however. Before new investors can participate, they must submit net worth and income statements to prove they qualify.

Can you crowdfund in commercial real estate?

Yes, many real estate crowdfunding platforms provide individual investors with the tools and access they need to invest in commercial real estate projects like apartment complexes, self-storage, retail, hotels, and medical complexes. Crowdfunding makes these large investments accessible to qualified individuals.

Can you make money with real estate crowdfunding?

Yes, depending on the attributes of the individual investment or fund and the platform’s effectiveness, it’s possible to realize positive returns with real estate crowdfunding. Some experts estimate that real estate crowdfunding returns average 11% to 15% per year.

Even so, real estate crowdfunding is risky. There are no guaranteed returns, and it’s possible to lose an entire investment. Most importantly, with real estate crowdfunding, the investment could be illiquid for years. Investors who discover that they need access to the money they’ve turned over to real estate crowdfunding platforms could face steep fees and wait months to get access to their funds. IT’s crucial to research the platform, fees, redemption rules, and sponsor before committing to a real estate crowdfunding platform investment.

How does an investor become accredited?

An individual or entity must meet income and net worth guidelines stated in Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines accredited investors as:

“A natural person with income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year.”

And

“A natural person who has an individual net worth, or joint net worth with the person’s spouse, that exceeds $1 million at the time of the purchase, excluding the value of the primary residence of such person.”

There isn’t a single entity or agency that reviews an investor’s credentials to determine whether they can participate as an accredited investor. Companies that provide investment opportunities not registered with the SEC must determine a potential investors’ status as an institutional investor by conducting due diligence. Those seeking to participate in real estate crowdfunding investments reserved for accredited investors must provide the company with proof of their financial qualifications.

Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms Provide Access to a Wide Variety of Investment Types

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2013 (JOBS Act) was created to encourage funding of U.S. small businesses. The law eases many securities regulations, allowing companies like real estate crowdfunding platforms to use crowdfunding to issue securities. Before the JOBS Act, real estate investors had just two options; buy publicly-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) or purchase property and pay to renovate, maintain, and manage it.

Now, real estate crowdfunding platforms provide an easy and safe way for investors to pool their money to purchase large properties or invest in real estate debt.

Are Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms Worth It?

Maybe. It depends on your investment goals, your risk tolerance, how long you can afford to have your money tied up in an investment vehicle, and your comfort with new technology.

Accredited investors have more options when it comes to real estate crowdfunding investment opportunities. Still, non-accredited investors who would like to use this type of investment as a way to diversify a growing portfolio may find the potential for higher-than-average returns attractive.

If you want to try real estate crowdfunding and have access to money you can afford to have tied up in an investment for a while, it may be a worthwhile experiment. Be sure to take time to get comfortable with the platform. Understand the terms and fees before signing paperwork or committing funds to the investment. If you are interested in real estate as an investment but aren’t sure about crowdfunding platforms, you may find that publicly-traded REITs are a better fit.

Yieldstreet Review – 11.27% Avg Annual Returns Since Inception

Rachel Morey
October 21, 2021

Yieldstreet is an online investment platform that offers several alternative investments in marine projects, art, real estate, litigation deals, and commercial loans like merchant cash advances. Most of the assets available through Yieldstreet are open to accredited investors only. Their Prism Fund launched in August 2020, however, and nonaccredited investors can participate with a minimum investment of $500.

While competing alternative investment and real estate investment sites allow investors to buy a portion of a block of commercial real estate properties, Yieldstreet crowdfunds debt that finances those (and other) deals.

The company’s first offering rolled out in 2015 in litigation finance, pairing investors with plaintiffs who need a loan to cover lawsuit expenses before the settlement.

While there’s always a risk of default, Yieldstreet investors can earn interest payments and eventually receive a principal return over the investments’ life.

What is Yieldstreet?

Yieldstreet is an online platform that allows investors to participate in crowdfunding a variety of alternative investments backed by several asset classes, including real estate. Investing with Yieldstreet may provide passive income and allow diversification of portfolios to reduce correlation to the stock market.

Qualified Yieldstreet investors can choose from short-term investments (fund options, equity deals, etc.) with a maximum term of three years.

Yieldstreet employs experts in every asset class offered on the platform, and they vet the sponsors and originators who want to list on the platform as well as the deals offered to investors. Retail investors may not have the knowledge necessary to properly evaluate the deals offered on Yieldstreet, so it’s crucial that there are experts on staff there who can make sure that investors get access to high-quality deals.

Yieldstreet favors investment opportunities with the following characteristics:

Low minimums
Short durations
Target 8%+ yield
Low stock market correlation

There are risks associated with investing in debt, even if assets secure it. A higher potential reward attracts investors willing to take a chance, but hopefully, investors realize that they may lose money with Yieldstreet.

Yieldstreet backers include Citi (NYSE: C); the company plans to use Yieldstreet to invest $2 billion for wealthy clients. Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is also backing Yieldstreet.

Yieldstreet Pros and Cons

Pros

Investors have access to alternative investment classes, including real estate, marine, legal, art, and commercial loans.
Individuals can invest in privately structured credit deals.
Investments are backed by assets, providing some degree of protection from the negative ramifications of default.

Cons

Investments are not liquid.
The majority of investments available to Yieldstreet are reserved for accredited investors.
Limited investment offerings.

How Does Investing With Yieldstreet Work?

To invest with Yieldstreet, users look for a deal on the platform that interests them. They can search by asset type, loan term, and net yield parameters. Investments are a loan to the asset owner, with the asset serving as collateral for the loan.

Most of the investments available on the Yieldstreet platform are for accredited investors only. Accredited investors must meet the following criteria:

Minimum net worth of $1 million, excluding the value of a primary home
Minimum annual income of $200,000 ($300,000 for couples filing jointly) with the expectation that current income will continue.

Prism Fund Investment Requirements

The Yieldstreet Prism Fund is available to non-accredited investors as of late 2020. Retail investors can access multiple investment opportunities across several asset classes in a single fund.

Minimum investments for the Prism Fund are $500, which is much lower than Yieldstreet investments reserved for accredited investors.

How Yieldstreet Sources Investments

Yieldstreet investors lend money through the platform and make a return on the yield borrowers pay. Yieldstreet charges fees to manage the loan, collect payments from borrowers, and distribute funds + interest to borrowers. If a borrower defaults on their loan, Yieldstreet works to recover the investors’ funds.

Minimum Yieldstreet Investment

Certain investments on the Yieldstreet platform require an initial investment as low as $10,000. These investments are likely Borrower Payment Dependent Notes. Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) structured as LLC subsidiaries of the platform are owned by investors, and minimums may be higher for SPVs.

Short-term note options have a $1,000 minimum investment requirement.

How Investors Keep Tabs on Their Account

Investors can check their portfolios on the Yieldstreet platform to understand how their specific investments perform over time, the amount of money earned so far, and progress toward the fund’s goals. Yieldstreet sends every investor monthly and quarterly statements and updates any time there’s new activity with their investments.

What You Should Know About Yieldstreet Before Investing

Investment minimums: Yieldstreet states on their website that the typical minimum investment is $10,000. However, deals in the past have offered minimums of $5,000, and some reach a $60,000 minimum requirement.

Type of investments: Yieldstreet investments are debt-related, and investors lend money to the platform to fund high-risk loans in various sectors. Fortunately, the loans are secured by property, which reduces the financial risk if a borrower defaults.

Yieldstreet platform: Investments featured on the website include details like the minimum and maximum investment accepted, expected annual return, duration of the investment, the total offering size, and information about why Yieldstreet recommends the investment, any associated risks, expenses, and projected repayment schedule.

Asset-based investing: Yieldstreet investments are backed by underlying assets, which helps protect investors from losing the money they invest on the platform.

Fees: Annual management fees range from an average of 1% to 2.5%. There may also be an originator listing fee. Certain investments have an annual fee of $100 to $150 during the first year and $30 to $70 in subsequent years. Expenses come out of initial interest payments.

Self-directed IRA option: Investors can choose to participate in Yieldstreet’s opportunities through a self-directed IRA. The custodian broker is IRA Services.

Liquidity: Yieldstreent investments can’t be cashed out at any time during the target duration.

Investments have limited availability: Investments are open for a set period of time and are first-come-first-served.

Are Yieldstreet Investments Any Good?

Net IRR = overall rate of return to investors.

Yieldstreet has a 7% to 12% target rate of return.

To put this into perspective, private investment vehicles had an internal rate of return (IRR) of 11% across all investments between 2015 and 2021 after the deduction of expenses and management fees.

Investors have entrusted Yieldstreet with nearly $2 billion since the company’s inception. As of early 2021, the company has returned nearly $750 million of capital to investors, $140 million of which is interest. In 2020, Yieldstreet appeared on the 2020 Inc. 5000 and was ranked number 46 on the list, a collection of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States.

As of July 2021, more than 300,000 people have joined the platform, surpassing the company’s goals. During the first six months of 2021, investors requested participation in a total amount that exceeds the sum of 2019 and 2020 investment requests. Investors request an average of four investments each on the platform.

Yieldstreet has experienced some challenges, and it’s willing to go after borrowers if they default on loans. The company recently won a $77 million judgment. A vessel deconstruction project didn’t go as planned, and the borrower defrauded numerous investors, including Yieldstreet. The lawsuit allowed the company to seize assets in an attempt to return investors’ money as promised.

Assuming economic conditions remain strong, investors with Yieldstreet could reasonably expect the company to continue to make profitable loans yielding the promised rate of return. If borrowers default, the company is expected to continue to make every effort to recoup their investors’ money.

Several deals on Yieldstreet are short-term, with projected high-interest yields. Each deal on Yieldstreet has unique risks, however. Lower-than-average minimum investment amounts for nonaccredited investors may attract those who have less than $1 million in the bank but want to get involved in non-traditional deals. Building a diversified collection of loans could help reduce the overall risk of default resulting in permanent losses.

A Note About Yieldstreet Liquidity

Yieldstreet investments are illiquid, and each individual investment opportunity has a term of 180-days to four years. Like other crowdfunded investments, it’s not possible to pull money out of the investment before its end date.

The Prism Fund has a duration of 48 months. During this time, investors can’t liquidate their assets and receive a return of capital. It may take up to one year after the fund’s end date for investors to receive their capital plus interest. Certain investments offer limited liquidity every quarter, however.

Yieldstreet vs. REITs

Investors interested in the real estate market can buy shares in real estate investment trusts (REITs) or invest directly through a platform like Yieldstreet. REITs allow investors to buy and sell stock quickly, just like investing in any other stock. Even so, like the investments on the Yieldstreet platform, much of the REIT market is reserved for institutional investors.

Yieldstreet investments are illiquid; investors must wait until the target date attached to the specific investment to gain access to their money plus any interest it earned. Target dates aren’t guaranteed, however, and investors may end up waiting longer than they planned to access their investment funds. REITs provide instant liquidity, restricted only by the stock market’s operating hours.

REIT values fluctuate according to the stock market, while alternative investments like Yieldstreet offerings are largely unrelated to stock market activity.

Yieldstreet vs. Competitors

Here are some of the other big players in the online alternative investment world and their annual returns to investors since inception.

Keep in mind, these online platforms primarily provide passive real estate investment products.

	Fundrise	CrowdStreet	DiversyFund	Yieldstreet
2014	12.25%	NR	NR	NR
2015	12.42%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2016	8.75%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2017	11.44%	NR	18%	11.27% avg
2018	9.11%	NR	17.3%	11.27% avg
2019	9.47%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2020	7.42%	17.7%	NR	11.27% avg

NR = Not Reported

Not all real estate investment platforms are alike, so be sure to research them each individually before making a decision.

Yieldstreet Fees

Yieldstreet doesn’t impose trading fees, commissions, or inactivity fees, which may be attractive to investors who want to diversify but don’t want to get hit with a ton of fees. The annual management fee ranges from 1% to 2% of assets. Prism Fund investors pay an annual administrative fee of 0.50%.

Flat annual fund fees vary according to the investment and are deducted from initial contributions. Expect a $100 yearly fee for Special Purpose Vehicles during the first year and $70 for subsequent years. Borrower Payment Dependent Note investors pay $150 during the first year and $30 for the following years.

Short-term notes don’t have fees.

Each investment’s fees are detailed on the deal page. Yieldstreet may impose a listing fee or deal origination fee, as well. For example, the Prism Fund has a 1% annual management fee with a maximum annual administrative fee of 0.5%. The Aviation Fund has a 0% to 0.25% management fee and a 0% to 2.5% incentive fee.

Because the fees vary for each investment, it’s crucial to evaluate each option and understand the fees before proceeding with an investment.

Is Yieldstreet Worth it For New Investors?

Maybe. New investors who have a solid portfolio and want to diversify should fully understand how Yieldstreet works before committing to an investment. They should understand that they may not get their investment back for several years, and there’s a risk of losing their money.

Understanding Crowdfunded Debt

Yieldstreet has several resources designed to help new investors understand how crowdfunded debt could produce returns. This information is available to potential investors even before they create an account. After opening an account, detailed information about each asset class and individual investments is readily available, as well.

Yieldstreet Customer Reviews

Yieldstreet doesn’t fare so well in customer reviews. There are only a few reviews on Trustpilot, and they are generally negative. Many customers who wrote reviews on various platforms seem disappointed with their inability to get their money out of the investment before the target end date. They didn’t seem to understand the terms of the investment with Yieldstreet.

Yieldstreet on the BBB Website

Yieldstreet has an F rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, with 20 user reviews. Yieldstreet reviewers gave the investment firm an average of 2.05 stars out of five stars. Many negative reviews point out that an advertised $200 bonus was difficult or impossible to receive from Yieldstreet.

Here are two reviews that may help you decide whether to invest with Yieldstreet:

July 21, 2021

“As a retired hedge fund manager who invested in equities and distressed debt, I had high expectations for what YieldStreet should be, and I have been very impressed. The investments have worked, and my returns have been exactly what I expected. They provided help along the way, from detailed deal memos and access to YS analysts, to simplified tax reporting and, most importantly, an easy and friendly mobile app. I have been very happy. My only gripes would be that the timing and attractiveness of the new offerings have been choppy, and I prefer single-name investments over blind pools, but a lot of the recent offerings have been funds…”

-Kevin L.

July 12, 2021

“I’ve been an investor with Yieldstreet for 3-4 years now. They are, in my view, a responsible investment firm offering very favorable, secured returns for Accredited Investors.. Yieldstreet offers the opportunity to invest in secured bridge loans as well as an increasing number of other related investment funds and vehicles normally available only to institutions and very high net worth individuals, earning 7-11% interest or higher. At the moment, I’ve put more than 50% of my investments into it, a reflection of the poor returns of conventional fixed investments, and an overpriced equity market. However, this is definitely not for everyone, which is my main reason for not rating 5 stars..”

-Keith

Yieldstreet on Reddit

Reddit users are not fans (in general) of Yieldstreet. They are suspicious of the investment quality offered by the platform and seem to prefer other investment options.

“I have experience with YieldStreet and FundRise, and my advice is to steer clear of any startup promising high returns and low risk. Go with a mutual fund or stable dividend stocks (4%+ yield) like Verizon. The reality of platforms like YieldStreet is that you’re getting the bottom of the barrel – I’ve already had two YieldStreet investments go into default because they deal with shady companies that can’t get funding elsewhere.”

-Absolutboss

The whole appearance of every loan is ‘we worked hard to get Yieldstreet members a chance to participate in this high quality, private investment opportunity!’ The truth is actually ‘no one else would loan them money because it’s so risky so they came to us'”

-dinedal

Yieldstreet Customer Service

Investors requiring assistance can contact Yieldstreet customer service by emailing investments@yieldstreet.com or call the company at 844-943-5378. The site doesn’t have a live chat feature, but representatives aim to return emails within 24 hours.

Is Yieldstreet Worth it?

Yieldstreet provides individual investors with a means by which to invest in privately structured credit deals. The platform offers the unique opportunity to diversify into offerings typically reserved for institutional investors.

Not all loans through Yieldstreet have performed well for investors. Overall, the platform has a solid track record of generating passive income backed by alternative assets.

Investors who understand alternative asset classes, have discretionary income to spend on the investment, and are comfortable with illiquid investments, may find that Yieldstreet provides access to the type of diversification they want.

Motley Fool Review: Should you Pay for the Premium Service

Rachel Morey
October 18, 2021

If you struggle to pick individual stocks with the potential to provide excellent returns, you aren’t alone. Most people interested in the stock market understand that they can create a portfolio of stocks that outperform many fund managers. They simply need the knowledge, skills, and time to choose undervalued companies.

Portfolio service subscriptions offer timely stock advice aimed at helping investors make money in the stock market. While you could research stocks on your own, you can easily access investment recommendations from experts who’ve been right over and over.

Sign up for Stock Advisor for just $99/year!

What is The Motley Fool?

The Motley Fool started offering investment advice in 1993. The company is now one of the world’s largest financial media businesses. Founded by David Gardner and Tom Garder (brothers who still run the company), the site offers free financial news and premium services like subscription-only newsletters with investment advice.

The Motley Fool employs 47 of the world’s top stock analysts across seven offices located across the globe. They research and identify the most significant opportunities for growth in the stock market.

Motley Fool is one of the top financial companies in the marketplace, and they back their stock picks with in-depth research. The Starter Stocks Report included with your subscription can help you build a strong portfolio from the ground up if you are new to investing.

The “Best Stocks to Buy” series offers a list of recent Stock Advisor picks that are still viable.

What Information Can I Find on the Motley Fool Website?

There’s a large amount of free educational material available on The Motley Fool website. You’ll find timely articles about investing basics, the stock market, retirement, and personal finance. If you are interested in a certain type of stock or a particular industry, you can dive into those categories to find a wealth of free information on the site, as well.

The Motley Fool isn’t stingy with their stock advice. Check out The Top 21 Stocks to Buy in 2021 (And the 1 Ultimate Stock) to get a snapshot of how The Motley Fool’s stock picks may look if you decide to subscribe to one of their premium services.

The Motley Fool doesn’t currently have an app. They are in the process of removing their outdated app from the Apple and Android app store.

Are Motley Fool Stock Picks Any Good?

Yes. Motley Fool Stock picks include growth stocks that routinely outperform the stock market.

In November 2018, Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommended that subscribers buy Amazon, Stitch Fix, Apple, Booking Holdings, Arista Networks, and Shopify. These stocks are wildly successful investments. Shopify sold for $134.45 per share in late 2018, and is now selling for $1,247 per share.

Motley Fool’s stock picks may work for you if:

You plan to leave your investments alone for at least five years
You have a stable personal financial situation and understand when it makes sense to buy stocks
You have a few thousand dollars set aside to invest in the stock market, and can afford to make ongoing investments
You understand that an analyst’s risk tolerance may differ from yours and feel comfortable making unilateral decisions about your money that are in your best interests, even if those decisions contradict an “expert”
You understand that you could lose money when you invest in the stock market

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Motley Fool Review: A Warning About Stock Advice Subscriptions

Motley Fool’s menu of stock picking services operates on the buy-and-hold philosophy of stock market investing. If you want help becoming a successful day trader, move on.

Motley Fool’s menu of stock advisor services renews automatically. Make sure you are comfortable with Motley Fool automatically charging your credit card for the total amount of the yearly subscription service every 365 days.

Many of the subscription services work best if you can afford to invest at least $25,000 in the stock market. Suppose you have a small budget for investing and can’t afford to put money into the stock market each month. In that case, you may be better off reading the free information offered by Motley Fool writers on their website and using that knowledge to make investing choices.

The Motley Fool is prohibited from offering personalized investment advice, so they provide equal access to information for anyone who subscribes to one of their services. Their strategies appeal to different investment styles and interests, but they don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution.

Details About Motley Fool’s Premium Subscription Services

You have a wide range of choices with Motley Fool’s premium subscription services. Here, we’ll highlight the subscriptions that offer information about stock picks’ performance since inception.

Rule Breakers: High Growth Stock Recommendations and Research

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Rule Breakers beat the S&P 500 three to one over the past 15 years by finding and investing in overlooked companies poised for success.

Philosophy: Purchas at least 25 stocks. Hold them for at least five years.

Performance Since Inception: +346%

Membership includes:

Two growth stock recommendations monthly from the Motley Fool analyst team
Sell notices
Best Buys Now; top opportunities among existing Rule Breakers recommendations
Regular email updates
Access to the Rule Breakers library of expert stock picks

Price for new subscribers: $99 ($1.90 per week) with a 30-day membership refund period, or you can choose one month of Rule Breakers for just $39 (non-refundable). All memberships automatically renew at $299 per year.

New members join Rule Breakers for just $99 per year!

Stock Advisor

Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor stock picks beat the market average by more than 90%. They’ve recommended Priceline.com, Costco, Gilead, and Amazon.

Their services are inexpensive at $199 per year compared to other stock picking subscriptions. Motley Fool frequently runs new subscriber discounts, giving you access to their stock picks for just $99 per year.

Philosophy: Buy and hold for at least three to five years.

Performance Since Inception: +566%

Membership includes:

Two growth stock recommendations monthly
Sell notices
Best Buys Now; top opportunities among existing Stock Advisor recommendations
Regular email updates

Motley Fool Stock Advisor: Join for just $99 a year!

Motley Fool offers a bundle that includes their Stock Advisor and Rule Breakers subscriptions for $498 per year. You’ll get Motley Fool’s 15 “Best Buys Now” stocks via email each month along with access to Motley Fool’s advice about which disruptive stocks have maximum upside potential.

Supernova

Supernova works best for investors with a portfolio of $90,000 or more. This service offers a look into real-money model portfolios built around investing themes.

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Performance Since Inception: +327.6%

Membership includes:

3-5 Timely Trade Alerts with explanations from the Supernova Portfolios each month
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Supernova discussion boards

Price for new subscribers: Supernova is not currently accepting new subscribers.

Discovery: Everlasting Portfolio

Tom Gardner, CEO (and one of Motley Fool’s founders), offers a look into his portfolio of publicly traded stocks along with quarterly buy and sell advice. Discovery: Everlasting Portfolio is designed for investors with at least $100,000 invested in the stock market who want to update their investments just a few times each year.

In 2012, Tom Gardner sold his publicly traded stocks and pledged to invest his own money into the Everlasting Portfolio.

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Membership includes:

Timely Trade Alerts with explanations
Allocation Calculator to help investors match the Everlasting Portfolio positions
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Price for new subscribers: $2,999 per year, automatically renewable every 365 days; no refunds or credit transfers

Fool ONE: An exclusive top-tier service providing access to all of Motley Fool’s stock picking services in one place

Fool ONE offers complete access to all of Motley Fool’s premium US services as well as international premium services, excluding Mogul. You’ll also get exclusive access to member events and early access to the newest services.

Philosophy: Buy and hold investing with a three to five year timeline with a high tolerance for risk and a relatively large investing budget

Performance Since Inception: NA

Membership includes:

All Motley Fool stock services at a discount
All stock investing services launching in the upcoming year
Access to stock-ranking database including evern stock that the Motley Fool analyst team recommends and tracks

Price for new subscribers: Motley Fool ONE’s price isn’t published. If you are interested in learning more about the service, please contact the Motley Fool Investor Solutions team via email: InvestorSolutions@fool.com.

Options: Trades designed to generate income

With Motley Fool’s Options subscription, you’ll get emails alerting you to timely advice that includes fully-vetted options opportunities from Motley Fool’s analysts. Adding options investments to an established portfolio can significantly increase returns.

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Since its inception, Motley Fool’s Options recommendations have an 84+% win rate. This service works best for investors with at least $50,000 in their portfolio.

Philosophy: Master options investing for financial success

Performance Since Inception: NA

Membership includes:

At least four recommended options trades each month
Access to online educational resources; Options U
Access to Options discussion boards
Regular email updates

Price for new subscribers: $899 with the option to transfer credit to a different Motley Fool portfolio service within 30-days of purchasing the subscription. Motley Fool Options is non-refundable. Subscription renews automatically every 365 days at $999.

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Which Motley Fool Premium Subscription Offers the Best Value?

Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor is one of their most popular subscription services. It has a low introductory price of $99 for new users and an 18-year track record of beating the market. Stock prices can fluctuate wildly, so the Stock Advisor subscription comes with instructions to buy at least 25 stocks and hold on to them for a minimum of five years.

Stock Advisor picks include stocks from every industry. Motley Fool analysts choose overlooked and undervalued companies ready to soar in value. Subscribers get immediate access to 191 stock recommendations that have a history of 100%+ returns.

Stock Advisor’s Stock Picks

Two new high-growth stock picks come via email each month from Tom and David Gardner, so there is a constant flow of solid advice about which stocks to buy next.

The “starter stocks” report offers a list of 10 stocks with a history of providing excellent returns. This report is ideal for new investors who want to diversify their portfolios by investing in time-tested stocks.

The “Best Stocks to Buy” list offers advice about Stock Advisor’s recent stock picks that are still a good buy. Subscribers can add these stocks to their portfolios right away.

On average, Stock Advisor recommendations returned more than 566%, compared to 103% from the S&P 500.

Stock Advisor Research

All of the stocks recommended by the Gardner brothers are researched extensively. Each stock comes with a report explaining the rationale behind the recommendation. You’ll get a taste of how The Motley Fool chooses specific stocks by diving into Stock Advisor research.

Stock Advisor Education

The Stock Advisor’s education resources offer general investment lessons and information about research methodology for those interested in learning more about choosing winning investments.

Stock Advisor Community Forum

Stock Advisor members can discuss investing and stock picks in the community forum. This is a great way to connect with like-minded investors, learn more about how others get the most from their Stock Advisor subscription and ask questions. The forum is active, so it’s easy to get timely feedback from other users.

Is Motley Fool Worth it For New Investors?

Maybe. Before you subscribe to Stock Advisor, check out The Motley Fool’s How to Invest Guide. You’ll get a feel for The Motley Fool’s philosophy about investing, including when it’s smart to buy stocks, how to establish an emergency fund to protect your financial stability, and how to allocate assets.

New investors may want to start by investing in a diversified fund like the Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund EFT (NYSEMKT:VT), recommended by The Motley Fool’s stock analysts as a set it and forget it fund that works well for investors who need to learn more about the stock market, but don’t want to wait to invest.

Motley Fool Customer Reviews

Before you spend your money on a stock advising service, it’s wise to read online reviews from verified customers. The Motley Fool marketing team makes excellent use of reviews from customers who are thrilled with the subscription services. It’s crucial to expand your research into areas of the internet beyond The Motley Fool website to get a balanced view of customer sentiment.

The Motley Fool Suffers on Trustpilot

The Motley Fool has 1,242 reviews on Trustpilot:

Excellent: 33%
Great: 10%
Average: 5%
Poor: 5%
Bad: 47%

The customers posting negative reviews complain that they experienced losses in the stock market after following Motley Fool’s advice to purchase certain investments. However, Motley Fool repeatedly states that they recommend that investors buy a minimum of 25 individual stocks with plans to hold those investments for at least five years to “counteract the whims of the market.” Investors who get nervous when stock prices dip and sell at a loss are understandably upset.

Many of the negative reviews point to information found in Motley Fool’s free content, generated by in-house analysts and contracted experts. Motley Fool encourages investors to conduct their research before deciding whether an analyst’s advice works for their situation.

The Motley Fool customer service team responds to each negative review to solve any ongoing problems.

Motley Fool Stock Advisor Customers Sound Off on Reddit

Reddit users have a lot to say when asked,”Is Motley Fool worth it?” Many users posted responses to a question posed by a curious Motley Fool user who was on the fence about whether to pay for a premium subscription.

Investors who purchased shares of FICO, Shopify, Wix, and Amazon before they were well-known successful companies offer glowing reviews of the paid-for subscription services. New subscribers point out that even if they make just a few hundred dollars following Motley Fool’s advice, it will be worth the Stock Advisor service subscription price. “…at least the Gardner brothers know what they are doing (they outperform the market consistently)” -lame_corprus

Other Reddit commenters point out that unless you have a hefty sum of money to invest, you may not fare well with Motley Fool’s stock picks. “The problem was, that some of the lesser expensive ones, tanked, and the more expensive stocks, were the ones that doubled, or tripled in value. So, if you didn’t buy the “whole set” and trade exactly what and when suggested . . . you were likely to lose out.” -PhesteringSoars

The Motley Fool Responds to All Customer Complaints on the BBB Website

The Motley Fool Inc. has 160 published customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. The company has an average rating of 4.03 stars out of five. The BBB closed 123 customer complaints in the past three years and 66 in the past 12 months. Customers complain about various hardships, including a lack of response from Motley Fool’s customer service department.

Many of the customer complaints on the BBB website have to do with trouble logging in, not receiving a free report via email as promised, or automatic renewals. Customers complain that Motley Fool emails them with special offers too much and that they can’t get a full refund after they’ve signed up for Motley Fool’s non-refundable offers.

The Motley Fool customer service representatives offer this explanation for their lack of accessibility: “We have been experiencing unusually high call and email volume; we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Our team is working diligently to respond to each email.”

Motley Fool representatives respond to each complaint filed with the BBB with a detailed explanation of precisely what happened along with an immediate resolution.

Is Motley Fool Worth it?

If you decide to try a Motley Fool subscription to level up your investing game, don’t get so excited that you skim over the Important Notes right above the green “Submit My Order” button. Make sure you understand the price of your subscription as well as how and when it renews. The rate you pay for year one could be significantly lower than the amount you pay in subsequent years.

You must be willing to open a brokerage account (if you don’t already have one), purchase the stocks recommended by Motley Fool’s analysts, and leave those investments alone for at least five years. Before you decide to invest in a Motley Fool premium subscription, consider your budget, investing style, tolerance for risk, and willingness to follow the advice. The service should meet your needs without pushing you to make investments that are too far out of your comfort zone.

If you plan to purchase stocks regularly, want to learn more about how to make the right investments to help you reach your financial goals, and don’t have the time or knowledge to do your research, it’s wise to look into a stock advisor subscription. Motley Fool stock advice subscriptions consistently outpace the stock market as a whole. If you pay for a subscription, you will receive the information you need to invest in stocks with a high probability of providing a great return.

Today: Motley Fool is offering 50% off its market-tripling stock-picking service for new members

Fundrise Review: Compare Annual Returns vs Competitors

Rachel Morey
October 13, 2021

Fundrise gives investors the ability to get in on private real estate deals by pooling their assets through the Fundrise online platform. Investors can invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs), use pooled money to buy and develop residential neighborhoods or participate in the Interval Fund, which provides diversification and higher liquidity than the platform’s other options.

You don’t need to be an accredited investor to work with Fundrise. Even so, real estate investing can be risky, and fees may be out of reach for many investors. It’s crucial to invest only funds you can leave alone for at least five years to see the maximum possible return and minimize fees.

The barrier to entry with real estate investing is often high enough that beginners shy away from this potentially lucrative sector. Fundrise offers a $10 account minimum and a 12-month waiver on advisory fees, making it an accessible alternative to many competing real estate investment platforms.

What is Fundrise?

Fundrise is an online investment platform that facilitates institutional-quality real estate investing for people who aren’t yet institutional investors. You can choose how much to invest since there are no mandatory minimums to get started. While you can decide your investing strategy, the actual investments are selected by a team of analysts that match various assets to your goals. Your portfolio will change over time as Fundrise acquires new investments.

There’s no need to be (or become) a real estate investing expert to experience success and see your money grow with Fundrise. You can keep up with the latest developments related to individual investments in your Fundrise portfolio. Still, there’s a management team in charge of making big decisions about where and when they invest your money to get the most significant return.

How Does Investing With Fundrise Work?

New users create an account with the platform and connect a funding source. Decide how much you want to invest initially and provide details about your preferred investment strategy. The properties you invest in at first form the “engine” that drives your portfolio. You can continue to add money to your Fundrise account for investing purposes, but even if you don’t, the team at Fundrise may diversify your investments when new opportunities match your strategy.

Fundrise publishes regular updates about various investments, including exit updates, construction updates, and news relevant to the properties.

The platform advertises that they are suitable for both experienced and new investors. If you decide to invest with Fundrise, you’ll receive regular updates about their strategists’ plans and observations about the real estate market in general.

Fundrise is the first platform providing software-driven reporting for private equity real estate investing. Here’s what you’ll get with the Fundrise investor dashboard:

Newsfeed: includes educational material to help give investors context for important concepts like how appreciation powers return.
Real-time performance reporting: see exactly how much your account has appreciated and how much it has earned in dividends to date.
Investment goal tool (Core level accounts and higher): shows whether projected future performance is on track to meet stated goals.
Auto invest: allows users to set up automatic deposits for additional investments.

Are Fundrise Investments Any Good?

Investing in non-traded REITs carries some significant risks but can also be lucrative. Fundrise investments potentially generate quarterly dividends, and shares may grow in value over time.

On average, Fundrise’s investments produced average annualized returns of 8.76% to 12.42% between 2014 and 2019. In 2019, Fundrise had a net return across its entire platform of 9.47%. Of course, not all investors experienced a precise 9.47% return; most earned a bit more or a bit less than 9.47%.

Fundrise had more than 120,000 active investors by the end of 2019, investing in 16 eREITs and eFunds, some of whom had been on the platform for more than five years. Investors’ goals range from maximizing long-term growth to generating consistent income.

Investors with Fundrise who had the highest return on their investment were the ones who had been with the platform the longest. The time it takes to see a good return may help potential investors understand that succeeding with Fundrise requires patience.

A Note About Fundrise Liquidity

Investors that need to liquidate shares prematurely may incur costs. They may have to wait to receive funds, as well.

Fundrise Platform Portfolio Performance

Year	Investor Returns
2014	12.25%
2015	12.42%
2016	8.75%
2017	11.44%
2018	9.11%
2019	9.47%
2020	7.42%

Based on this 7 year performance, Fundrise provided an annualized average return of 10.11% to investors.

Fundrise Returns vs Stocks and Savings:

To put Fundrise’s historical returns into perspective, consider the following yields from the S&P 500 and your average savings account over the same time period.

Year	S&P 500	Avg Saving Rate
2014	11.39%	0.06%
2015	– 0.73%	0.06%
2016	9.54%	0.06%
2017	19.42%	0.06%
2018	– 6.24%	0.08%
2019	28.88%	0.09%
2020	16.26%	–

S&P data provided by macrotrends.net and savings rate data provided by FDIC.gov

Although the S&P has done well over this time period, its volatility can be too much to stomach for some people.

Conversely, savings accounts, while pretty much risk-free when backed by the FDIC, have provided almost nothing for savers in terms of yields.

Fundrise Returns VS CrowdStreet, DiversyFund and Yieldstreet:

Although Fundrise is one of the early entrants to market, they’re certainly not the only real estate crowdfunding investment platform available.

Here are some of the other big players and the annual returns they’ve provided investors since their inception.

	Fundrise	CrowdStreet	DiversyFund	Yieldstreet
2014	12.25%	NR	NR	NR
2015	12.42%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2016	8.75%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2017	11.44%	NR	18%	11.27% avg
2018	9.11%	NR	17.3%	11.27% avg
2019	9.47%	NR	NR	11.27% avg
2020	7.42%	17.7%	NR	11.27% avg

NR = Not Reported

Not all real estate investment platforms are alike, so be sure to research them each individually before making a decision.

Fundrise vs. REITs

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) trade on stock exchanges, allowing investors to purchase or sell stock quickly. Even so, a big part of the real estate investment market is private and only available to institutional investors. The JOBS Act of 2012 allowed private investments for a wider group of investors. Fundrise jumped at the chance to take advantage of opportunities created by the JOBS Act and become one of the first companies to provide high-quality investment opportunities to everyone.

Fundrise specializes in proprietary public non-traded REITs (eREITs), similar to those on the stock market. Some non-REIT fund options (eFUNDS) are available to certain investors.

Assets in many publicly traded REITs are comparable to assets available in Fundrise eREITs. Fundrise’s eREITs invest primarily in affordable housing across the Sun Belt. This region of the United States stretches from southeast to southwest. It includes Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, the lower two-thirds of California, certain areas North Carolina, Nevada, and Utah.

Comparable REITs, including Camden Property Trust, Invitation Homes, and Mid-America Apartment Communities, also own single-family residences in growing markets across the southern states.

There are a few critical differences between eREITs and publicly-traded REITs, however.

Pricing and liquidity: REITs provide instant liquidity, limited only by the stock market’s trading hours. Fundrise investors purchase shares of eREITs, but can’t pick specific eREITs. Some investments accept limited new investments, as dedicated by the constraints of the JOBS Act. Fundrise can halt redemptions if the market is in turmoil like it did early in 2020. So liquidity may be limited with eREITs as opposed to REITs.

Volatility and valuation: The stock market significantly impacts REIT share prices, as the value of shares with this type of investment correlates to the stock market. There’s no connection between the stock market and eREITs, however. Investors buy and sell eREIT shares at their NAV, which is updated quarterly or semiannually.

Fees: REIT investors pay the management team overseeing the real estate portfolio. For example, the Vanguard Real Estate ETF charges a 0.12% expense ratio. Fundrise acts as the manager of eREITs and eFunds, so investors pay the platform an annual investment advisory fee. Fundrise’s fees are higher; eFunds and eREITs charge investors 0.15% of their portfolio.

Many REITs have internal managers. Thus, investors aren’t paying fees to an external manager who oversees the real estate portfolio; and instead, they pay the REIT’s management team.

Strategy: Investors can choose between two main types of REITs; equity and mortgage. Equity REITs are primarily residential, office, industrial, self-storage, infrastructure, hospitality, diversified, data center, timberland, healthcare, retail, and specialty. Mortgage eREITs invest in pools of mortgage loans backed by commercial or residential real estate. This allows investors to narrow down their REIT selection based on sector. Fundrise eREITs focuses on affordable housing in the U.S., only. Investors interested in this trend may prefer Fundrise as an investment platform.

Fundrise is a niche platform, so it may not appeal to many investors. At the same time, REITs are versatile enough that many investors’ plan to diversify their portfolio includes this type of investment.

How To Get Started With Fundrise

New Fundrise investors must create an account online through the Fundrise platform. After choosing a portfolio strategy, Fundrise managers diversify the investor’s funds across multiple investment funds tailored to meet the stated goals in the portfolio strategy.

Even after the initial investment, fund managers work to add new assets to the portfolio over time. There’s no additional investment required to receive this service, and adding assets allows portfolios to become stronger over time.

Users can watch assets evolve through the in-app newsfeed. Fundrise regularly publishes asset updates like new construction progress, market data trends, project completion alerts, and occupancy reports. This level of transparency sets Fundrise apart from other investment firms.

Interval Fund Option

Interval Funds are more liquid than eFunds and eREITs with Fundrise. Investors can opt into the Fundrise Interval Fund for better ongoing access to invested funds via quarterly repurchase offers. Unlike eFund and eREIT investments, Fundrise Interval participants won’t pay a penalty if they decide to liquidate Interval Funds during a quarterly repurchase offer.

The Interval Fund is also larger than other funds on the Fundrise platform. It may offer a higher level of diversification, and it provides the same benefits of eFunds and eREITs.

Fundrise Fees

Real estate investors are familiar with the high fees often associated with exposure to this sector. Hidden management fees and high advisory fees limit potential returns. With Fundrise, investors can own real property at a low cost.

New software designed by the Fundrise team makes many required processes less expensive, and Fundrise passes those savings on to their investors in the form of fewer and smaller fees.

All real estate business is also handled in-house, as Fundrise works directly with operators and real estate developers to manage deals one-on-one. Eliminating most intermediaries allows the company to keep fees low.

Here’s a breakdown of Fundrise fees.

Annual Investment Advisory Fee: 0.15% (waived under certain circumstances)
Standard Portfolio Fee: 0.85% annually
Redemption Program Participation Fee: 0% reduction in share price value if investors sell shares back to Fundrise within 90 days; 3% if shares were held 90 days to 3 years; 2% if shares were held 3-4 years; 1% if shares were held 4-5 years; zero fees if shares were held more than five years.

All investment funds, EFT, and REITs incur expenses offset by annual management fees paid by investors. However, these fees are rolled into the fund, making it difficult for investors to understand how much of their gains are reduced by fees.

Fundrise’s fees are straightforward. Investors pay $8.50 per year for every $1,000 invested on the platform. Those fees go toward the operating expenses of the real estate projects in Fundrise’s investor portfolios. They may pay for construction, zoning, accounting, or other project-specific costs.

Fundrise eFund investors may also experience Liquidation fees and Development fees applied at the fund level, and these fees aren’t paid by investors directly. eFunds often incur many of the exact costs as eREITs, but eFunds pay the expenses directly, while eREIT projects cover those costs with money from outside borrowers.

Is Fundrise Worth it For New Investors?

Maybe. Many online real estate platforms are available only to accredited investors (those with a net worth of $1 million or more and an annual income of $200,000 or more). Fundrise is available to any investor. The low investment minimums and intuitive platform make it ideal for those who want to get into private real estate investing but don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to sink into a fund.

New investors should read the fine print and have a good idea of how and when they could get their money back if they need to close their positions with Fundrise. They should also be careful of fees and understand that liquidating before they’ve been with Fundrise for at least five years could carry a hefty penalty.

Fundrise real estate investments may work for you if:

You have some experience as an investor, and you have money to invest but aren’t accredited.
You plan to leave the money you invest with Fundrise alone for at least five years.
Your personal financial situation is stable, and you understand the risks associated with investing in the real estate market.
You understand that you will pay fees with Fundrise, and you could lose money on your Fundrise investments.

Fundrise Customer Reviews

Fundrise is a unique platform, and customers who write reviews seem pleased overall with their experience. The company generally receives negative reviews from investors who object to the lack of liquidity with eREITs and eFUNDs, even though the company clearly states the fee structure multiple times throughout the investing process.

Reviewers seem happy with the returns they get from their Fundrise investments, although some who tried to withdraw funds before they had been with Fundrise for five years weren’t pleased with the associated fees.

Fundrise Reviews on Trustpilot

The Fundrise has 312 reviews on Trustpilot:

Excellent: 84%
Great: 4%
Average: <1%
Poor: <1%
Bad: 10%

Here are a few Trustpilot reviews from verified Fundrise investors that may help you decide whether the platform is a good fit:

“This is not a savings account, a publicly-traded REIT, or anything else that you can just sell and get your money back. This is a private equity investment and anyone who invested should have taken time to carefully consider the amount of money they were putting in this.” -Paul Bommarito

“I find it very easy to put money in but very hard to take money out. The process should be the same both ways. Other than that, I think the design and implementation has been pretty good compared to your competitors (iFunding.co)” -Raymond L

“I’ve been with Fundrise for 4 years with a total return of 27%. I reinvest my dividends, and get a small increase almost every single day. This investment is for the long haul, and is ideally for those that would like to supplement income with dividends. Interestingly the negative reviews are accurate. Fundrise is not liquid. You’ve chosen to invest in real estate. Your money is literally tied up in property. You cannot just pull your money out when you feel like it. I no longer add funds to my Fundrise account. I just allow the reinvested dividends and compound interest to do its job.” -Terez Lundquist

Fundrise on the BBB Website

Fundrise has 77 published customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. The company has an average rating of 3.66 stars out of five. The BBB closed 59 customer complaints in the past three years and 32 in the past 12 months.

Customers typically complain about having difficulty getting their money out of the investments promptly. Fundrise responds to each customer complaint, often with some variation of this statement:

“For context, under our redemption program, all redemption requests that are made during any given quarter, regardless of when the request is made, remain in a pending state until the end of the quarter at which time they are expected to be reviewed and processed.

We make an extensive effort to ensure that investors are made aware of this fact prior to placing an investment with us. For example, as part of the process of placing an investment, each investor is required to acknowledge the following: ‘I recognize that my investment is in real property, which is fundamentally a long-term, illiquid investment; that liquidations, if approved, are paid out quarterly for the eREITs and Interval Fund, and monthly after a minimum 60-day waiting period for the eFund; and requests for liquidation for the eREITs and eFund may be suspended during periods of financial stress‘”

Fundrise on Reddit

Reviews of Fundrise as an investing platform from Reddit users line up with Trustpilot and BBB reviews. Investors who didn’t understand Fundrise’s fees for early withdrawal of funds weren’t pleased with their experience.

“I invested a lot of money through Fundrise early last year and I just withdrew all of it after a 3 months waiting period. Overall, I lost money with Fundrise.com due to minimal dividends and 3% penalty for redeeming investment after 15 months.”

-re-emerald

“Fundrise is legit, but it might not be the best way for you to get exposure to real estate. A publicly traded REIT or REIT index fund is much easier to get in and out of. Private REITs like Fundrise should really be held until they liquidate, which could be five or ten years. I like Fundrise but I think an illiquid long-term investment like this should not be a core part of your portfolio.”

-Citryphus

“Invested a few times up to a certain amount, and am holding any further investments. I think the actual returns are/will be less than the claims. Also, look at the “process” to get your money out.”

-RedditDogX

Is Fundrise Worth it?

The Fundrise platform provides an easy-to-navigate way to diversify your investment portfolio into the world of real estate.

The platform may be ideal for investors with a portfolio that includes stocks and bonds and are willing to leave their investments alone for at least five years. Investors interested in real estate may find that his platform allows them to easily access high-quality assets while experiencing returns that far outpace REIT stock investments.

Zacks Investment Research Review – Returns Generated + Is it Worth it?

Rachel Morey
September 22, 2021

Zacks was the first investment research company to combine earnings forecasts from Wall Street firms and share the data.

So, instead of choosing a few firms to follow and basing stock buys on those recommendations, subscribers can access information from every major Wall Street firm to see trends. Zacks has been providing aggregate stock earnings forecasts since the early 1980s.

What is Zacks Investment Research?

Zacks Investment Research, founded by MIT scholar Len Zacks in 1978, provides investment-related content and independent research. The company is best known for supporting professional investors with analysis and financial data so they can make the best possible investment decisions for their clients. The company was built on its ability to produce consensus earnings-per-share (EPS) estimates. Zacks Research also provides research reports, stock prices, recommendations about stocks, and a number of investment tools.

Are Zack’s Investment Research Stock Picks Any Good?

Zacks bases their stock ratings and recommendations on whether research analysts are increasing or revising earnings estimates upward. Historically, those stocks outperform the market. Stocks that are downgraded to Sell or Strong sell by analysts tend to underperform.

Zacks Investment Research continues to refine their methods, and have one of the most dependable stock picking services available today.

Zacks Rank Profit Power

All of the Zacks portfolios are governed by Zacks Rank fundamentals. The mathematical system produces average returns of +25.6% per year. A stunning example on display on the Zacks website shows how the Zacks Rank fundamentals work:

$10,000 in the S&P 500 invested January 1, 1988, rebalanced monthly (not counting fees) = $350,000 + by June 28, 2021.

$10,000 in Zacks Rank system invested January 1, 1988, rebalanced monthly = $20.7 million by June 28, 2021 [source].

Recent short-term trading portfolio examples:

+334.8% (7.5 months) Anavex – Healthcare Innovators
+350.8% (3.5 months) SnapOn – Options Trader
+73.1% (9 weeks) ACM Research, Inc. – Technology Innovators
+252.0% (19 days) Blackberry Limited – Counterstrike
+140.5% (6 months) NVIDIA – TAZR

Recent long-term trading portfolio examples:

+178.6% (2.5 months) Fiverr International Ltd – Home Run Investor
+251.1% (45 months) Microsoft – Income Investor
+386.8% (12 months) Sea Limited ADR – Zacks Top 10 Stocks
+475.8% (6 months) Digital Turbine – Stocks Under $10

Details About Zack’s Investment Research’s Subscription Services

The free tier of Zacks Investment Research’s subscription includes briefings from Zacks’ Profit from the Pros newsletter. You’ll get a daily email with 5 newly Upgraded Zacks’ Strong Buy Stocks, Bull Stock of the Day, and Key Market Developments. New subscribers get instant access to Zacks’ 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days, as well.

With the free version, you’ll get access to Zacks Portfolio Tracker to help you see crucial metrics on each stock in your portfolio or watch list. You’ll also have access to Zacks Rank and Style Scores.

Zacks Premium

As a Zacks Premium subscriber, you’ll get access to a number of benefits, including premium resources and tools.

Here’s what you’ll get with Zacks Premium:

Daily briefing on portfolio changes and key developments
Member-only website access with live performance and open positions
Market insights from Stock Strategists
Real-time buy and sell signals from private long-term portfolios

Zacks #1 Rank List: Strong Buy stocks have more than doubled the S&P 500. Average gains are +25.6% per year January 1, 1988 through June 28, 2021.

Industry Rank List: Sorts companies into 250 groups by industry and calculator average Zacks Rank for total stocks in that industry. Stocks in the top half of all ranked industries beat the bottom half by 2-to-1.

Premium Screener: Zacks created 45 predefined screens to help subscribers choose Zacks Ranked stocks to match value, growth, momentum, on income trading styles.

Focus List: 50 top long-term stocks chosen by Sheraz Mian, Director of Research. Equity Research Report offers the reasoning behind each pick. Stock Strategist Daniel Laboe shares insights on market activity every Monday.

Equity Research Reports: Research from Zacks’ analysts with analysis on each company for more than 1,000 stocks, including growth prospects and fundamentals.

Earnings ESP Filter: Identify stocks with the potential to provide surprising returns with the Earnings Expected Surprise Prediction (ESP) Filter. Based on the Zacks Earnings ESP metric, the filter has predicted earnings with 70% accuracy over a ten-year time period.

Zacks #5 Rank List: 220 Zacks Rank #5 stocks with a historical performance of more than 3.5x worse than the market since 1988

Style Scores: Individual Style Scores (A, B, C, D, F for value, growth, and momentum) for each stock covered by Zacks make it easy to narrow the #1 rank list to stocks that match your style. Use the VGM (value, growth, momentum) score to identify the best overall scores.

With Zacks Premium, subscribers get the same $1 trial deal as they would with Zacks Ultimate, including unrestricted access to everything offered to subscribers. The 100% satisfaction guarantee provides a full refund if you aren’t pleased with the service 90 days from the time you accept the full-price subscription. You’ll also get the 100% performance guarantee, which says that if your Zacks Investor Collection subscription doesn’t help you beat the market, you can get a refund provided you meet the performance guarantee criteria.

If you decide to keep the Zacks Premium subscription past the first month’s trial period, you’ll pay $59 per month.

Zacks Ultimate

New subscribers get 30-day access to the Zacks Ultimate buys & sells for $1. During this trial, you can see all short-term trading portfolios and long-term investing portfolios. You’ll also get Zacks Premium research and tools as well as the company’s private market insights.

With Zacks Ultimate, you’ll have real-time access to buys and sells as well as the following market commentary from private services:

Black Box Trader

Stock-picking formulas that use automation to distill 10 weekly high-potential stocks from thousands.

Blockchain Innovators

Information to help investors harness the “Internet of Money” without the volatility associated with cryptocurrency investing.

Commodity Innovators

Long-term and short-term profits with reduced risk on investments in gold, grains, oil, livestock, currencies, and more. ETFs and stocks only.

Counterstrike

The best stocks rebounding from panic sell-offs.

ETF Investor Blending

Identifies emerging trends by blending Zacks Industry Rank + 2-to-1 performance advantage + Zacks ETF Rank without the added risk of buying individual stocks.

Headline Trader

Focusing on companies that show rising earnings estimates and strong fundamentals, you’ll get the jump on the kind of news that causes big stock moves.

Healthcare Innovators

Breakthroughs in the healthcare sector; biotechnology, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, devices, and more.

Home Run Investor

Identifies little-known companies with a great deal of potential; +50%, +100%, +200%.

Income Investor

Provides guidance toward carefully selected high-dividend stocks as well as low-risk assets.

Insider Trader

Information about insiders buying their own company’s stock using their own funds combined with Zacks Rank evaluation.

Large-Cap Trader

Large-cap stocks with strong potential for growth that offer resistance to volatility.

Marijuana Innovators

The cannabis industry is now worth $61 billion – up from $9 billion in 2017. Sweeping legalization makes this an ideal industry for investors, and this newsletter provides much-needed information about which stocks to buy and which to stay away from.

Options Trader

Professional options strategies blended with the gain power of the Zacks Rank provides substantial returns with a fraction of the risk.

Short Sell List

Computer-driven list of stocks that could soon fall more than average, making them ideal for shorting in bear markets.

Stocks Under $10

Low-priced stocks with great earnings outlooks and growth potential.

Surprise Trader

Positive earnings surprises predicted with more than 80% accuracy using Zacks’ research breakthrough.

TAZR

Technical Analysis + Zacks Rank combines to create a small number of #1 and #2 stocks.

Technology Innovators

Tracks breakthroughs and trends in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.

Value Investor

Tracks undervalued companies using proven criteria with Zacks Rank timing to provide information about when investors should purchase specific stocks.

Zacks Confidential

Zacks VP Kevin Matras reveals key trades providing insight into Zacks’ Best of the Best. Released weekly.

Zacks Premium

Professional-grade tools for individuals with a daily update of the Zacks Rank, access to Zacks Equity Research, Premium Screens, and Focus List portfolio that includes 50 stocks for the long haul.

Zacks Top 10 Stocks

Top 10 stocks to buy and hold complete with in-depth research and quarterly updates.

Zacks Ultimate subscribers receive a daily summary email to help them distill the most important information from each newsletter.

Zacks money-back guarantee

If you decide to continue with a subscription to Zacks Ultimate, you can choose to cancel within 90 days after the end of the $1 trial to receive a full refund.

The Zacks money-back Performance Guarantee states that if Zacks doesn’t help you beat the market, they’ll refund up to one years’ worth of your subscription.

If you choose to participate in the Zacks Ultimate trail, you’ll receive a notification from Zacks seven days before the end of your trial. You can cancel the service or allow the continuation of Zacks Ultimate for $299 per month.

How to Beat the Market with a Zacks Investment Research Subscription

The folks behind the newsletters and investment tools at Zacks are ready to refund up to a years’ worth of monthly subscription fees if their recommendations don’t beat the market. Here’s how to maximize your chances of successful investing and ensure a refund if the Zacks recommendations don’t perform as predicted.

Top 10 subscribers: Buy and sell all 10 recommendations
Execute trades within 24 hours of newsletter emails

Is Zack’s Investment Research Worth it For New Investors?

While the Zacks investment team produces a huge volume of information about which stocks may be a good buy, a new investor may find the information overwhelming. The more important metric is whether a new investor has the disposable income to invest in the stock market by choosing individual stocks.

Even the least expensive Zacks Investment Research subscription is $708 per year. It may be wise to start with the free version of Zacks Investment Research that allows access to a daily newsletter, basic research, a portfolio tracker, email alerts, and Zacks Rank for stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs. If the service provides enough support for you to experience some success investing in stocks, it may be a good idea to upgrade and experience the free one-month trial of Zacks Premium tier of services.

Zack’s Investment Research Customer Reviews

Before you take the plunge and sign up for a premium tier subscription to Zacks, take a look at what current and past customers have to say about their experience with the company. Fortunately, Zacks is a Chicago-based investment advice firm with a decades-long track record. While some users praise the platform for giving them the information and tools they need to succeed as investors, others are just annoyed that the platform keeps delivering email newsletters, even with the free tier.

The Zack’s Investment Research on Trustpilot

Zacks Investment Research has just 25 reviews on Trustpilot, with only 11% in the “excellent” or “good” category. Customers who’ve left reviews of Zacks’ subscriptions and services on Trustpilot have a low opinion of the firm due to the volume of daily emails they receive.

The free tier of Zacks features a number of email newsletters, as outlined in their subscription services summary.

“I signed up for their one off report – got an email… was not impressed, so decided to unsubscribe. Having unsubscribed to every email I received for a week, I am still getting a torrent of emails.” -O sharabi

One subscriber found the service to be less-than-useful due to their location.

“I don‘t know what went wrong in the first place but Zacks showed that they do care about their customers. The reason I still did not purchase their Research Wizard is that as a non-US resident, I received too many US small cap stock recommendations that I am not able to trade with my brokers. In addition, many stocks (even mid-cap) from my home country are not covered by Zacks.” -Thomas Malek

This customer enjoys the service but found it to be expensive.

“I purchased their pricy “Ultimate” lifetime access. Aside from price point, I’ve been pleased with the research available. Following their Home Run and Stocks Under $10 portfolios has helped toward my continued trading success. Not every add plays out but that is just the nature of the beast. I can’t comment on their cheaper offerings but I’ve already paid for my investment 10x over since September 2020 in gains. Also, the sales representative I dealt with was very helpful. The first 90 days I was just paying monthly when I realized they offered a lifetime access package that equated to basically a year of service charges. I contacted them and Rick was kind enough to give me 100% credit of what I’d already paid monthly toward the lifetime purchase.” -Stacey G

The Zack’s Investment Research BBB Rating

Zacks Investment Research was accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in 2012. They have 43 customer reviews with an average rating of 3.3 stars out of five stars. Five-star reviews (typically written by paid subscribers) note that they’ve made a decent return on their investments by following cues from Zacks.

Negative reviewers complain that their card was charged after the free trial and that they receive emails from Zacks.

Positive reviews offer valuable information about what the customer likes most about Zacks Investment Research.

“I have done really well using Zacks Ultimate. I particularly value the insights and picks from Jeremy Mullin, Kevin Cook, Tracey Ryniec and Brian Bolan. The service is good value for the money.” -Andy U.

Is Zack’s Investment Research Worth it?

Over the past 25 years, Zacks Investment Research’s stock picks rated as a #1 Strong Buy beat the market with an average annual return of 25.6%. Their #2 Buy list had a 19.1% return. The S&P 500 had an 11.2% return. Zacks #5 Strong Sell list underperformed the S&P 500 with an average yearly return of 3.2%. Not only do their stock picks land well, but their recommendations about which stocks to sell would have been valuable information for an active investor, as well.

If you have money to spend on a stock investment research company, Zacks has a history of excellent performance. Their team of analysts is competent, and even though their top-tier subscription service will set you back several thousand dollars each year, an active investor with a healthy portfolio that wants to continue investing may find that Zacks Investment Research has the tools and advice they need to make money in the stock market.