Investing Research

We tested dozens of services to bring you our top picks as you look to turn knowledge into action

Motley Fool

Beginner-friendly stock recommendations, education, and insight

Regular stock recommendations that have broadly outperformed the market by a significant margin
Multiple tiers of service that cater to the kinds of companies you want to invest in
Premium Stock Advisor community gets monthly recommendations
Special opportunity services available with higher-risk, higher-reward profiles
All content and recommendations written in beginner-friendly language
Guidance on portfolio construction
Buy-and-hold strategy encouraged
Buy and sell alerts
Market news, webinars, and community message boards
Access to educational resources, stock simulators, and financial guides
30-Day refund policy

Access to the special opportunity recommendations is very expensive
You'll receive a lot of emails marketing new opportunities
Not for the risk-averse
Individual stocks do require a higher level of attention and due diligence

Worthy alternatives

Seeking Alpha Premium

Community-driven insights for intermediate investors

50% discount through our link.
Customizable stock portfolio analysis, screener, and news monitor
Access to research and analysis from thousands of expert investors
Individual stock ratings and recommendations
Wide range of analytics, scorecards, and ratings to guide your stock selection
Earnings and dividend forecasts
Earnings call transcripts
Several quality newsletters

Free service is still solid for monitoring news
Not the best for technical traders, much more fundamental analysis
No explicit buy recommendations

Worthy alternatives

Vital Knowledge

Straightforward daily market insights for advanced investors

Curated news, analysis, and commentary that cuts to the point of what matters
Updates throughout the day that give you everything you need to know
Contextualizes market movements and provides long-term implications
Helpful economic and markets calendars
Periodic thought pieces that dive deeper
Authored by Adam Crisafulli, one of the most respected insights authors on Wall Street

Commentary can require significant financial background
Monthly cost is significant for non-professionals

Worthy alternatives

Motley Fool

Beginner-friendly stock recommendations, education, and insight

Regular stock recommendations that have broadly outperformed the market by a significant margin
Multiple tiers of service that cater to the kinds of companies you want to invest in
Premium Stock Advisor community gets monthly recommendations
Special opportunity services available with higher-risk, higher-reward profiles
All content and recommendations written in beginner-friendly language
Guidance on portfolio construction
Buy-and-hold strategy encouraged
Buy and sell alerts
Market news, webinars, and community message boards
Access to educational resources, stock simulators, and financial guides
30-Day refund policy

Access to the special opportunity recommendations is very expensive
You'll receive a lot of emails marketing new opportunities
Not for the risk-averse
Individual stocks do require a higher level of attention and due diligence

Worthy alternatives

Seeking Alpha Premium

Community-driven insights for intermediate investors

50% discount through our link.
Customizable stock portfolio analysis, screener, and news monitor
Access to research and analysis from thousands of expert investors
Individual stock ratings and recommendations
Wide range of analytics, scorecards, and ratings to guide your stock selection
Earnings and dividend forecasts
Earnings call transcripts
Several quality newsletters

Free service is still solid for monitoring news
Not the best for technical traders, much more fundamental analysis
No explicit buy recommendations

Worthy alternatives

Vital Knowledge

Straightforward daily market insights for advanced investors

Curated news, analysis, and commentary that cuts to the point of what matters
Updates throughout the day that give you everything you need to know
Contextualizes market movements and provides long-term implications
Helpful economic and markets calendars
Periodic thought pieces that dive deeper
Authored by Adam Crisafulli, one of the most respected insights authors on Wall Street

Commentary can require significant financial background
Monthly cost is significant for non-professionals

Worthy alternatives

Pick the platform that makes things easier for you

At the end of the day, it's all about what's right for you. With something like budgeting, debt management, or investing, the most important criteria is that you feel comfortable using it. Otherwise, you're not going to build the confidence to take your future into your own hands. If you're buying basic stocks and funds to hold for the long term, you can do that almost anywhere. Just find a respectable institution that charges low or no fees and has an interface you don't hate using.