If you’d like to build an investment portfolio that helps you reach your goals, it may be time to move beyond mutual funds, and learn more about selecting individual investments that are likely to meet or exceed your expectations.
That requires a bit of an education. Fortunately, getting the information you need is easy. To help you get started, we’ve included ten great resources of investment information.
Q2 hedge fund letters, conference, scoops etc
- Morningstar
Morningstar is an investment rating site that has earned widespread respect among investors. In fact, if you have an investing app to track and recommend your ETFs, there’s a good chance that it relies on Morningstar’s ratings to curate recommendations and advice.
In addition to providing specific ratings on investments, you can also use Morningstar as a true investment primer. Yes, you will pay an annual subscription fee for more detailed analysis and investment ratings, but there’s a free trial!
- Zacks
You can use Zacks to get some free investment insights, but the real value comes in their premium service. Buy in, and you’ll receive report cords on 5000 companies along with a list of top-recommended stocks. Every company that is rated by Zacks is given an overall grade. Even more helpful is the list of potential risks and benefits for investing in that company over the long term.
Are you interested in entering specific industries with your investment dollars? If so, Zacks provides ratings for the top companies, sorted by industry. For example, you can use the site to identify the top investment possibilities in the healthcare sector.
Finally, check out their stock screener. If you know your goals, Zacks can provide you with specific recommendations and advice based on factors such as value, growth, and hottest industries.
- American Association of Individual Investors
The AAII is an excellent, educational resource for beginner investors. If you are interested in learning how to invest in mutual funds, ETFs, or how to select individual stocks, this source is well worth the small annual fee. The subscription cost is less than thirty dollars per year. You’ll get access to great advice, and can even create an investment portfolio based on the models that are provided for you.
- INO
INO is a great source for free analysis and information. Check out their weekly stock pick! If you want, you can pay a fee to join their MarketClub. This comes with access to research tools, stock and ETF recommendations, and more. If you’re just a casual investor, try the free resources first, then decide if you want to buy a subscription.
- CNBC
Yes, some of the shows are a bit loud and over the top, but that’s the nature of television. Truth is, if you can get past that, CNBC is host to a slew of great content for investors at many different levels. In fact, CNBC is the most-watched investment news source.
Ned Williams, an HR benefits advisor at Trust my Paper, steers employees towards CNBC as a source of information when they are making decisions regarding their retirement investments. He says, “If you prefer to explore content on your own, check out the CNBC website. You’ll be able to seek out only the information you need while avoiding standard, cable fees. It really has great advice for the average investor.”
- Motley Fool
Motley Fool is a great resource for all types of stock investing advice and information. In fact, it’s a bit like USA Today for investors. If you really want to dig deeper into investments, consider Stock Advisor brought to you by brothers Tom and David Gardner. Every month they reach out to readers with two new stock recommendations.
This is no flash in the pan source either. Stock Advisor launched in 2002 and has outperformed the S&P by Insane margins. In fact, they are up by 536%.
- Investopedia
Have you ever Googled an investment term to find out what it means? Chances are, the top-ranked link came from Investopedia. That’s because the website has an amazingly powerful database of investment terms, articles, even a simulator you can use to test your investment acumen.
Use the simulator and make investments with a test fund of 100K. That’s a great way to test your investing ideas and theories before you involve your own cash. You can also take part in the sites investment academy, a series of online courses that help you learn more about investments.
- Seeking Alpha
If you’re a fan of free investment advice, Seeking Alpha is definitely one to bookmark. Explore the site for great information, and don’t forget to subscribe to the daily email, ‘Wall Street Breakfast’. It’s a great digest of the latest investment news and information to consume with your morning coffee.
- Barron’s
If Barron’s isn’t the most well-respected publication among investors, it’s very close. Chances are, you’ll find it more than worth the money to pay for either a digital or print subscription.
Barron’s comes out each week with new investing recommendations, news, and advice. Just know that the advice here is best followed if you have a good idea of your investment goals and objectives.
- Kiplinger’s
Kiplinger’s is a website and monthly magazine that is chock full of investment information, recommendations, and money management advice. Even better, it’s got something for everyone to know what stage of life they’re at. That’s a lot of great information for less than fifteen dollars annually.
Bonus Investment Resources
The ten resources above are reputable and have well-established track records for providing investors with great advice and information. If you’re hungry for more, there are definitely other options. Here’s a quick roundup of some other sources that are definitely worth checking out:
- Money Tree Investing Podcast
- Rich Dad Poor Dad
- BlackRock Blog
- NerdWallet
- Yahoo Finance
- Warren Buffet on Twitter
- Benzinga
- CNN Money Essentials
If it’s not clear already, the path to becoming a better investigation is through education. Spend time seeking out a variety of resources including magazines, websites, newspapers, books, podcasts, television shows, and more.
Final Thoughts
Choose information sources like you do your stocks. Focus on highly-reputable websites and publications. Avoid sources that encourage get rich quick investing, and pay close attention to those that are there to help you create long term investment strategies instead.
