The Motley Fool vs. Jim Cramer’s Action Alerts PLUS
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Whether you're new to investing or are a seasoned veteran, it's useful to get expert insight to help you choose the right stocks and better understand what's happening in the market. The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS are designed to do just that. They're paid memberships that offer exclusive stock tips, market insights, and more. In this article, we'll break down the key features of each membership to help you decide which is right for you.
What is The Motley Fool Stock Advisor?
The Motley Fool is an investing website that offers personal finance tips on a variety of subjects, with the primary topic being investing. The Motley Fool Stock Advisor, launched in 2002, offers weekly stock tips for a monthly or annual subscription.
When you sign up for the service, you get:
- Immediate access to a library of stock recommendations, which the website claims have historically beaten the S&P 500.
- You also get 10 timely stock buys and two new stock picks each month, as well as expert analysis of new investing trends.
- You get access to educational materials and a community of investors to connect with and ask questions.
In addition to The Motley Fool's popular Stock Advisor membership, The Motley Fool has a variety of other membership options. For example, the company's Rule Breakers subscription focuses on high-growth stocks but doesn't have the same track record as Stock Advisor.
What is Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS?
Like The Motley Fool, TheStreet is a personal finance website that primarily offers investing tips, along with advice on a variety of other topics. And like The Motley Fool, there's a paid membership where you can get exclusive investing advice and individual stock tips.
Jim Cramer, the founder of TheStreet, offers Action Alerts PLUS, a subscription service that offers a variety of features. These include:
- Access to Jim Cramer's portfolio and the trades that he and his team make.
- You also get real-time alerts on stocks, insights into market events, and an online interactive forum where members can ask questions and share ideas.
- Finally, you get exclusive access to founder Jim Cramer through a members-only monthly conference call where he answers questions and shares advice.
Unique features
Features unique to The Motley Fool Stock Advisor
- The Motley Fool Stock Advisor has been around for nearly two decades, so it has hundreds of months of stock picks. And when you sign up, you get access to the library of past tips.
- The Motley Fool Stock Advisor shares a list of starter stocks. The creators believe these are the foundational stocks that all investors, both new and experienced, should have in their investment portfolio.
Features unique to Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS
- An Action Alerts PLUS subscription includes monthly conference calls that are available only to members. These calls provide members with unique access to Jim Cramer, the face of the brand.
- A unique feature of Action Alerts PLUS is that you aren't just getting stock tips or advice on what you should have in your portfolio. You're actually getting access to Jim Cramer's portfolio. And you get alerts when he trades a stock.
How are they the same?
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS have the same primary goal, which is helping members invest. While they don't achieve this goal in exactly the same way, they have quite a few features in common.
- Stock picks: Both services offer members exclusive stock picks. With The Motley Fool, you get monthly stock picks, 10 timely buys, and a list of starter stocks. With Action Alerts PLUS, you get to see the exact stocks that Jim Cramer is buying for his portfolio.
- Educational resources: Both services offer investing education above and beyond what they have on their free websites. They also offer insights into current market trends and events.
- Member community: Both subscriptions come with access to a member community where individuals can share experiences, ask questions and just generally connect with other investors.
How are they different?
In addition to the things they have in common, The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS have some key differences that may help you decide which is better for you.
- Price: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor is significantly cheaper than Action Alerts PLUS if you choose the annual plan. You'll save $200 your first year with Motley Fool.
- Stock tips: Both subscriptions come with stock tips, which is why we included this point in the list of things the services have in common. But we also have to mention just how different those stock tips are. The Motley Fool delivers two monthly stock tips and a list of timely buys. But with Action Alerts PLUS, you don't just see a list of stocks Jim Cramer recommends. Instead, you see a list of stocks he has personally bought.
- Access: One of the aspects that makes Action Alerts PLUS so popular is the amount of access you get to the founder. First, you get 24/7 access to Jim Cramer's portfolio as well as real-time alerts when he buys or sells a stock. You also get access to Cramer on the members-only monthly conference call, where you can ask questions.
Pricing and plans
The subscription costs for The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS are quite different.
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor:
- Annual membership: $99 for the first year; $199 each year after that (Special Stock Advisor offer: 60% off – now only $79*/year! Promo offer expires 3/31/24.
- *$79 promotional price for new members only. 60% discount based on current list price of $199/year. Membership will renew annually at the then-current list price.
Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS:
- Monthly membership: $29.99 per month, which comes to $359.88 per year
- Annual membership: $299.99 per year, saving you nearly $60.00
- Two-year membership: $499.99, which comes out to $249.99 per year
Customer service
Both The Motley Fool and Action Alerts PLUS have similar options when it comes to customer service. Each company has a customer service phone number you can call during business hours. They also have customer service email addresses you can reach anytime.
Who are they best for?
You may be wondering how to choose between these two investing memberships.
- 1.
First, Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS is perfect for anyone who is a Jim Cramer fan and wants to see what he's investing in. Between the portfolio access and the monthly membership calls, it could be a great opportunity. But that membership might not be right for everyone. Sure, it's exciting to see what Jim Cramer invests in. But what's in his portfolio isn't necessarily right for your portfolio.
- 2.
For someone looking for more universal stock tips, The Motley Fool Stock Advisor is probably a better choice.
Alternatives
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS are two popular investing services, but there are also a handful of others to consider.
1. Zacks
Zacks is a stock and investment research company that offers reports and screeners for a wide range of investments. If you already have a brokerage account with a major broker, Zacks reports may be included. Premium memberships give you more reports and tools for $249 per year after a 30-day free trial.
2. Morningstar
Morningstar is a well-known investing website where you can get up-to-date investment news, strategy, speculations and more. It offers extensive research into more than 620,000 investments, including stocks, bonds and funds.
3. Investor's Business Daily®
Investor's Business Daily is a premium subscription where members can get exclusive stock tips, ratings, and market analysis. There's also a stock screener to help you find stocks that fit your needs.
4. Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha is a stock subscription where members can get advice from a variety of industry experts. Like the other memberships, there are stock alerts and investing news. But it also offers features such as conference calls, expert interviews, and personalized portfolio advice.
The bottom line
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS are both popular stock tip memberships, and for good reasons. But if you're trying to choose just one, The Motley Fool's Stock Advisor is likely best for most people. Rather than focusing on one person's portfolio and trades, it offers more universal stock picks that are good for most investors. That being said, for any Jim Cramer fans who want more access through monthly conference calls and his portfolio, then Action Alerts PLUS is the right choice for you.
Erin Gobler is a freelance personal finance based in Madison, Wisconsin. After seven years working in state politics, she left to pursue writing full-time. Now she writes about financial topics including mortgages and investing.
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