Best Stock Picking Services

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Do you want to be an average investor or an exceptional investor?

Average investors generate 5-10% returns each year, while exceptional investors can achieve 30%, 40%, 50%, or more.

Becoming an exceptional investor is no easy feat. It takes years of trial and error and thousands of hours of research.

Fortunately, there’s a shortcut – an investing “hack” that can help you achieve exceptional returns without developing an “exceptional” skillset.

Are you ready for it?

Simply follow the exceptional investors.

Successful investors spend thousands of hours refining their crafts. The process is complex, but the result is simple. Successful investors buy and sell stocks. That’s it.

You can buy and sell those same stocks to generate the same returns IF you know which stocks to buy and when.

Think about it.

Why would you spend dozens of hours researching stocks when you could buy the exact same stocks as the expert who spent 10,000+ hours doing research?

That’s where stock picking services come in.

Here is a summary of our top-rated stock picking services:

ServiceFeaturesInfo
Stock Advisor 19-Year Track Record 638% Lifetime Returns 2 Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount
Rule Breakers 16-Year Track Record 355% Lifetime Returns 2 New Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount

Top Rated Stock Picking Services

After analyzing hundreds of financial services, we have narrowed our list of the best stock picking services down to three services. You may find other lists out there with 10+ companies, but we believe that longer lists are a waste of time. We want to share the absolute best services, and these are our three top picks.

#1: Motley Fool Stock Advisor

🏆 #1 Rated Service🏆
Stock Advisor LEARN MORE
Stock Advisor Benefits
  • 2 Fresh Stock Picks Monthly
  • 19-Year Track Record of Beating the Market
  • Instant Access to Top Starter Stocks

Motley Fool Stock Advisor is our #1 stock picking service. If you are only going to sign up for one service, this should be it.

Motley Fool Stock Advisor has been beating the stock market since 2002. While other services come and go, Stock Advisor stands the test of time.

The service is credible, affordable, and, most importantly, effective. Beating the market for almost two decades is no easy feat.

Motley Fool Stock Advisor offers instant access to portfolio-building stocks as well as two new stock picks every month. The stock picks are designed for long-term investors who plan to hold positions for 5+ years.

Service Details

Performance Breakdown

The performance of Stock Advisor speaks for itself. The stock picks have 4X’ed the returns of the S&P 500 over the last 19 years.

197 of the stock picks have returned over 100%, with some stocks generating returns as high as 34,000%.

Overall, the portfolio has returned 655% to date, making it our #1 pick.

The table below shows how a comparison of the growth of a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 vs. Stock Advisor. The difference in returns is life-changing.

Stock Advisor Returns

Notable Stock Picks

Motley Fool Stock Advisor is transparent about its track record. Members have access to a list of every stock recommendation the service has made.

Leading picks include:

  • Netflix
  • Tesla
  • NVDA
  • Amazon
  • Disney
  • Shopify
  • And more
Stock Advisor Stock Picks

Click here to see the latest stock pick.

Why We Like the Service

  • Affordably priced at $99 for the first year
  • Time-tested investment strategy with a 19-year track record
  • Transparent track record which shows every stock pick ever made
  • 197 picks that generated over 100% in returns
  • 2 new stock picks every month
  • In-depth research reports included with stock picks
  • Instant access to “Starter Stocks” list for new investors
  • Instant access to “Best Buys Now” for new investors and investors who would like to diversify
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

#2: Motley Fool Rule Breakers

🌟 #2 Rated Service🌟
Rule Breakers LEARN MORE
Rule Breakers Benefits
  • 2 Fresh Stock Picks Monthly
  • 19-Year Track Record of Beating the Market
  • Instant Access to Top Starter Stocks

Motley Fool Rule Breakers is a close second to Stock Advisor. If you were only going to choose one service, you should go with Stock Advisor. If you are looking for even more stock picks, Rule Breakers is an excellent complimentary service. You can bundle it with Stock Advisor for an additional discount.

Rule Breakers was launched in 2004 as a sister service to Stock Advisor. While Stock Advisor offers stock recommendations from both Tom and David Gardner (Motley Fool’s founders), Rule Breakers offers picks exclusively from David Gardner.

These stock picks are focused primarily on growth stocks that are set up to be the market leaders of the future. Like Stock Advisor’s picks, these stock picks have beaten the S&P 500 for over 15 years.

The service is affordable, credible, and effective.

Service Details

Performance Breakdown

The performance of Stock Advisor speaks for itself. The stock picks have beaten the S&P 500 by over 200% since inception

175 of the stock picks have returned over 100%, with some stocks generating returns as high as 12,000%.

Overall, the portfolio has returned 355% to date, making it another top-performing stock picking service.

The table below shows how a comparison of the growth of a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 vs. Rule Breakers.

Rule Breakers Returns

Notable Stock Picks

Motley Fool Rule Breakers is transparent about its track record. Members have access to a list of every stock recommendation the service has made.

Leading picks include:

  • Mercado Libre
  • Shopify
  • Tesla
  • The Trade Desk
  • Atlassian
Rule Breakers Stock Picks

Click here to see the latest stock pick.

Why We Like the Service

  • Affordably priced at $99 for the first year
  • Time-tested investment strategy with a 15-year track record
  • Transparent track record which shows every stock pick ever made
  • 175 picks that generated over 100% in returns
  • Instant access to “Starter Stocks” list for new investors
  • Instant access to “Best Buys Now” for new investors and investors who would like to diversify
  • Great complimentary service to Stock Advisor
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Runner-Up: Morningstar Premium

Runner-Up
Morningstar LEARN MORE
Morningstar Benefits
  • Portfolio Analysis
  • Stock Analysis & Ratings
  • Fund & ETF Analysis

Morningstar is our runner-up service. Morningstar is one of the most reputable companies in the world of fund analysis (mutual funds and ETF’s).

We included Morningstar on our list for investors who prefer investing in funds and/or want to diversify a stock portfolio with exposure to funds.

Morningstar isn’t a typical “stock picking service.” It is an analysis service for self-directed investors who want to analyze investment opportunities.

Morningstar Ratings

Investors can use Morningstar’s premium tools to research stocks/funds, find stocks/funds to invest in, or analyze the performance and value of an individual stock/fund.

This service is ideal for self-directed investors who want to do their own research.

Service Details

  • Best For: Self-Directed Investors (particularly those who invest in funds)
  • Price: $29.95/month or $199/year
  • Sign Up Link: Start your 14-day free trial

Performance Breakdown

Morningstar doesn’t have any performance to track because they do not explicitly recommend buying any stocks or funds. The company does not “pick” stocks – they analyze them and offer rankings and competitive metrics.

Once again, this service is ideal for self-directed investors who value research tools over being told exactly which stocks to buy. There is a considerable time investment when using Morningstar to build a portfolio.

Why We Like the Service

  • Affordably priced
  • Effective tools for stock research
  • Credible stock/fund ranking system
  • Great for mutual fund and ETF investors

What is a Stock Picking Service?

A stock picking service is a service that tells you which stocks to buy and when. Stock pickers research hundreds of stocks and share the best opportunities.

Want to know which stocks will outperform the market over the next decade? Follow the experts.

As a member of a stock-picking service, you will get fresh stock picks every month, allowing you to build a strong, diversified portfolio.

Benefits of Stock Picking Services

Stock picking services are designed to help make you more money. There are a few other benefits worth noting.

Improve Your Returns

The main reason to use a stock picking service is to make more money. Investors buy stocks because they want to make money – and they want to make as much money as possible.

In the stock market, slight improvements in annual returns can have significant impacts on your bottom line. There’s a reason why Albert Einstein called compound interest “the eighth wonder of the world.”

Take a look at the chart below. This chart shows the hypothetical returns of a portfolio over 20 years. The rows represent monthly contributions to your investment account, and the columns represent annualized returns.

5%
(Baseline)
6%
(1% Increase)
10%
(5% Increase)
20%
(15% Increase)
$100/mo$39,679$44,142$68,730$224,025
$500/mo$198,395$220,713$343,650$1,120,128
$1000/mo$396,791$441,427$687,300$2,240,256

You can see that even a 1% improvement in annual performance makes a big difference.

With $1,000 monthly contributions, a 1% improvement yields an extra $44,636.

A 5% improvement, yields an extra $290,509, and a 15% improvement yields an extra $1,843,465.

With these numbers in mind, investors should do everything in their power to increase annual returns, and that’s exactly what a stock picking service is for.

Save Time

It takes time to master a craft – a lot of time.

Picking your own stocks is a time-consuming endeavor. You need to:

  • Learn how the stock market works
  • Learn how to analyze a company properly
  • Research dozens (or hundreds) of companies
  • Create a strategy for stock selection
  • Plan your entries
  • Monitor your positions
  • Etc.

You need to commit a lot of time, and you need to make sure your results can beat those of an expert (otherwise, you’re better off hiring the expert from the start!).

This consideration isn’t unique to the stock market. We ask ourselves this question in real life matters all of the time – do we hire an expert or do it ourselves?

In some instances, doing things yourself may be worth the time commitment. For example, you may choose to wash your car instead of taking it to a car wash.

In other cases, it makes sense to rely on the experts. If you’re not a mechanic, you probably want an expert to change your brake pads. The alternative requires a steep learning curve (and you definitely want to make sure you do it right).

This leads to the next point.

Avoid Going Down the Wrong Path

Stocks move in both directions. They go up, and they come down.

Investors are not guaranteed returns.

In fact, many investors lose money when they choose the wrong stocks.

Not only will you miss out on the returns that can fund your retirement, but you may also watch your hard-earned savings disappear.

Is that a risk you are willing to take?

Seemingly “great” companies underperform all of the time. Here are just a few examples:

  • General Electric (GE) is down ~38% over the past 20 years
  • American Airlines is down ~38% over the past 20 years
  • Kraft Heinz is down ~32% over the past 20 years

The list goes on and on….

If you are not an experienced investor, you can do a lot of damage by picking your own stocks.

Identify More Opportunities

Stock picking services aren’t just for beginner investors. Experienced investors can use these services to broaden their market exposure.

Great investors generally have a niche focus. Warren Buffet, Mark Cuban, and George Soros all have unique styles. They are specialists, and specialization can be good and bad.

While it’s good to have a niche focus, it can also be helpful to expand your horizons.

Warren Buffet is the world’s most famous value investor. He finds strong companies that he believes will stand the test of time (and he’s very good at it). That said, his niche focus left him blind to the top-performing sector of the past decade – technology. Over the past 20 years, Warren Buffet barely beat the market.

Look at the numbers below:

  • Berkshire Hathaway Returns (Warren Buffet) – 511.58% return
  • S&P 500 – 479.92% return
  • NASDAQ (Tech) – 990.59% return
Warren Buffet vs the Market

If you look at individual stocks, there are even more missed opportunities.

  • Facebook – 1,470% return
  • Apple – 45,615% return
  • Netflix – 65,455% return
Warren Buffet vs Tech Stocks

Experienced investors have blind spots, and these blind spots can be costly.

A stock picking service can help you tap into opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t be aware of.

Top Rated Stock Picking Services

ServiceFeaturesInfo
Stock Advisor 19-Year Track Record 638% Lifetime Returns 2 Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount
Rule Breakers 16-Year Track Record 355% Lifetime Returns 2 New Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount

Our Ranking Criteria

Before we discuss our top-rated stock picking services, let’s go over the criteria we used to pick these services.

Great stock picks can have a life-changing impact on investors. Choose the right stocks, and you can retire comfortably (even wealthy). Choose the wrong stocks, and you will lose money.

Many services offer financial advice and, to be frank, most of them are not worth the fees they charge. The majority of fund managers don’t beat the market, most financial advisors take a cut of your profits without delivering value, and many stock pickers are charlatans without solid track records.

Paying for bad investment advice has two significant costs. First, you are wasting the money you pay for the advice. Second, your investment returns suffer (which can be even more costly).

Our team has reviewed hundreds of financial services, and we chose our top-ranked stock picking services based on a few critical criteria.

#1: Performance Analysis

The first we consider is simple – how well do the stock picks perform?

We expect stock picking services to generate exceptional returns that beat the markets consistently. Simple as that.

Of course, we don’t just look at overall returns. We consider the following:

  • How many stock picks are made annually?
  • How many stock picks generate positive returns?
  • How many stock picks end up losing money?
  • What is the average return of all stock picks?
  • What is the average return of a winning stock pick?
  • What is the average return of a losing stock pick?
  • Do a few exceptional winners skew the overall returns?
  • How do the stock picks perform every year? (i.e., good years vs. bad years)
  • How do the stock picks perform compared to indices and leading sectors?
  • Etc.

This analysis helps us determine which stock picking services are worth the money.

Essentially, we are trying to answer the question, “If we pay for this service’s advice, will we make more money than if we didn’t?”

#2: Credibility Analysis

While performance analysis is our primary focus, we also consider a few factors related to credibility.

We aim to answer the question – can we trust this company?

Anyone can tout excellent performance, but the company needs to be credible for its claims to be trusted.

Furthermore, the company needs a strong track record of exceptional performance over a long period. Anyone can have a good year – achieving exceptional returns for over a decade is a different story.

Here are a few of the things we consider:

  • How long has the stock-picking service been around?
  • Does the service provide a complete, transparent track record of all stock picks?
  • Is the service covering anything up?
  • Is the service reputable within the industry?

#3: Value Analysis

Lastly, we consider value as a two-part equation. We consider “what you get” and “what you pay.”

A service may be a great value at $199/year but a poor value at $1,999/year.

We favor services that can justify their value to many investors (not just the super-wealthy!).

Check out our top-rated picks below.

Should You Pay for Stock Picks?

Some people object to paying for information (i.e., stock picks) because there is so much free information online.

While free information is one of the luxuries of the technological era, it’s not without its downsides.

Free information has two apparent shortcomings:

  1. It is disorganized
  2. It isn’t always trustworthy

While you can get a lot of free information on “hot stock picks,” you are still doing the research yourself. You end up wading your way through dozens of articles and analyzing dozens of stocks on your own.

It is overwhelming and time-consuming.

Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to gauge the credibility of the information.

Go to any financial media site, and you will find hundreds of articles touting top stock picks in every industry. Revisit those sites the next day, and you will find hundreds more. Whom do you trust?

The majority of articles are written by individuals with no public track record. They are writers and casual investors – not expert stock pickers. Expert stock pickers are not taking the time to write comprehensive research reports for free. It’s not worth their time.

When you pay for a stock picking service, you get access to professionals with proven track records. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The expert gets paid, and you get access to valuable information.

If you were looking for information on starting a business, would you rely on someone who writes about business for a living, or would you prefer to consult with a successful entrepreneur?

The same logic applies to stock selection. Investors should rely solely on expert stock pickers with proven track records. These stock pickers actually practice what they preach, and they are accountable for their performance.

ServiceFeaturesInfo
Stock Advisor 19-Year Track Record 638% Lifetime Returns 2 Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount
Rule Breakers 16-Year Track Record 355% Lifetime Returns 2 New Stock Picks Every MonthClaim Discount

FAQ

Who should use a stock picking service?

A stock picking service is ideal for investors who want to save time and money and generate returns that beat the market.

These services cater to long-term investors who plan to buy and hold stocks for 5+ years.

Which service should I start with?

We recommend starting with Motley Fool Stock Advisor. At the price, it’s hard to go wrong. The service is affordable and has a 20-year track record.

Should I use multiple services?

Many investors use multiple stock picking services, but this isn’t always necessary. The stock picking services we recommended above provide ~20 stock picks per year, which should be more than enough for the average investor.

If you want to buy even more stocks (or further diversify your portfolio), you may consider signing up for a second service.

We recommend starting with one service first. You can always sign up for another service later.

How much work is involved in following stock recommendations?

Stock picking services provide actionable “buy” and “sell” alerts. It only takes a few minutes to follow these alerts.

That said, you may consider reading the research reports, so you know what you are buying and why.

Do stock picking services buy and sell stocks for you?

No. These services provide buy and sell recommendations, but you will need to place the orders in your own brokerage account.

Do stock picking services have losing picks?

Of course. Every successful investor has losing stock picks.

If a stock picking service claims to have a 100% success rate, that would be a major red flag. Losing is part of investing.

Successful investing isn’t about never losing. It’s about:

  1. Having more winners than losers
  2. Letting the winners run and cutting the losers early

Why would someone run a stock picking service?

Some people question the motives of stock picking services. They wonder, “if these people can make so much money from their stock picks, why are they sharing the information?”

While this concern may be legitimate in some cases, it doesn’t invalidate the industry as a whole (assuming you work with a trustworthy service).

There are two legitimate reasons why someone may run a stock picking service.

The first is obvious – to make money. Stock picking services are businesses, and like any business, their goal is to make money. There’s nothing wrong with this, as long as the service offering provides value to the customers.

Successful people write books, run seminars, and sell courses all of the time. They can make money from doing and teaching.

The second reason is an extension of the first – there is no downside to sharing stock picks. Some people believe that stock market strategies are highly secretive and shouldn’t be shared, which is a common misconception.

If you buy a hot stock and share the recommendation with a friend, you can both make money. Your performance doesn’t suffer because you shared your idea with others. In fact, it can be beneficial to bring more attention to a stock.

Successful investors know this. You can even look up Warren Buffet’s exact portfolio at any time.

What about services that aren’t on this list?

Stock picking services are hit or miss. While there are plenty of legitimate services out there, there are even more scams.

Beating the market for over a decade is no easy feat. Many services make more money off of their customers than they do from their stock picks.

We can’t vouch for any of the services that are not on our top-rated list. If you are considering another service, make sure to do your due diligence first.