You may want to consider investing in more than index funds and ETFs.
You can also invest in individual stocks. This is a good way to diversify your portfolio, and you may even get better returns.
Investing in individual shares can carry more risk, and it is difficult to find the best companies in which to invest. Stock picking services can guide you to make better investment decisions.
Subscribe to a stock-picking service to get more in-depth analysis and easy to understand overviews that will help you find good investments. Which stock-picking websites have fair prices, solid reputations, and are legitimate?
Table of Contents
What is a stock picking service?
What makes a good stock picking service?
Best Stock Picking Services
Final Thoughts
What is a stock picking service?
Stock pick services are recommendations made by financial companies and experienced investors to help you make better informed decisions on which stocks to buy. It can increase your confidence as an investor and help you to grow your returns.
Most stock pickers charge a fee, but the services are relatively inexpensive compared to what you can earn on your investment.
Subscribe to a service to receive newsletters and access to an online platform that offers in-depth financial analysis from experts. Stock picking services can also be an excellent addition to the stock screeners that you already use to analyze companies.
Keep in mind that no one can predict the exact performance of the stock market, or any individual stock. Many of the services listed here do a great job of providing tons of information, data, and explanations about why a particular company could be a good investment. I never invest more than 5% in any one stock.
What makes a good stock picking service?
You probably already know that scams are common whenever money is involved. There are many scams in the stock market.
Many newsletters are “pump-and-dump” schemes. They use misleading information in order to boost the stock price and make other people rich. Stock prices drop quickly and many investors lose money.
If you’re new to stock investing or day trading, you shouldn’t jump right into any paid services or newsletters without first knowing what makes for a quality service.
Here are some signs of a quality stock-picking service.
Can you trust them?
Do your research, even if their site and the information appear credible. Check out reviews, read what other people have to say, find out how long the business has been in existence, talk to other investors etc.
Have they had a successful track record?
Transparency and results from the past are important when it comes to finances. If someone or a business is reluctant or makes excuses for not showing you results, it’s likely that they aren’t a reputable stock picker.
Legitimate companies will provide you with recent stock picks, previous performance, and even an archive of failed or successful recommendations. Any stock analyst or advisor must be upfront about the signals and methods they use to identify good companies.
Education material
I like services that provide additional information or insights without always trying to sell you more. This should apply to any stock picking service or newsletter you are considering.
Do you have access to any tools from the service or company? What about educational material? Tips and tricks? What service do you choose? Anything that will help you become a more successful investor is important.
Cost-effective
Investors expect to pay low fees for their investments in today’s market. Today, it’s a necessity. Most brokerage firms offer zero commissions on stock transactions and other fees are getting lower.
Stock picking services should be priced reasonably and meet your budget. There are many options available and prices that can be compared to help you keep costs down and increase your stock returns.
Best Stock Picking Services
There are legitimate stock-picking services for both investors and day traders. These services can help you decide which stocks to buy and when to sell your stocks.
The best tools to win the market are available today.
- The Motley Fool Stock Adviser
The best investment for long-term investors.
The Motley Fool’s Stock Advisors.
If you’re a long-term investor, The Motley Fool Stock Advisor might be the perfect program for you.
The Motley Fool, founded in early 1990s, has been a leader of the investing world ever since. The company is currently led by its founders, Tom Gardner and David Gardner. They are also big investors, have hosted podcasts and written many books.
The Stock Advisor Program is one of The Motley Fool’s most popular services. It helps investors select stocks they should buy and hold for at least five years.
The annual cost is $199, but the first year’s price is $99 The service is also available for $39 per month to test it out. They also offer a 30-day refund guarantee.
The program I use is transparent and provides detailed analysis. There is also no “get-rich-quick” mentality. Their marketing can be a little over the top, but they’ve been around so long for a reason.
Stock Advisor:
Stock Advisor’s recommendations over the last 18 years have been able to beat the market by sticking to our investment philosophy. Our best advice for success in the stock markets is to hold at least 15 stocks for at least five years. “It’s important to know that stocks do fall, but that investing is the best way to build wealth over time.”
Find out more about The Motley Fool Stock Adviser
- Morningstar
The best investment for growth and buy-and-hold investors.
Morningstar Premium.
You may have seen Morningstar’s website or search results at the top if you have done any searches on stocks or mutual funds.
Financial services firm offers a variety of products and services including investment tracking, portfolio management, retirement manager service, and many more.
Since we are focusing on their stock-picking services, I will focus on their two core products.
Morningstar Premium
Morningstar Investor Newsletters
Morningstar Premium
Morningstar’s premium service gives investors exclusive access to research, ratings and investment tools. You will get an insight into their top picks for mutual funds, stocks and ETFs. All of these come with detailed analysis and data that backs up their ratings and picks.
Morningstar Premium is $199 per year. However, they offer a 14-day trial period to try out all the features and products. Register for free to use the basic version. However, you won’t get as many features.
Find out more about Morningstar Premium
Morningstar Investor Newsletters
Joining the Morningstar Investor Newsletters is another way to receive top stock picks, investment ideas and other information. The newsletters have been divided into four categories in order to cater for the needs and interests of investors. They include:
StockInvestor (annual Cost: $145 Digital or $165 Print and digital)
FundInvestor (annual Cost: $145 Digital or $165 Print and digital)
DividendInvestor (annual cost: $199 Digital, $219 Print + digital)
ETFInvestor (annual Cost: $199 Digital or $219 Print and digital)
Each newsletter contains analysis, watchlists and email alerts. Bonus reports, exclusive websites, and much more are included. The newsletters are a good option depending on what you’re interested in and what your investment needs are. It can be expensive if you subscribe to multiple newsletters.
Find out more about Morningstar Investor newsletters
- Seeking Alpha
The best for day traders, investors who buy and hold, and research.
Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha was founded in the early 2000s. The platform provides crowd-sourced research on various investment strategies, stocks, ETFs and funds.
You may not be aware that Seeking Alpha offers a variety of premium subscriptions, ranging from $199 per year to free, which can help you get access to stock research, investment advice, trading ideas, and portfolio management tools.
These paid services may be a little more expensive than others, but you might find that the information and tools are worth it.
Basic Free: Stock Analysis Email Alerts, Real-time News Updates, Investing Newsletters, Unlimited Access to Stock Prices & Charts, etc.
Premium $19.99/Month – All Basic Features plus Unlimited Access to Premium Content, Seeking Alpha Author Ratings, Seeking Alpha Author performance, Stock ratings, stock dividend grade, Ad-lite.
Pro $199.99/Month : All Premium Features plus Top Ideas, PRO Content & Newsletters, Short Ideas Portal, Idea Screener/Filter, VIP Service, No Ads.
Find out more about Seeking Alpha
- The Motley Fool Rule Breakers
The best investment for growth and buy-and-hold investors.
The Motley Fool’s Rule Breakers
Rule Breakers is another service offered by The Motley Fool. While Stock Advisor may be more popular, it’s not the only one.
This newsletter is different because it focuses on the growth stocks that David Gardner personally selects. Most people are not aware of these companies, but they have a huge potential for growth.
It does add a little bit of risk, as it is impossible to predict the future performance of a company in its early stages. The average Rule Breakers recommendation has returned more than 373% since its inception.
This service includes alerts for sales, recommendations on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, as well as a summary email with all of the recommendations.
A 30-day money back guarantee is available, similar to that of the Stock Advisor. This service costs $299 a year but can be purchased for $99 the first year and $39 for a month.
The Rule Breakers page:
“Rule Breakers beat the market for the last 15 years because we have stayed true to our investment philosophy. Our belief is that the best way to be successful in the stock markets is to hold at least 15 stocks for at least five years. “It’s important to know that stocks do fall, but investing remains the best method to build wealth over time.”
Find out more about the Motley Fool Rulebreakers
- Trade Ideas
The best day trading strategies
Trade Ideas Platform.
Although I am not a day trader myself, there are many stock pickers that offer great services for people who do consider themselves to be active daily traders. Trade Ideas is a service you might find useful if this describes your situation.
Artificial intelligence (A.I. ) is used by this platform for its stock screener and scanner. This platform uses artificial intelligence (A.I.)
It provides real-time trading ideas and recommendations to its subscribers, based on data that it collects the night before a trading day begins. This includes the entry and exit points for your trades. You can use this information to make better investment decisions.
The software is packed with features and can be installed on Windows PCs, or in the cloud. The pricing is also slightly higher but still in the same range as other platforms. Standard costs $118 and premium $228.
Find out more about Trade Ideas
- Zacks
The best for day traders, investors who buy and hold, and research.
Zacks Investing Platform.
Zacks Investment Research has been around since late 1970s. It is still a reliable source for those who want to do research, as well as buy and hold investors and day traders.
Zacks offers a variety of tools and services for investors who want to use a deeper fundamental analysis for their stock strategies.
Each membership level offers different features. Prices range from $249 for a year to $299 for a month.
Free membership: Daily newsletter, free articles and content, charts, news and basic research, email notifications, portfolio tracker and Zacks rankings for stocks and funds.
Zacks Premium (30 Day Free Trial) includes everything, including free membership, Zacks industry ranking, Zacks equity reports, Zacks screens premium, the services team and Zacks’ premium, which includes commentary, tools and recommendations.
Zacks Ultimate (30 Day Free Trial) includes everything in basic and premium plus Zacks Top 10 Stocks, stocks below $10, Zacks Short Sell List, and much more.
Find out more about Zacks membership
- Pilot Trading
Best for day trading in cryptocurrencies, forex and futures.
Pilot Trading.
Some of these options are old-school and focus on traditional stock trading. Fintech is constantly evolving, and you may want something that’s more modern with more investment options.
Pilot Trading is a service that can help you choose stocks.
Pilot tracks the trading activity of all traders and notifies you when the market’s direction is about to change. Pilot will notify you immediately if there is a market opportunity.
Download the app and create watchlists. You can also discover new opportunities and receive recommendations. You can also connect directly to their brokerage accounts in order to trade directly from the app.
Pilot also includes swings and forex trades for futures, cryptocurrency, and forex. Pilot offers simulated trading for those who are new to active trading.
You will have to pay $19.95 but it could be worth the money if you are interested in futures, stocks, forex or crypto and your brokerage supports them.
Find out more about Pilot Trading
Final Thoughts
To be successful, you need patience and dedication.
Research and knowing the right time to invest are key factors in finding the best stocks or funds. Stock picking services are popular because they give traders a competitive edge.
There is no guarantee that you will find success, even with the great services listed above. Real-time alerts and deep analyses, as well as data, will give you the best chance of building wealth.
