The Best Investment Newsletters

Sunday, September 24th

2023 Investment Newsletter Reviews

Capitalist Exploits

• Cost: Free to subscribe to basic service (website content, newsletter, blog)
• $1,999/year for Insider subscription
• 30-day money-back guarantee

If you're looking for investment advice that gets rave reviews across the spectrum - and is delivered in an entertaining, slightly irreverent tone - you'll want to sign up for Capitalist Exploits. Founded by Chris MacIntosh, managing partner at Glenorchy Capital (a macro-focused, deep value hedge fund) with extensive history working at JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, Invesco Asset Management and more, Capitalist Insider guides you to the best trades around the world to deliver an asymmetric risk reward profile.

The research process

Their process? First, they scour the world for "deep value situations", often focusing on "healthy, established companies" that might have temporarily fallen out of favor, and then determine if investors can safely make a profit. From there, they figure out the best way to execute the investment (timing, etc.) and send it out to their subscribers for consideration.

High ratings from real custsomers

This investment newsletter has thousands of subscribers. Some are individual investors, while others are in positions of managing others' investments (such as financial & wealth advisors). We were extremely impressed by the many 5-star reviews given to Capitalist Exploits by investors of all kinds, from professional traders to "average Joes". Many of these reviews were very recent (within a few weeks of our evaluation), which is a big plus. For some of the other investment newsletters in our review, we could only find subscriber reviews that were more than 5 years old! Some Insider members describe this service as a "must read", "worth every penny", "worth 50-100 times the cost", and the newsletter you need if you want to "get in before the crowd". Pretty compelling, don't you think?

2 options to choose from

How much does it cost to get access to this kind of information? In order to get to this information, we had to enter our first name and email address and dig up the nitty-gritty details. Here's what we found. You have two options when subscribing to Capitalist Exploits:

• Basic service: it's absolutely free to become a member for this platform's website content, general investment newsletter and blog. This is a great way to get a feel for the style and content offered by Capitalist Exploits, before deciding to invest in the paid plan. Unlike most free trials offered by their competitors, this service doesn't put a time limit on your no-cost access.
• Insider tier: for $1995/year (paid upfront), you get access to 70+ existing "buy" rated investments with asymmetric risk reward (3x - 100x opportunities). These represent trades across themes, sectors and global markets. This paid membership also gives you weekly investment reports, a community forum, monthly Q&A sessions, special reports on emerging trends, and more.

Pays for itself

Compared with other investment newsletters we reviewed, that price may sound steep. Is it worth paying almost $2,000 for investment advice? Maybe not, if you're just looking to invest a few thousand dollars somewhere and forget about it. On the other hand, if you've got a larger amount to work with and you want "no BS" advice (their term, not ours!) that isn't tied to a particular industry or market, all with a documented track record of success, Capitalist Exploits will likely pay for itself many times over.

Just the meat and potatoes

We also like what Insider promises you won't get as a subscriber: lots of annoying sales emails, content that's irrelevant to your investments, run-of-the-mill ideas you could have found on your own through a Google search, or anything sensationalist or hyperbole-laden. That is a definite win, when many investment newsletters deliver all of those unwanted "extras".

Risk-free money back guarantee

Your subscription comes with a risk-free money-back guarantee. Try Insider for up to 30 days and see for yourself. If you don't think the service offers an exceptional value for your money, you can contact their support team within those 30 days and get a full refund, no questions and no hassles.

Highest ranking

Of all the investment newsletters we evaluated, Capitalist Exploits - particularly the subscription to the Insider membership - provides the broadest array of in-depth information to the widest variety of investors. Insider's success speaks for itself, especially when you look at the number of people who continue to pay for a membership year after year. There's no slick deals, short-term "get rich quick" schemes or big sales pitches here: just a reliable, fun-to-read source of investment advice that has been shown to work extremely well over the long term. For all of these reasons, Capitalist Exploits earns our highest ranking among investment newsletters.

Motley Fool

• Cost: $99/year for unlimited access
• 30-day 100% satisfaction guarantee

Motley Fool is one of the original sources of DIY-style advice for the average investor, similar to what Bigger Pockets does for the real estate industry. While they offer numerous free resources on their website, it's worth your time and money to consider their Stock Advisor service.

Unlimited access

What does that provide you? You'll get unlimited access to their entire online library of stock recommendations from the experts, all designed to multiply your net worth. This library includes a list of "Starter Stocks that Should Be in Everyone's Portfolio", as well as an online community to get help from and discuss options with other investors like you. Plus, you'll get real-time stock pick recommendations several times a month, with periodic Best Buys Now alerts.

30 day refund period

To subscribe to Motley Fool's Stock Advisor investment newsletter/service, you'll pay $99 for one year of unlimited access - that's a savings of $100 over their former everyday price. Your membership includes a 30-day period in which you can request a refund if their service doesn't live up to your expectations.

Compelling results

But, we doubt you'll be disappointed by following through on any of Motley Fool's suggestions for your portfolio. Looking at how the Stock Advisor recommendations have performed over time is more than compelling. If you had invested $1,000 in each of 4 funds recommended by Motley Fool on the day they recommended them - Netflix, Booking (formerly Priceline), Amazon, and Marvel (later acquired by Disney) - you would currently have over $457,000 (number varies depending on any given day's market performance, of course). Since inception, Motley Fool's Stock Advisor's average stock pick is up nearly 400%

Even when looking at Motley Fool's Stock Advisor recommendations' performance over the shorter term, this service does more than hold its own. A third-party evaluation said that in 2018, for instance, Motley Fool's stock picks were up over 55% on average, outperforming the S&P 500 by 37% by the end of 2019. Not every investment newsletter delivers that kind of performance over the short- and long-term.

Newsletter longevity

Like many strong investment newsletters and recommendation services, Motley Fool is guided by the same two-person team that created it back in the early 1990s. That gives the strategy and overall approach a certain longevity and stability that is appealing to a lot of investors.

Act early

In fact, that popularity is the reason behind the biggest drawback of using their Stock Advisor service: because so many people subscribe to it, the price of their recommended stocks often goes up by a few dollars on the day they issue the advice! So, you might need to plan on jumping on their picks as soon as you get the email if you want to get the best returns.

Perennial favorite

Motley Fool's Stock Advisor is one of our favorite investment newsletters - because who doesn't want a reliable way to invest and make money? We're actually stunned at how cheaply you can subscribe to their service, given how much money the average investor stands to make (but we're not complaining!). Just be prepared to take advantage of their recommended stock picks right away if you want optimal results. Motley Fool is an excellent choice for your investment newsletter subscription.

The Buyback Letter

• Cost: 30-day free trial
• Standard Edition: $59/quarter or $195/year thereafter
• Premium Edition: $79/month or $199/quarter thereafter

The Buyback Letter is edited and published by David Fried, an award-winning money manager who owns and operates Fried Asset Management, Inc. Mr. Fried's accolades include being named as one of "50 Great Investors" by Fortune's Investors Guide, and The Buyback Letter earned a second-place ranking for 15 years by Hulbert Financial Digest, in the category of risk-adjusted returns among stock-picking newsletters. More importantly, The Buyback Letter was named to the Hulbert Investment Newsletter Honor Roll for eight years in a row - and to be in that exclusive group of only seven honorees, a newsletter has to demonstrate above-average results in both up and down markets.

Stock primed for an increase

Why choose an investment newsletter that specifically focuses on buyback stocks? The answer is easy: when a company consistently buys back its own shares, it means that their top executives have a lot of confidence in their long-term financial situation, business plans, and so on. For half a century, buyback stocks have outperformed the market - and a newsletter like The Buyback Letter can let you know when a stock is primed for a big increase due to a company buyback. For more detailed information on the strategy used to make the recommendations included in the newsletter, we encourage you to click on the Strategy link on the site.

2 investment newsletter subscriber options

You have two options when subscribing to The Buyback Letter:

• Standard Edition: for $59/quarter or $195/year, you'll get a full-service monthly newsletter that contains detailed instructions on what to invest in and when. You'll get buy, sell and hold direction for five model portfolios. Plus, this membership includes a weekly market sentiment indicator, any new buyback announcements (in real time), and access to tracking tables and histories for each portfolio.
• Premium Edition: for $79/month or $199/quarter, you get access to "a focused, high-octane strategy presenting a single 5-stock portfolio of the hottest buyback stocks" every month. This package also includes a monthly email-based hotline with detailed buy, sell and hold instructions; a Hot List of 20-25 stocks that earn the highest ranking for the month; plus, the buyback announcements, sentiment indicators, and the tables tracking value and history of all stocks in the portfolio.

Risk-free 30 day trial

Both plans come with a risk-free, 30-day trial. Your credit card won't be charged for the plan you select until that period ends, and you can keep any bonus reports you receive even if you decide to cancel. Your subscription will renew automatically, so be sure to keep an eye on the calendar in case you decide not to continue your membership in The Buyback Letter.

Excellent track record

The question you really want answered is probably "How well does The Buyback Letter perform?" At the time of this review, The Buyback Letter's income index was up 813.19% since inception (in March 1997), outperforming the S&P 500 by 544.837%. Independent reviewers of this newsletter also tend to have good things to say about its results as well, noting that Fried has a strong reputation and an excellent track record over the long term. We even found one investor that said that The Buyback Letter not only appeals to a wide variety of risk levels and investing styles, but is also one of only a handful of newsletters that they actually kept and didn't cancel.

Things to consider

On the other hand, one user said that the premium version of the newsletter hasn't had the same stellar results as the standard option - possibly lagging both the S&P 500 and the Wilshire 5000. Another comment said that because some of the stock recommendations are held for less than a year, you may wind up with higher transaction costs and taxes on short-term capital gains. Keep all of that in mind as you decide which newsletter you want for your free 30-day trial.

Overall, The Buyback Letter is reputable and has proven itself to be a valuable tool for investors who want to pursue a strategy that strictly includes buyback stocks. We really appreciate that it allows interested subscribers to try for free for a full month before committing to a membership. Although you may need to keep an eye on performance issues between the standard and premium plans, both versions of this investment newsletter are worth considering.

Investor Advisory Service

• Cost: $215 for 1-year of online-only subscription
• $259 for 1-year of online-plus-print subscription
• 2- and 3-year subscriptions also available
• Prorated refund available at any time

When you first visit the website for Investor Advisory Service, you might think it looks a little basic. Don't let that stop you from considering this well-respected source of investment newsletters and advice. IAS is one of just six newsletters that made the Hulbert Ratings Honor Roll for providing guidance from managers whose recommendations have historically resulted in above-average performance - in both up and down markets. With all of the upheaval in today's economy, that's a huge plus!

3 stock recommendations in each newsletter

Investor Advisory Service is edited by Douglas Gerlach and has been in place since 1973 - longer than many of us have been alive! The monthly newsletter consists of three stock recommendations, in-depth profiles of each of the recommended businesses, plus market and economic trends explained in layman's terms. Beyond the investment newsletter, subscribers also receive updates and alerts as needed, especially with sell recommendations and breaking company news.

Free sample

Want a free sample? You'll find it on the main page. When you're ready to subscribe to IAS, you can expect to pay $215 for a 1-year online-only membership, or $259 if you want the newsletter both online and in print. There are also 2- and 3-year subscription plans available. Should you become a paid subscriber to IAS and decide you want to cancel, you will receive a prorated refund of the balance on your membership. In other words, Investor Advisory Service doesn't offer a free trial (beyond the sample issue), but you can get a refund at any time.

Build it over time

IAS is a great resource if you're looking to build a portfolio over time. Each stock recommended in their newsletters has the goal of doubling in value within five years, due to a mixture of dividends, capital appreciation, and price/earnings ratio expansion. Ultimately, a portfolio consisting of just IAS picks could easily reach the goal of an annualized 15% total return.

Better than the market

And, the results speak for themselves: the Investor Advisory Service has performed better than the market over the last 10- and 20-year periods - which is a big factor in this investment newsletter's ten-time ranking on the Hulbert Honor Roll we mentioned earlier.

For investors who want strong, proven advice for building a portfolio that will weather the storms of the market and perform reliably, Investor Advisory Service delivers. Its affordable pricing and customer-friendly refund policy make it one of our top picks among investment newsletters.

Stansberry Investment Advisory

• Cost: 30-day free trial
• $199/year thereafter

Stansberry Research publishes financial information and software on a subscription basis, with a reach of over a million investors worldwide. The company places strong emphasis on only publishing the advice and strategies they would recommend to their own families, using experienced analysts offering a broad range of opinions and recommendations. You won't find a single, unified view of the markets here, though all of their advice maintains a commitment to risk management while discovering investments that are "unloved, ignored or unknown" to provide opportunity for significant gains.

Variety of newsletter options

The company offers numerous investment newsletter options, ranging from True Wealth and Retirement Millionaire on the conservative end of the risk spectrum, to Crypto Capital and Venture Technology on the very speculative side of things. If you're an experienced investor who's looking to go beyond the basics, one of these more specialized newsletters may be a better fit. For the purposes of this review, we've chosen to focus on Stansberry's "flagship research advisory", the Investment Advisory newsletter.

Daily emails

With Investment Advisory, you'll get 12 monthly issues with recommendations, current portfolio, market analysis, and pretty much what you'd expect from a basic investment newsletter. You'll also have access to special "readers only" reports, which may cover topics like how to prepare for and survive a market crisis, how to make 500% gains tax-free, and more. You'll also get access to The Stansberry Digest: written every weekday by the editorial team, this daily e-letter keeps you extremely current on anything taking shape in the markets at the moment, performance updates, and so forth. That's a big advantage over similar monthly investment newsletters.

30 day full refund policy

Unlike most of their rivals, Stansberry doesn't give you a free issue to download. You'll have to start your subscription for $199/year - but, the good news is that you have 30 days to decide if Investment Advisory is worth it to you. If not, you can get a full refund.

How does Stansberry's Investment Advisory measure up in terms of reputation? The company hasn't been around as long as some of the others in our evaluation, but they're no new kid on the block either. You probably won't find many places that have the newsletter as their highest-ranked resource - nor will you find it on the bottom. The Stansberry site has some positive testimonials from subscribers who praised the company's high standards and effective recommendations, though none of the comments were specific to the Investment Advisory newsletter alone.

Helpful tool

Any one of the investment newsletters offered by Stansberry Research could be a helpful tool in developing your strategy, and Investment Advisory is probably the best to start with if you're looking for basic advice. And, compared with apples-to-apples newsletters that don't offer a daily email on weekdays, Stansberry has a slight edge. This is a decent option among investment newsletters, but you may have to change your subscription to one of the more specialized content versions as your investment strategies evolve.

Kiplinger Letter

• Cost: 1 free digital issue
• $49/year or $89/2 years, print or online
• Free gifts with subscription
• 100% satisfaction guarantee - no time limit

You may already be familiar with Kiplinger's as a monthly magazine that discusses multiple aspects of money management and investing, from homeownership to saving for retirement. But, what if you're looking for more detailed advice on where to invest your money?

Investor forecasting

The Kiplinger Letter provides "forecasts for executives and investors". For over 90 years, this strategic resource has anticipated gains across multiple sectors, with some subscribers profiting from their initial investments by a factor of more than 30.

Very affordable

Among investment newsletters, this is one of the most affordable at $49 for one year or $89 for two. You can download a sample issue right on the site, and you'll get several free gifts - though, to be honest, The Kiplinger Letter could do a better job of telling you what exactly those are. Their main sale page said you'd get 12 free gifts, while their actual order page only lists two. They are Business Costs for Next Year special fall issue, and Top 10 Forecasts for Next Year delivered at the end of the current calendar year.

Best refund policy

You're also protected by the most generous refund policy we've found: you can get a full refund at any time during your membership, even if you've already received the newsletter for several months.

That makes it extremely low-risk to try The Kiplinger Letter. And, with a combined total of 300,000 paid subscribers across all of their paid newsletters - they have similar offerings that address Tax, Retirement, and Investing for Income topics - this affordable investment newsletter clearly has something to offer.

Left us wanting

So, why did we rank this one lower than several others with higher costs and less generous satisfaction guarantees? Mostly because of a lack of any bells and whistles. Many people looking for an investment newsletter want to go beyond a basic monthly set of recommendations - or they want to have the opportunity to move quickly on brand-new investment opportunities. With just a fairly bread-and-butter monthly missive, there's a fair swath of investors who won't find what they need in The Kiplinger Letter.

However, the company's reputation precedes it, with few financial advice platforms enjoying such longevity or reliability. We have no concerns about the quality or value of The Kiplinger Letter as an investment newsletter, and if you're looking for an affordable source of basic, solid strategy and recommendations, it's a worthy option - even without the bells and whistles of higher-ranked providers.

Fidelity Investor

• Cost: $34.95 for 6 months
• Free gifts with subscription
• 30-day risk-free guarantee

If you're already invested in Fidelity mutual funds - or would like to be - Fidelity Investor could be worth your time as an investment newsletter. While Fidelity is, on its own, already one of the best actively-managed mutual fund families available today, many investors don't know how to structure their Fidelity holdings for maximum returns.

Focus on Fidelity

Enter Jim Lowell, the editor of Fidelity Investor: a "private and independent advisory published for individual investors seeking superior performance from their Fidelity investments". Lowell puts his experience as a former employee of Fidelity to work for you, including his background as one of the creators of Fidelity's publications, Fidelity Focus and Investment Vision (which later became Worth magazine).

Sure, Fidelity already gives you an education in how to invest, but do they tell you which funds to put in your portfolio? When to buy and sell them? How to find the winners - and how to spot red flags? Fidelity Investor is the investment newsletter that aims to give you those answers and more.

Inexpensive newsletter

A big reason to consider subscribing to this newsletter is because it's extremely affordable. At the time of our most recent review, you could get 6 months for $34.95 - total, not per month. The subscription also comes with bonus gifts that you get to keep no matter what: "Fidelity's 7 Most Powerful Funds You Must Own Now", "Fidelity's Top Sector Funds and ETFs", and "Ranking Fidelity's True Genius: Fidelity Fund Managers Exposed", three reports that can help you with your strategy even if you don't wind up choosing to subscribe to the investment newsletter long-term.

30 day risk-free trial

Fidelity Investor has a 30-day risk-free trial. You do have to pay for your subscription upfront, but you'll have those 30 days to determine if the information provided is worth keeping. If not, you can request a refund - but any bonus gifts you received are yours to keep.

This investment newsletter is usually priced at $34.95 per quarter, but during our most recent visit there was a promo in place offering two quarter-long subscriptions for the price of one - in other words, a 6-month subscription for the same price of $34.95, with all of the bonus gifts included.

Good customer responsiveness

One plus for Fidelity Investor is that the company providing it, InvestorPlace, earned an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. However, within the company's BBB listing, there were a few dozen complaints and negative reviews, most often regarding difficulties with cancelling subscriptions and getting refunds for improper charges. Of course, any company with a history spanning half a century is going to get its share of complaints, and the flawless rating from the BBB means that, at least as far as they are concerned, InvestorPlace is responding appropriately to each one.

High compliments

We found plenty of compliments for Fidelity Investor, and you won't find an investment newsletter that's equally affordable and informative. But, the biggest drawback is the most obvious: if you're not interested in Fidelity funds, this newsletter will have nothing for you, no matter how inexpensive or well-written it is.

So, if you specifically want to up your game as an investor in Fidelity funds, you won't likely find a better resource than Fidelity Investor, and you're protected by a risk-free guarantee if you want to take it for a spin. But, if you're looking for strategies for literally any other type of investing, you'll need to choose a different investment newsletter.

Morningstar Investor

• Cost: Starting at $165/year for monthly print subscription
• Starting at $45.95/quarter or $145/year for monthly digital subscription
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee

Morningstar is one of the best-known names when it comes to investment research, especially for those who consider themselves to be value investors. There's nothing glitzy or sales-y when you're looking at their advice - even the website is, frankly, rather ho-hum. But, many investors aren't looking for "sizzle" - just reliable advice to make well-informed decisions about their portfolios.

Several investment newsletters

In that vein, Morningstar offers several investment newsletters to choose from. These include:

• Fund Investor: as the name suggests, this newsletter helps you choose the right blend of funds for your portfolio.
• Stock Investor: this newsletter breaks your strategy down by two Morningstar portfolios known as "Tortoise" and "Hare": the former focusing on companies with "durable competitive advantages and strong balance sheets", and the latter aiming for long-term capital growth through companies with "strong and growing competitive advantages".
• Dividend Investor: this newsletter highlights the portfolios offered by Morningstar that operate according to a dividend select strategy, aiming to generate yields of 3-5% in your portfolio.
• ETF Investor: offering a "rational approach to asset allocation", this newsletter delivers insights and actionable advice specific to ETFs.

Free newsletter samples

We encourage you to dig into the details of each one, depending on your overall investment strategy and which types of stocks, bonds and mutual funds you want to have in your profile in the future. You'll find ample information towards the bottom of each newsletter's page, under the headings of What You'll Get, Performance, and About the Editor. You can also download a free issue of the newsletters; the link is in the What You'll Get section at the very end of the description.

Price adds up

Morningstar's FundInvestor and StockInvestor newsletters cost $165/year for a monthly print subscription, and $49.95/quarter or $145/year for a digital-only plan. That could get a little spendy if you decide to subscribe to multiple newsletters (for example, if you're interested in both stocks and ETFs). ETFInvestor and DividendInvestor are slightly more expensive, at $219 for home delivery for a year, and $62.95/$199 for quarterly or annual digital-only memberships.

30-day satisfaction guarantee

If you decide to purchase a subscription to any of Morningstar's investment newsletters, you're protected by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Cancel within that period for a full refund, or get a prorated refund anytime after that initial 30 days.

Not exciting

There's not a lot of buzz surrounding Morningstar's paid newsletters. There's a lot of information available for free on each of the investment-specific sites they maintain, and we didn't find anyone raving about the value of any of their newsletters. That said, we didn't find any screeds from unhappy subscribers either.

At the end of the day, the investment newsletters offered by Morningstar feel like that trusty next-door neighbor you can rely on to help you in a pinch - but you always seem to forget his name. There's nothing bad to say about this service, but nothing overly memorable either. If you're interested, we recommend that you download the sample newsletters to see if their style and suggestions are a good fit for your desired approach to investing.