No matter how good a product is, there is someone out there that will find something to complain about – it’s just a fact. However, how much credence we give to each complaint is a different story.
There is very little argument that Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor and Rule Breakers programs are coveted on the platform. This doesn’t change the fact that some investors swear by the programs while others are a little more tentative.
Let’s take a look at the most common complaints and whether they hold any weight.
Most Common Motley Fool Complaints – Legit or Not?
1) “I Lost Money by Taking Their Stock Pick Suggestions”
Well, don’t invest if you don’t have the stomach for potential losses. It may sound harsh, but Motley Fool is not omniscient. There is no way to predict the future and no way to guarantee market trends – unless you possess some kind of superpower.
When you take a look at Motley Fool’s past track record, the results speak for themselves. Let’s take the Stock Advisor program, for example, the most popular one offered by the platform.
Since the early 2000s, the return has exceeded 637%, which is much higher than the measly $148 of S&P 500. The accumulation of returns takes time. Will there be some years when you lose some? Yes, but the long-term results still beat out many other programs on a digital platform.
2) The Programs on Motley Fool are Pricey
The cost of $199 a year may seem like a lot to some, but not if you compare it to the prices of hiring a financial advisor, which can range into the thousands. And guess what? Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Stock Advisor programs do have discounts from time to time – but more on that later.
A real-person stock advisor gives you advice based on his or her knowledge and experience. The quality of the advice can vary from person to person and it’s still up to you to decide what to follow. Motley Fool has a history of over 20 years and a track record that can back up its success.
3) The Gardner Brothers are Shady
Accusations are often lobbed against the Motley Fool brothers Tom and David Gardner. In fact, it’s probably one of the most common complaints. “Tom and Dave Garder are insiders and market makers, don’t trust them.”
How much stock should we place in this complaint (pun intended)? None. What would be the point? If this was true, you can bet that news reports would have come out with the hot tea years ago.
The future of the entire platform hinges on investor success. The Gardner brothers want investors to make money to keep Motley Fool afloat.
4) Motley Fool has Aggressive Marketing
Okay, we’ll give you this one, but how else would they notify you of awesome new features, functions, and new tools you can gain access to with an upgrade? That being said, we do feel that toning it down just a tad wouldn’t hurt either.
You may receive quite a bit of emails that contain useful info, but you will also get the odd few that push for plan upgrades. Users and potential Motley Fool investors will be happy to know that there is a solution – just opt out!
Log into your account and uncheck the box to let the site know you no longer want to receive promo emails.
5) Motley Fool Asset Management is Evidence of a Scam
We’re borderlining slander here with this one. Motley Fool Asset Management is a subsidiary of Motley Fool and the company holds a lot of stocks and ETFs.
There are those who believe that the Gardner brothers are working in favor of hedge funds by providing misleading information to retail investors. If this was true, then yes, it’s a problem, but luckily, it isn’t.
We will go as far as to say Motley Fool Asset Management is a way the brothers are showing the world that they know how to manage their assets above board and how to save money on taxes. In other words, they know what they’re doing with their money. If you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you want to save millions?
Remember, focus on the long-term results the platform has built for over 2 decades. As we said, if something was amiss, it would have come out by now with bold headlines on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
Final Takeaway
Should you trust Motley Fool? We sure do. People will always talk and there is nothing anyone can do about it – we all love us some drama. However, the results and positive testimonies will always speak for themselves. One thing we do agree on though is that Motley Fool can tone down the advertising, but you can always opt out of that.
We said we’d discuss discounts, and here it is. Registering for Motley Fool shaves off a huge chunk of the fee for the first year. Pay just $99 with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Find out more here.
