The Motley Fool is an investment research and financial education company built for individual investors who want stock ideas, portfolio guidance, market research, and long-term investing support. Founded in 1993 by brothers Tom and David Gardner, The Motley Fool says its purpose is to make the world “smarter, happier, and richer.” Its services include free investing content on Fool.com, premium stock recommendation services, model and real-money portfolios, AI-powered research tools, financial planning resources, podcasts, community boards, and mobile access. Motley Fool Features The Motley Fool focuses on long-term stock investing rather than short-term trading. Its main investing philosophy is to buy many quality companies over time, hold stocks for at least five years, add new savings regularly, stay invested through volatility, let winners run, and target long-term returns. The company recommends investors build a portfolio of 50 or more stocks and hold them for at least five years. Some pages in the provided material also reference buying 25 or more companies over time, but the wider premium service guidance repeatedly points to 50 stocks as the target for diversification. Key features include: Stock recommendations Monthly stock rankings Stock reports Watchlists and portfolio tracking FoolIQ and FoolIQ+ GamePlan and GamePlan+ Premium community boards Fool Live video programming AI-powered stock ranking tools Portfolio strategies for cautious, moderate, and aggressive investors Research reports and investing articles Mobile app access The Motley Fool also provides free content, including articles on Fool.com, YouTube content, and podcasts. Free content does not include official Motley Fool recommendations. Motley Fool Premium Services The Motley Fool offers several premium services for different investor needs and portfolio sizes. Stock Advisor Stock Advisor is The Motley Fool’s flagship service. It is designed as an introduction to The Motley Fool’s investing philosophy and includes monthly stock recommendations, ETF ideas, financial planning content, rankings, and research. Stock Advisor includes: 2 stock picks per month Top 10 stocks to buy now Monthly stock rankings Foundational stocks Watchlist and portfolio tracking Analyst coverage, live coverage, news, and reports Partial FoolIQ access Partial GamePlan access Stock reports Investment articles Community access The provided material states that Stock Advisor launched in February 2002. As of April 23, 2026, Stock Advisor returns were listed at 972% compared with 198% for the S&P 500. The suggested portfolio size for Epic is 25,000 USD or more. Epic Epic is positioned as a broader investing solution for individual investors. It includes more stock recommendations than Stock Advisor and adds expanded research, allocation tools, and portfolio-building features. Epic includes: 5 monthly stock recommendations Access to Stock Advisor, Rule Breakers, Hidden Gems, and Dividend Investor scorecards Cautious, moderate, and aggressive portfolio strategies Specific stock allocation guidance Monthly stock rankings Full FoolIQ access Full GamePlan access Quant projections Epic Portfolio Match Calculator Epic Opportunities Podcast FoolIQ+ Dividend, growth, and under-the-radar stock ideas Epic has a listed price of 499 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown in the material includes 299 USD for the first year for new members. The suggested portfolio size for Epic is 50,000 USD or more. Epic Plus Epic Plus expands on Epic with more recommendations, more databases, AI tools, and additional investment strategies. It includes: 8 or more monthly stock picks Daily Moneyball recommendations AI Playbook Portfolio Moneyball Portfolio Moneymakers portfolios Options trading strategies Trends, Value Hunters, and Global Partners scorecards Full Moneyball Database Moneyball AIball Database Quant 5-year scoring Full FoolIQ+ access Full GamePlan+ access Epic Plus has a listed price of 1,999 USD per year. Promotional pricing in the material includes 1,399 USD for the first year for new members. The suggested portfolio size is 100,000 USD or more. Fool Portfolios Fool Portfolios is designed for more serious investors who want broader portfolio access and specialized research. It includes access to Tom Gardner’s portfolios, additional real-money portfolios, microcap research, crypto research, AI Playbook, digital assets, expanded recommendations, and Investor Solutions support. Fool Portfolios includes: 10 or more monthly stock picks Access to 35 real-money portfolios Tom Gardner’s Everlasting Portfolio Firecrackers and Digital Explorers CryptoBall database Moneyball Portfolio AI Playbook FoolIQ+ Quant projections Investor Solutions team access The listed price is 3,999 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown in the material includes 3,499 USD for the first year. The suggested portfolio size is 250,000 USD or more. Fool One Fool One is The Motley Fool’s most comprehensive membership tier. It gives access to most Motley Fool recommendations, research, services, portfolios, tools, and exclusive resources. It is designed for a smaller group of dedicated investors. Fool One includes: 30 or more investing services and portfolios 30 or more monthly stock picks One Portfolio with quarterly rebalancing Moneyball Portfolio Moneyball and Cryptoball database access FoolIQ+ Quant projections Exclusive event access Early access to some investing tools Investor Solutions support Access to broader Motley Fool research The listed first-year price in the material is 13,999 USD. The second-year list price is stated as 6,999 USD per year. The suggested portfolio size is 500,000 USD or more. Motley Fool Tools The Motley Fool offers several tools designed to help members research stocks and manage ideas. Stock Screener: Filters recommendations by service, market cap, price, and sector. Watchlist: Lets members track stocks of interest. My Portfolio: Lets users add or remove stocks from a portfolio view. Allocator: Helps users compare portfolio allocations with Motley Fool allocation models. FoolIQ and FoolIQ+: Research tools with company data, analytics, and financial information. GamePlan and GamePlan+: Financial planning and retirement content hubs. Moneyball Database: AI-driven system that scores and ranks companies. AIball Database: AI-focused database available in higher-tier services. CryptoBall Database: Crypto and digital asset research for selected higher-tier services. Match Calculator: Converts Motley Fool model portfolio allocations into amounts based on a user’s portfolio or cash input. AI Playbook and Moneyball The Motley Fool has added several AI-driven investing tools and portfolios. AI Playbook is connected to Tom Gardner’s AI scoring system. The system evaluates companies using factors such as a company’s technology quality, potential AI impact on the business, and the quality of AI currently being used. AI Playbook includes: AI Scores for companies A portfolio of 30 positions Allocation guidance A 10% cash position Quarterly AI Score updates for official holdings Price Ranges showing potential one-year upside and downside Ongoing company scoring Moneyball is another AI-driven system used to score and rank companies. Epic Plus, Fool Portfolios, and Fool One include access to larger versions of the Moneyball Database. The Moneyball Portfolio is described as a real-money portfolio that can provide stock guidance each market day, with up to 250 recommendations throughout the year. Refunds and Guarantees Refund rules vary by service and offer. Some Motley Fool services include a 30-day membership fee refund period. Stock Advisor and Epic offers in the material include a 30-day membership fee-back guarantee. Higher-tier services do not offer cash refunds. Epic Plus, Fool Portfolios, and Fool One materials include a 30-day credit swap guarantee. Who Is Motley Fool For? The Motley Fool is designed for individual investors who want research-backed stock ideas and are comfortable with long-term investing. It suits: Beginners who want guided stock recommendations Long-term investors building diversified portfolios Investors who prefer buy-and-hold strategies Members who want regular research and stock rankings DIY investors who want tools, reports, and portfolio models Investors interested in growth stocks, dividend stocks, hidden gems, value ideas, trends, AI, options, international stocks, or digital assets Higher-net-worth investors who want broader portfolio access and white-glove support Stock Advisor is the most accessible entry point. Epic and Epic Plus are for investors who want more recommendations and portfolio tools. Fool Portfolios and Fool One are aimed at larger portfolios and more committed investors. How Stock Recommendations Work Stock Advisor uses two investing teams: Team Hidden Gems focuses on high-quality companies that may be underappreciated by the wider market. Team Rule Breakers looks for first movers in emerging industries with competitive advantages, strong management, consumer appeal, brand awareness, and the potential to outperform despite looking overvalued by traditional measures. The Motley Fool ranks recommendations using analyst conviction scores. Analysts assign weightings to companies they follow, which are then adjusted based on factors such as workload, past performance, and Motley Fool’s wider view of similar companies. Rankings update daily and can change when analysts revise their inputs. The Motley Fool also notes that it does not yet have data proving higher-ranked stocks perform better or worse than lower-ranked stocks. Company Overview The Motley Fool was founded in 1993 by Tom and David Gardner in Alexandria, Virginia. The company began as a print newsletter and later expanded into a major investing education and stock research business. Its name comes from the court jester in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, who could speak truth to power and challenge conventional wisdom. Company details include: Founded in 1993 Founders: Tom Gardner and David Gardner Purpose: To make the world smarter, happier, and richer Main focus: Long-term investing guidance for individual investors Headquarters history: Alexandria, Virginia Global presence: United States, Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom Free content: Articles, podcasts, YouTube, and market commentary Premium content: Stock recommendations, research, tools, portfolios, and community boards Mobile app: Available for tracking service picks, following stocks, and receiving updates Affiliates: Motley Fool Asset Management, Motley Fool Wealth Management, and Motley Fool Ventures The Motley Fool also states that it advocates for individual investors, transparency, fairness, and access to financial information. Motley Fool Price and Discounts Stock Advisor has a listed price of 199 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown includes 99 USD for one year, which is listed as 50% off. The suggested portfolio size is 25,000 USD or more. Claim 50% off Epic has a listed price of 499 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown is 299 USD for one year, which is listed as 40% off. The suggested portfolio size is 50,000 USD or more. Claim 40% off Epic Plus has a listed price of 1,999 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown is 1,399 USD for one year, which is listed as 30% off. The suggested portfolio size is 100,000 USD or more. Claim 30% off Fool Portfolios has a listed price of 3,999 USD per year. Promotional pricing shown is 3,499 USD for one year, which is listed as 12.5% off. The suggested portfolio size is 250,000 USD or more. Claim 12.5% off Fool One is shown with a 13,999 USD first-year offer. The suggested portfolio size is 500,000 USD or more. Get Fool One
