What To Look For When Selecting a Stock Market Newsletter to Subscribe To

Who better to write this article than someone who operated a stock market newsletter for almost four years?

The stock market can be a lot to digest. There are many reasons for signing up to a stock market newsletter. Maybe they have come highly recommended from a friend; maybe you don't have the time to do your own research; or maybe you are just looking to read someone else's trading ideas that might spark something in your head in terms of potential trading ideas. Whatever the case may be, you need a checklist to help determine whether or not a newsletter is worthy of your money.

1. Do they have offer a free trial? Even if they don't have a printed trial offer on their webpage, try emailing them and asking if you can try out their newsletter for free for a few weeks. Any reputable newsletter operator should be more than happy to include you on his list for a few weeks. If they have a posted free trial offer, then even better. However, try to avoid "free trials" that want your credit card information when signing up for the trial.

2. Are they contactable? Do they respond to your questions in a timely matter? Before signing up, fire them off a bunch of questions about the newsletter. If they don't respond in a timely fashion (within a day) then forget about them.

3. Do they post their results? All of them? Many newsletters will simply post their winners and "forget" about their losers. A reputable newsletter should have their past trading results (their full results) posted somewhere on their site. If they don't, then email them and ask for them. Ask the operator for some trading records if they aren't prepared to upload any results on their site. If they won't provide any of this, then move on to a different site.

4. What kind of support do they offer? Is there anything in the way of customer service? What happens if you don't get your newsletter one night? They should have a customer service email or phone number that is manned during business hours to address any concerns or technical difficulties that you may have.

5. What is the full slate of products that they have? Will they try to upsell you when you sign up for the newsletter? Will you be getting exactly what their web site promises when you sign up? Ask these questions via customer service.

6. What is their cancellation / refund policy? Many newsletters will not refund you under any circumstances. Many newsletters will make it very hard for you to cancel. Ask again via customer service or the operator of the newsletter how their cancellation / refund policy works.

7. How often will you receive the newsletter? Is it nightly, weekly, monthly? What types of stocks does the operator of the newsletter usually recommend? Are they intraday trades that require you to be near a computer all day or can you execute these trades in the morning before you go to work. Again, all questions that you need to ask.

Lastly, you should do a search of the newsletter and the name of the person who is operating the newsletter (if they will give it to you). Check for any SEC cases against them. Some of these newsletter operators have shady pasts, and you want to avoid those that do.

A lot to consider when joining a newsletter I know. But why waste your money getting something that was misrepresented to you, or something that will be of zero help to you. Ask the questions and you will be able to make a sound decision as to whether or not to join a stock market newsletter.

Filed under: Stock Market Education | General Knowledge