Ad comparing Shopify and Amazon

It’s ads like this that MF has been filling all the internet with that could make me worry about Shopify. Sorry MF, but this seems like a completely immoral ad to me, telling newby investors that they should get into the market now because we are at the beginning of a new bull market, and that therefore they should buy Shopify, because it will make them rich. I mean, wow???
Saul

This Stock Could Be Like Buying Amazon in 1997
By: Eric Bleeker

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51 Likes

Honestly I’ve seen a few dozen ads from TMF like this. Usually on random websites in the right margin advertisement area and elsewhere. It hasn’t just been for SHOP though, it’s been for quite a few different stocks. And most of the time the “it could be like owning Amazon in 97” ads just link to one of the premium services without even naming the stock.

I thought they gave that up after everyone was burned by 3D stocks. They at least talked about their shame, but I guess they are over it.

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There have been numerous discussions over on the SA and Pro boards about MF Marketing, as well.
I suppose I’m not the only one who recently received an invitation to an, ahem, “emergency” briefing…

Jim Mueller (TMFTortoise) wrote a thoughtful post on this topic:
http://discussion.fool.com/1081/just-a-few-comments-from-the-oth…

Do you have ideas on how to improve the Fool’s marketing? Reach out to me and I’ll put you in touch with the relevant people. Or post on these boards. I know I’m not the only TMF employee who reads what you write.

they’re listening (at least he is).

Saul, you are an institution around here. I doubt your commentary on TMF marketing will go unheard.

cheers
Nick

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P.S.

http://swiped.co/
Search “Motley Fool”

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I agree.

It was a matter of regret - and a wide-open market opportunity for someone else - when TMF took a strategic decision to monetize their success in, I would say, primarily offering a sound financial education by departing from that into becoming instead primarily a purveyor of tip-sheets and (therefore) a cheer-leader for an endless bull market. It was a shame but I never blame people for doing the best they can for their families.

If I was D&T, I would be looking to go the whole hog and sell out, even if the ‘key man’ thing is a real problem. It might just be absolutely perfect timing of the cycle. In a year or two, they could start up again on the exact original theme, ‘to educate, amuse and enrich’! I am perfectly serious.

I am grateful for having been able, in the TMF formative years, to read such an excellent assortment of the original writers on the fundamentals of investment, which now informs everything I do.

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I also agree.

Of course these are the same geniuses that wrote posts about how selling naked puts was a way to ‘reduce risk’ a few years back…smdh.

I also agree, but understand MF is a business.

I found MF just 4 years ago, after having disappointing results investing in NL mutual funds. The results were not terrible, just average. So I decided to become a little more involved in my investing and opened a Schwab account and pick my own stocks.

I read one of the MF ads, and had seen their weekly articles in the Seattle Times financial, so purchased SA. And a little later RB.

While their ads were a little over the top (nice way of saying a little deceptive) I have been in business for 40 years and understand you sell the sissle and not the steak. But the bottom line is they were TRANSPARENT, which is a whole lot more than I can say for for 99.9% of the schysters involved in the investment world. I don’t know about the other boards but SA and RB post their monthly recommendations, the price when recommended and results against the market to date. Everyone can judge for themselves.

MF has a wealth of knowledge I wish I had access to 40 years ago. I’m 65 and just getting ready to retire. I would have retired long ago, if I had found MF 30 years ago, but that is water on the bridge. As Saul would say, I can’t go back.

I found this board by accident. I bought a couple of stocks in 2013 like Netflix, ANET, and Netflix and they were becoming a huge percentage of my portfolio. Part of me said let the big dog run, part of me said too much risk invested in 3 stocks. What is an investor to do?

Looking for the answer to that question, boom, I tripped and fell into Saul’s discussion board and bam, got hit in the side of the head with more investing sense in 30 minutes than I learned in 60 years of life. The good thing is I was smart enough, and experienced enough to realize a good thing when I saw it.

Bottom line is I am grateful to MF for selling a service that is so transparent, and for allowing Saul and all of you on this board to educate me (and so many others)daily. While they are selling the sissle daily, and overselling it also, they potentially are bringing people like me to the promised land of MF, and those with reasonable skills and education will recognize the value and greatly increase their investing results and life style because of those over zealous marketing types. (And that is not a bad thing.)

That in no way says we should not at times be critical of the BS when it steps over the line. But we should be grateful they are transparent, and non marketing types within the org will reign them in.

Thank you all.

Don
Long Shop, ANET, NVDIA, Netflix, Cognix, SQ, UBNT

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Don
Long Shop, ANET, NVDIA, Netflix, Cognix, SQ, UBNT

Very nice list of 7. I got into things a bit later than you, so I don’t have any Netflix shares but I have 6 of those 7…and they make up spots 4 (SHOP), 11 (ANET), 1 (NVDA, by almost 3x the size of number 2 AAPL), N/A (NFLX), 10 (CGNX), 9 (SQ), and 5 (UBNT) in my portfolio respectively.

I feel very fortunate to have finally joined TMF (RB and SA) at the age of 32 (after seeing ads for YEARS), and to have come across this free board also prior to turning 33 this year.

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Hi Don Taylor’s experience is exactly the same as mine. Same age, etc.
I found this board because I was looing for discussions about NVIDA and SHOP. Got more than I expected. Great minds, great discussions, and very little in the way of demeaning others.

The knowledge base is extremely useful as well as the approach. I have added very little because I feel humbled by the post of some members (very insightful) - I don’t know how to thank you guys for freely sharing your knowledge and thoughts.

It is hard to find new ideas because there is a lot of BS out there. I do use Stock Advisor and Rule Breakers. Their recommendations never provide enough info for a buying decision but it has been a starting point. Some have panned out (started Shop at about $29 and NVDA in the $60’s) some have gone nowhere (MASI and JD.

I need to say that I owe Saul the dinner of his choice if he comes to NC. I had a big position in BLUE but switched to KITE in part after reading his post.

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I finally bought into MF when they were hawking SWIR a few years back. Pretty much saying the same thing as they are now about SHOP. Their continuing unsolicited, borderline obnoxious ads, (way too many capital, and shouting large fonts), along with SWIR’s poor performance, about drove me away. But I found this board and liked the SA advice enough to sign up for their Discovery 2017. So far so good! Since I’m 65 and retired, most of my MF and Saul, investments are spice and fun to watch while the rest are in my sleep good portfolio.

Steve B
Long: SHOP, LGHI, ATVI, PAYC, ANET, ALGN

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Sorry MF, but this seems like a completely immoral ad to me, telling newby investors
that they should get into the market now because we are at the beginning of a new bull market,
and that therefore they should buy Shopify, because it will make them rich. I mean, wow???

You’re headed down a slippery slope with this. Morality is in the eye of the beholder.

For example, here’s what I view as immoral on message boards like this:

  • Touting the stocks of businesses with limited operating history.
  • Boasting about investing success.
  • Pushing investing strategies based on meager observations.

Newbie-friendly messages ramp down the rhetoric and amp up the warnings.

Ears

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