Shortly after discovering a passion for investing I began looking for an outlet. It started with books, then transitioned to reading financial statements. After that it was earnings conference calls and performing valuation analysis.
I still do these things. But I also discovered I can get paid to write about stocks and investing. After all, if I was going to spend all this time reading about investing and analyzing stocks, why not get paid to do it?
Those willing to combine a passion for investing with a knack for writing can get paid in the process. In this article, I’ll review 3 opportunities available to amateur and professional investors alike.
DISCLAIMER: This article contains affiliate links for which I earn a small commission if you purchase a product or service after clicking the link. Please know that I only promote products or services in which I have personal experience and/or believe could add value to others.
Why Write?
Writing is a valuable skill, both personally and professionally. On the personal side, it’s good for the brain. Critically analyzing a subject, formulating an outline and penning it to paper is challenging, yet rewarding.
It’s also more productive than scrolling mindlessly on Twitter and watching countless hours of YouTube videos. Unless they’re about investing of course.
Writing is also highly valuable in the workplace. Effective communication, and being able to get your point across will benefit you in your career.
It’s true, business is no longer done on paper. But it is done by email and IM. Freelance writing is a great way to develop your skills while keeping your mind sharp.
#1: Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha is where I started. I’m an advocate for writing for Seeking Alpha because the barrier to entry is low. I review what it’s like to be a Contributor here.
Seeking Alpha is an online investing community providing stock market news, analysis, investing ideas, charts and more.
Seeking Alpha crowdsources a lot of its content. Meaning Contributors create content for Seeking Alpha to publish. Anyone with an opinion on why a stock should be bought, sold or shorted, and who’s willing to put those opinions on paper, can write for Seeking Alpha.
Seeking Alpha provides data and information like that of a brokerage firm, such as Fidelity and TD Ameritrade. Except users can’t buy stocks through Seeking Alpha. Seeking Alpha also provides articles and analysis on individual stocks and ETFs. This is where Contributors come into play.
A new Seeking Alpha Contributor can easily make $60 per article and $250+ per month by writing one article per week. The more you write the more you earn.
Click here to learn how to become a Contributor for Seeking Alpha.
#2: GuruFocus
GuruFocus is a stock market research and analysis service similar to Seeking Alpha, except it’s focused on value investing. And learning from past and present investing legends such as Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham and Peter Lynch (i.e. the gurus).
In addition to financial data, charts and stock screeners, GuruFocus tracks the activity of today’s most revered investors. From Warren Buffett to Joel Greenblatt to Mohnish Pabrai, GuruFocus makes it easy for investors to keep tabs on what the best in the world are doing within their portfolios.
Like Seeking Alpha, GuruFocus sources a lot of its content from Contributors. Contributors cover individual stocks, guru activity, investing strategies and more.
I don’t have personal experience writing for GuruFocus as it was easier to get started with Seeking Alpha. But you can apply to become a Contributor here. Prospective writers will need to submit a resume along with a writing sample.
Before getting started with Seeking Alpha, I applied to become a Contributor for GuruFocus and was accepted. But I didn’t move forward because I believed I could earn more money with Seeking Alpha. I still believe this to be true.
There isn’t much information online about how much GuruFocus pays its Contributors. But I believe it’s somewhere between $40-$50 per article to start.
For more information on the GuruFocus compensation program click here.
#3: The Motley Fool
Of the three, The Motley Fool is the most prestigious opportunity for freelance writers. As well as the most difficult to enter.
The Motley Fool is more of an investing and stock picking service than it is a tool like Seeking Alpha and GuruFocus. Subscribers to The Motley Fool’s premium services receive active recommendations to buy and sell individual stocks.
The Motley Fool recommends stocks based on business fundamentals. And recommends investors hold 25-30 stocks within their portfolio for 5+ years. I’m a fan of The Motley Fool’s philosophy and was a previous subscriber to Stock Advisor(my review here).
The Motley Fool relies on freelance writers to create content on stocks, mainly news of the day. For example, a Contributor may write an article in response to a stock gapping up after an earnings call. The title may be something like, “Etsy gained 10% today: Here’s what happened.”
These are the types of articles you see on Yahoo Finance. But I don’t see many articles from The Motley Fool that analyze individual stocks or make conclusions one way or the other (i.e. buy, sell, hold).
The process to become a Contributor resembles that of applying for a typical job. Prospective writers must apply to an opening via The Motley Fool career page. But there aren’t always openings for freelance writers.
Similar to Seeking Alpha and GuruFocus, Contributors for The Motley Fool are paid per article. The Motley Fool pays Contributors around $50 to $100+ per article based on viewership.
Conclusion
I think it’s great companies like Seeking Alpha, GuruFocus and The Motley Fool create opportunities for passionate investors to contribute their ideas and perspectives. And to earn some decent money in the process.
If you’re like me, and are already putting in the time and effort to understand individual stocks and the stock market, consider becoming a contributor to one of these sites. It’s a great way to sharpen your writing skills and earn extra cash.
Who knows? Maybe one day you can turn your hobby into a career.
- Pre-Investment Questionnaire: How do you know if a stock represents a good investment? My free Pre-Investment Questionnaire can help.
- See inside my stock portfolio: Want to see inside my stock portfolio? Take a peak into all my accounts: 401K, Roth IRA, taxable, and international holdings.
- 4 attributes of stocks returning 100x: What makes a stock return 100-to-1 in the market? History gives us the blueprint. Let me show you the recipe.
