We track what financial media
tells you to buy —
and whether it actually worked.
Investment advice is everywhere. Good advice is rare. We measure the difference.
The Scorecard
Real recommendations. Real results. No spin.
| Source | Recommendation | Published | Action | Performance | vs S&P 500 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes | Buy Nvidia (NVDA) | Jan 15, 2023 | Buy | +312.5% | +28.4% | ✅ Beat Market |
| MarketWatch | Avoid Apple (AAPL) | Mar 10, 2023 | Avoid | +48.2% | +31.2% | ❌ Underperformed |
| Money | Top Pick: Meta Platforms (META) | Jun 1, 2023 | Buy | +89.3% | +22.1% | ✅ Beat Market |
| Barron's | Buy Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) | Aug 20, 2022 | Buy | -98.5% | +15.3% | ❌ Underperformed |
| CNBC | Buy Beyond Meat (BYND) | Nov 10, 2021 | Buy | -82.3% | -12.4% | ❌ Underperformed |
| Motley Fool | Buy Amazon (AMZN) | Dec 1, 2022 | Buy | +94.7% | +28.8% | ✅ Beat Market |
| Forbes | Avoid Tesla (TSLA) — Overvalued | Sep 1, 2023 | Avoid | +28.1% | +18.2% | ⚠️ Mixed |
| MarketWatch | Buy Microsoft (MSFT) | Feb 15, 2023 | Buy | +52.8% | +31.2% | ✅ Beat Market |
In our dataset, only 50% of tracked recommendations beat the S&P 500. The average recommendation returned +55.6% vs. S&P 500's average +20.3%.
Our Methodology
No cherry-picking. No survivorship bias. We track every recommendation we can find, good or bad, and measure it the same way every time.
We Monitor
We systematically track investment recommendations published by major financial media outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, Barron's, CNBC, Money, and more.
We Measure
Each recommendation is logged with the stock price at publication date. We measure performance at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year windows against the actual market.
We Compare
Every pick is benchmarked against the S&P 500 for the same period. Beating the market is the standard — not just posting a positive return.
Disclaimer: RateIQ is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing here constitutes financial advice. Past performance of media recommendations does not predict future results. Always do your own research before investing.
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