Hot Stock Tips!

Looking for the next Microsoft?

So are we.

But you won't find hot stock tips here. On our discussion boards and in our editorial content, we will discuss stocks 'til the cows come home, but we will never, ever recommend a stock either publicly or privately. That's not what the Motley Fool is about.

The power of the Internet lies in the free exchange of ideas, and THAT is why we are here -- not to tell you how to invest, but to show you how we do it and to help you exchange information with other investors via our discussion boards.

We will do our best to teach you how to go about finding a good investment prospect through fundamental analysis of the company. But there are no easy anwers, no shortcuts. If you want to invest successfully in individual companies, there is no substitute for your own personal research.

Haven't got the time nor inclination to read annual reports and calculate growth rates? That's OK, too. Haven't got the time nor inclination to read annual reports and calculate growth rates? That's OK, too. As we outline in the 13 Steps to Investing Foolishly, we can suggest at least two alternative, low- to no-work strategies: Investing in the market as a whole through index funds or index shares such as S&P Depository Receipts (AMEX: SPY) Dow Diamonds (AMEX: DIA) or the Nasdaq 100 (AMEX: QQQ), or, for those with a quantitative bent, using some of our mechanical investing strategies as described in the Foolish Workshop. But looking for the next Microsoft when you don't have time to do the research is a bad strategy whether your tips come from your dentist, your broker, or one of the infamous "Internet chat rooms."

What about the Portfolios?

We have set up several real money portfolios to illustrate different investing approaches, and we announce all trades in advance so that anyone who wishes to may trade along with us. We don't recommend it, but we aren't so naive that we think people won't treat these portfolios as a source of stock tips. Our motivation for pre-announcing every trade is not to suggest that you buy the stock, but to share our stock-picking process with you AND to eliminate any possibility of front running. You see it all the time. Some guru buys a stock, uses the media to tout it to the world -- thereby stimulating buying that drives up the price -- then he quietly sells the stock for a nice profit leaving his followers holding the bag. Not here. Not us.

Oh, YOU'VE got a hot tip for US!

Well, sorry, why didn't you say so! If you have research on the company to share with us, that's wonderful! Please post it on the appropriate stock discussion board so that all of our readers can benefit from it. No board for the stock? Just click here to request one. You are also welcome to share your information with our staff writers by sending it to: editorial@fool.com.

If you just want to let us know that your company is the Next Great Stock, well, remember that we are stock nerds, the kind of guys who actually enjoy reading annual reports with a calculator handy. Use your imagination to consider how such folks react to emails like: "Check out Bazookas Inc.! This baby's gonna blow your socks off!!!!" Not a pretty picture, eh?

Homework. Doin' your homework. That's what it's all about.