"Where do I find the best stock picks?"

I get this question from readers all too frequently. Of course, if I really knew the answer, I'd be writing from an expansive villa in Florence. But I'm not. Investing isn't that simple, and portfolio design is determined as much by temperament as by valuation. Stock picking, sadly, is an inexact science.

But it's also a science that can be mastered. And best of all, investing masters offer vivid clues to willing students every day. All you need do is find the classroom.

Choices of champions
Some of the world's best stock-picking advice can be found in the portfolios of investors who run championship-caliber mutual funds. Consider value-investing guru Bill Miller, whose Legg Mason Value Trust (FUND:LMVTX) has beaten the S&P 500 for 15 years running. According to filings, he's recently cut his interests in Qwest (NYSE:Q) and Health Net (NYSE:HNT). Meanwhile, he's added to positions in tech stocks such as Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO).

Why? Miller writes in his most recent report to shareholders, "We estimate the intrinsic business value of Yahoo!, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), and eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) at up to more than double the current price, depending on the company, and that is current value, not what the value is likely to be in several years."

Call that a couple of hot stock tips.

Chasing the champs
Clearly, Miller sees something in e-commerce that others don't. Studying the elements of his thesis will help make you a better investor. But why stop there? There are dozens of masters, many of whom have funds that have reached such elite status that they've been added to the Motley Fool Champion Funds portfolio.

If that sounds like something you'd like to learn more about, consider trying Champion Funds free for 30 days. Every month, Fool fund guru Shannon Zimmerman recommends a new fund for members, reviews the moves that his Wall Street wizards are making, and interviews some of the best investing minds in the business. Just click here for more information.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is still a stock jock, but he's liking funds more and more every day. Blame Shannon. Tim didn't own shares in any of the companies or funds mentioned in this story at the time of publication. Yahoo!, Amazon, and eBay are Motley Fool Stock Advisor picks. The Motley Fool's disclosure policy is always championship-caliber.