What are opinions on whether Stansberry and Associates Investment Research is a reputable company?

Answer 1

An array of opinions from our contributors on Stansberry & Associates:

• There is one simple, logical rule to apply to any "too good to be true" proposition: If a person (usually with no experience necessary) indeed can realize such fantastic returns (also usually with little risk or work), why is the individual or firm that is promoting the scheme trying to make a few bucks selling it to you, usually by unsolicited email? If it were all it's cracked up to be, wouldn't they be spending all their time and money getting rich on the scheme itself rather than trying to sell it to you for relative peanuts?

• No. They use scare tactics to get you to buy their "advice."

• I don't know the answer to this question, but there are websites that have some interesting information about a fine Stansberry received from the Securities Exchange Commission for fraud.

• Stansberry is a controversial figure even in the murky world of investment newsletter publishing. He runs one of the most successful and profitable organizations. But success in this world is not measured by gainful stock recommendations for readers... but by the amount of money generated by promoting their newsletters and services. Stansberry pays his copywriters (ad writers) enormous sums to fluff and puff up what are actually quite pedestrian concepts into promo "packages". I understand they now have a number of lawyers going through the texts to stay within the letter of the law. There is a legal verdict against Stansberry and his organization. I have read it (I think it's on Brian Deer's site), and the tone and wording by the judge are scathing indeed. I have read legal opinions by judges for many years and have never seen anything quite like it.

• Whoever voiced this answer needs to get their facts straight. I have been a subscriber to most of Mr. Stansberry's newsletters for almost 10 years and have - through the advice therein - earned at least 25 times the cost of the newsletters. The SEC action you allude to refers to a freedom of speech issue Stansberry has fought for years at an enormous cost because of the principles being assaulted by the government's action. Stansberry has shared much of this information with his subscribers several times in great detail, and has received tremendous support from the vast majority of his subscribers. All of us have been repeatedly offered subscription refunds - with no questions asked - but very few of us have done so, since it would be economically stupid based on the results we have all attained. You couldn't pay me enough money to surrender my Stansberry subscriptions! I only wish our elected officials were as honest and direct as the people at Stansberry & Associates. By the way, the litigation is still pending.

• Yeah, we need to get our facts straight. Just listen to Mr. Stansberry's advocate on the radio about "endofamerica." That right there, is that not a scare tactic? Does anyone seriously think the end of America is right around the corner? This guy got rich by dishing out advice to suckers, that's it. You couldn't pay me enough money to listen to a single scrap of anything "Mr." Porter Stansberry has to say. Especially after wasting my time listening to that "endofamerica" garbage. PORTER STANSBERRY... perfect name for a scam artist.

• I know that Stansberry is selling a product. So what? That's what a free market is all about. I also have a personal philosophy of not believing anything not independently verified. I've heard what Porter Stansberry is saying from other sources that I deem reliable. Therefore, I accept what he is saying as credible. Further, his product is packaged well; I need not grapple with assembling data from widely disparate sources. For $49.50 for a year, I think this is well worthwhile. BTW, I DID buy gold at $256/oz in 2000. Do you realize how LITTLE of the stuff there is in the world? Besides its use through the ages for jewelry, its scarcity is what makes it so valuable. I can't see the value EVER declining much today.

• I have received and viewed Stansberry videos and information and I do not feel he is trying to rip people off. Is he trying to make money? Of course he is. And what's wrong with that? He is providing people with - as far as I am concerned - a wakeup call. Someone posted that he is trying to scare people and what he says will never happen in America. Well, I say just look at the numbers yourself, do some research. The numbers do not lie and many of the population is unaware what is going on. There are only a few willing to speak up. I try to tell all who will listen to do there research. Also remember that America has been through hard times before like the Great Depression - what makes people think it can't happen again?

• I am investigating the veracity of this video and frankly, it scared me. The fear factor and the virus of panic seems to have gripped the world lately. I know about the SEC fines against Stansberry, as well as the reasons for those supporting him and his newsletters. However, I luckily wrote down the names of four of the alleged investors who supported him, and who claimed to have made enough to buy a yacht. I used a search engine to search for these four investors, since their cities were included in the video. I could not find three of them at all - none by that name. The other name was listed but not in the city in the video. Spokeo reveals the value of the homes and economic status of the subjects. My conclusion is that there are some distortions and omissions by him. I will use the money for a newsletter to stock up on food and water and probably get some arms in case of urban riots.

• One fine from the SEC - with all of the publications and advice this guy has given over the many, many years - certainly is not cause for alarm. The SEC would fine you and me if it could. And from what I have read about the case so far, it sounds like the outcome could have gone either way.

• I would guess you are all probably both confident and comfortable with your personal physician, which is why you use him/her, but nearly all personal physicians will be sued for malpractice at some point in their career. Does that mean they are bad doctors? Frauds posing as doctors?

• As far as the "endofamerica36" video is concerned, yes he is trying to scare you into subscribing to his newsletter (it's the capitalistic principal upon which this country was founded), but everything he is saying is true to some extent. Maybe he dramatizes a bit, but doesn't the media do that with our news everyday? Even CNN dramatizes the news for the sake of $$. They can't sell ad space if people don't watch. If you read Reggie Middleton's BoomBustBlog, I think you will find similar points of view and no one can say he isn't reputable. Google his name and you won't find any cases of fraud.

(You can read more reviews on the Stansberry newsletters via the Related links below.)