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Ben McPoland

Ben is an investment writer who has contributed more than 1,800 articles for The Motley Fool UK. He has been managing his own ISA and SIPP portfolios for over a decade, focusing on high-quality companies benefitting from powerful growth trends. His favourite investing quote comes from Peter Lynch: “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.”

Recent Articles

Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

£20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA: how long would it take to reach £1 million?

| Ben McPoland

This writer considers how long it would take an investor to reach a seven-figure sum by maxing out their Stocks…

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Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

Down 99%, this stock has been crushed by AI and is now a penny share!

| Ben McPoland

Chegg has gone from being a fast-growth tech stock to a penny share trading for less than $1 in the…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

2 top dividend stocks to consider for passive income in May

| Ben McPoland

Our writer thinks these two shares are well worth checking out for investors targeting a growing stream of passive income…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

5 FTSE 100 shares driving wealth in my Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Many FTSE 100 shares are doing very well this year in the face of upheaval. Ben McPoland highlights a cheap…

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Female student sitting at the steps and using laptop
Investing Articles

100 shares of Greggs at its IPO would have turned into… 

| Ben McPoland

Our writer takes a look at how well Greggs shares have done over the past 40 years, before considering whether…

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Tree lined "tunnel" in the English countryside of West Sussex in autumn
Investing Articles

How should I invest to build retirement wealth in a SIPP for a child?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland explains how he plans to adapt his investing strategy in order to more reliably build wealth for his…

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A row of satellite radars at night
Investing Articles

Up 900% in 2 years, this former penny stock is on fire! Should I buy it?

| Ben McPoland

Unfortunately, I missed out on the truly stellar gains of this ex-penny stock. Is now the time to make amends…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

As CEO Warren Buffett steps down, should I buy Berkshire Hathaway shares?

| Ben McPoland

Warren Buffett’s generated enormous returns for long-term Berkshire shareholders. Should I become one after a 5% dip in the stock?

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Couple working from home while daughter watches video on smartphone with headphones on
Investing Articles

Should I buy Roblox for my Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer considered this metaverse company a few months ago but didn't add it to his ISA. Now it's near…

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Nottingham Giltbrook Exterior
Investing Articles

2 stocks to consider after the Marks & Spencer cyberattack

| Ben McPoland

Hacking is on the rise and is being fuelled by artificial intelligence. Here are two stocks to consider from the…

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Happy young female stock-picker in a cafe
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 growth trust just loaded up on these 2 top S&P 500 stocks

| Ben McPoland

Our writer noticed that this FTSE 250 investment trust has just scooped up a couple of quality US growth stocks.…

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4 Teslas in a parking lot at a charger station
Investing Articles

Tesla vs Ferrari: which stock is leading the race in 2025?

| Ben McPoland

This writer digs into the Q1 numbers to see whether his decision to choose Ferrari over Tesla stock has been…

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Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Investing Articles

Down 26% in 3 months! What’s going on with the Alphabet share price?

| Ben McPoland

Stock market investors sold off Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares heavily yesterday. Is this a worry or a timely buying opportunity to…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Could buying Palantir stock today be like investing in Nvidia in 2020?

| Ben McPoland

This writer thinks that AI-driven company Palantir is exceptional and exciting, but does he think the same thing about the…

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Tariffs and Global Economic Supply Chains
Investing Articles

£5,000 invested in Scottish Mortgage shares just 1 month ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland takes a look at a handful of growth shares in the Scottish Mortgage portfolio to see how they…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

2 UK stocks that could be set for a roaring recovery

| Ben McPoland

This investor highlights a pair of UK stocks from the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indexes that may be set…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

My favourite S&P 500 growth stock is on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland has been very pleased with the performance of this S&P 500 stock in 2025. But is it still…

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Happy woman commuting on a train and checking her mobile phone while using headphones
Investing Articles

Up 52% in my ISA in 2025, this growth stock’s on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

This investor’s favourite new growth stock is off to a flying start this year, posting strong gains in his ISA…

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Businessman hand flipping wooden block cube from 2024 to 2025 on coins
Investing Articles

I broke my 2025 Stocks and Shares ISA plan by buying this stock while it was down 60%

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains why he just added to a big loser to his Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio, despite it…

Read more »

ISA coins
Investing Articles

£20,000 in an ISA? Here’s how that could grow to £83,000 by 2040!

| Ben McPoland

Our writer highlights a FTSE 100 investment trust that he believes could add some market-beating growth to a Stocks and…

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Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 stocks have been on fire over the past 12 months!

| Ben McPoland

Looking at the standout FTSE 100 stocks across the past year, it's striking just how varied this group of top…

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Bronze bull and bear figurines
Investing Articles

Is the stock market now heading for a bull run?

| Ben McPoland

This writer explains why he tries to look for signals rather than noise in the stock market when it comes…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Genus rockets 27% in the FTSE 250! Should I buy this UK stock?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer has had this under-the-radar UK stock on his watchlist for a few months now. Why did it suddenly…

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Exterior of BT head office - One Braham, London
Investing Articles

4 reasons I’m avoiding surging BT shares in 2025

| Ben McPoland

Despite being impressed with the recent performance of BT shares, this investor has no intention of buying any today. Here's…

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Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

Here’s why the Smith & Nephew share price jumped 7% in the FTSE 100 today!

| Ben McPoland

The Smith & Nephew share price was marching higher today, topping the Footsie index in the process. Is this cheap…

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Hand is turning a dice and changes the direction of an arrow symbolizing that the value of an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is going up (or vice versa)
Investing Articles

2 top ETFs to consider for a SIPP in May

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland reckons this diverse pair of funds listed on the London Stock Exchange could make great additions to consider…

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Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT for 3 fallen FTSE angels and here’s what the AI bot said

| Ben McPoland

Our writer called in a bit of artificial intelligence to pick out FTSE shares with big turnaround potential. But were…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

UK investors piled into these S&P 500 stocks during the Liberation Day sell-off…

| Ben McPoland

Our writer wasn't surprised to see AJ Bell investors buying into the S&P 500 earlier this month, though one popular…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Here’s why the AstraZeneca share price dipped 3.7% in the FTSE 100 today

| Ben McPoland

Despite AstraZeneca’s falling share price today, this writer believes the London-listed pharmaceutical giant could be worth a closer look.

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Young Asian woman holding a cup of takeaway coffee and folders containing paperwork, on her way into the office
Investing Articles

1 top FTSE 250 investment trust to consider in May

| Ben McPoland

This growth-focused fund from the FTSE 250 index has fallen 20% year to date, offering a potential buying opportunity for…

Read more »

UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

The FTSE 100 index is on fire! What’s going on?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer is watching one high-quality data company from the FTSE 100 index, ready to pounce if its shares tumble…

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Cropped shot of an affectionate young couple posing with a bunch of flowers in their kitchen on their anniversary
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Meta stock on Valentine’s Day is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Is Meta stock worth considering for a Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio today? Ben McPoland takes a closer look at…

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Amazon Go's first store
Investing Articles

I bought this growth stock instead of Amazon in April 2020! Was that wise?

| Ben McPoland

This writer opted to buy another e-commerce stock over Amazon five years ago during the global pandemic. But what about…

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Luxury inside of NIO car
Investing Articles

Should I buy NIO stock for my ISA at $4 in case there’s a monster turnaround?

| Ben McPoland

With NIO stock now down to $4, Ben McPoland weighs up the case for him investing in the Chinese electric…

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Young mixed-race couple sat on the beach looking out over the sea
Investing Articles

£20,000 in a new ISA? Consider this dividend ETF to target a £1,066 second income

| Ben McPoland

Our writer reckons this UK-focused ETF might offer a simple option for investors looking to generate an annual second income…

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Tesla building with tesla logo and two teslas in front
Investing Articles

Is Tesla about to become the ultimate passive income machine?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer discusses whether Tesla stock might be worth him buying, just in case the EV giant enables passive income…

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Black woman using smartphone at home, watching stock charts.
Investing Articles

2 world-class growth stocks to consider buying in May

| Ben McPoland

Following the recent market sell-off, this pair of top-tier growth stocks look attractive for long-term investors. Here's why.

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Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

2 stocks I plan to own until at least 2030!

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland explains why he continues to hold this excellent pair of FTSE 100 companies in his Stocks and Shares…

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New year resolutions 2025 on desk. 2025 resolutions list with notebook, coffee cup on table.
Investing Articles

The stock market in 2025 could be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to build wealth in an ISA

| Ben McPoland

This writer sees further volatility ahead in the stock market, which should create lucrative opportunities for ISA investors.

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Google office headquarters
Investing Articles

$1bn a day! This S&P 500 share still looks like a stock market bargain after Q1 earnings

| Ben McPoland

The owner of Google and YouTube just announced strong results to the stock market, including another massive $70bn share buyback.

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