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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

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Investing Articles

£20,000 in a new ISA? Here’s how I’d aim for a £52,920 annual second income

| Ben McPoland

This writer explains how he’d take advantage of compound interest in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target a sizeable…

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Elevated view over city of London skyline
Investing Articles

I’d buy 11,907 shares of this FTSE 250 stock to lock in £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

The UK stock market is jam-packed with shares that pay attractive dividends. Here’s one I’d snap up now to start…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

1 ex-penny stock I’d buy in April while it is 36p

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland highlights Creo Medical (AIM:CREO), a fast-growing former penny stock that he wants more of in his ISA portfolio.

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d invest £20k in a freshly-minted Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains a strategy he'd employ in a new Stocks and Shares ISA, then highlights a quality FTSE starter…

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

2 shares I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole in today’s stock market

| Ben McPoland

There are lucrative long-term opportunities available in the stock market today. But I wouldn't say that describes these two shares.

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Investing Articles

2 superb FTSE 100 shares I’d buy before the next bull market!

| Ben McPoland

Bull markets can power a portfolio to new heights. I'd prepare for the next one by scooping up these two…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

With no savings at 40, I’d use Warren Buffett’s number one rule to build wealth

| Ben McPoland

Our writer uses Warren Buffett's golden rule to disqualify one stock out of hand while naming a FTSE 100 share…

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The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

I’d buy this FTSE 250 stock at 198p to invest in the artificial intelligence revolution

| Ben McPoland

This FTSE 250 trust has Nvidia, Amazon and more in its portfolio. Here's why I'd invest in it today for…

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UK money in a Jar on a background
Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 stock pays out £2.31 per share in dividends. Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland takes a look at the stock with the highest FTSE 100 dividend yield and wonders whether investing in…

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ISA coins
Investing Articles

How I’d invest my first £20k ISA to target £4,536 a year from dividend shares

| Ben McPoland

This writer highlights a pair of FTSE 250 dividend shares he'd consider buying to lay the foundations for a passive…

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Young woman carrying bottle of Energise Sport to the gym
Investing Articles

I’d buy this cheap FTSE 100 stock while it’s on sale at 135p

| Ben McPoland

Here's a FTSE 100 stock that has fallen by nearly a quarter over the last 12 months. I think the…

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Finger clicking a button marked 'Buy' on a keyboard
Investing Articles

2 excellent UK growth stocks to buy in April

| Ben McPoland

I've been hunting for under-the-radar UK stocks to buy in the next few weeks. But my portfolio already has a…

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UK money in a Jar on a background
Investing Articles

My simple £10-a-day passive income plan

| Ben McPoland

This writer sets out a realistic and achievable plan to turn a modest sum of money into a life-enhancing passive…

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Wall Street sign in New York City
Investing Articles

1 tech growth stock that could soar (and Wall Street is sleeping on it!)

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland highlights one US growth stock whose potential over the long term may well be underestimated by the market…

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Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

Here’s how many Tesco shares I’d need for a £1,000 yearly second income

| Ben McPoland

This investor takes a look at how much he'd need to invest in Tesco stock to aim for a four-digit…

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BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

I’d invest my first £1,000 in these cheap UK shares today!

| Ben McPoland

This writer highlights some cheap UK shares that he would consider buying if he had a grand to invest in…

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Rear View Of Woman Holding Man Hand during travel in cappadocia
Investing Articles

Where I’d start investing £8,000 in April 2024

| Ben McPoland

Writer Ben McPoland highlights two areas of the stock market that he would target if he were to start investing…

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Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

2 top FTSE 250 investment trusts trading at attractive discounts!

| Ben McPoland

This pair of discounted FTSE 250 trusts appear to be on sale right now. Here's why I'd scoop up their…

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Portrait of pensive bearded senior looking on screen of laptop sitting at table with coffee cup.
Investing Articles

Ocado is down 66%! Should I buy, sell, or hold this FTSE 100 stock?

| Ben McPoland

This investor is debating what to do with his Ocado shares after the FTSE grocer updated the market on its…

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British flag, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and British flag composition
Investing Articles

Surprise! The FTSE 100 is closing in on 8,000 points and a new record

| Ben McPoland

It's a story of better late than never for the FTSE 100 as it finally begins to move higher in…

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Young black female footballer training on stadium pitch
Investing Articles

Should I buy Nike shares for my Stocks and Shares ISA before 5 April?

| Ben McPoland

Shares of Nike have lagged the market over the last five years. Is it time for me to buy more…

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A handsome mature bald bearded black man in a sunglasses and a fashionable blue or teal costume with a tie is standing in front of a wall made of striped wooden timbers and fastening a suit button
Investing Articles

Forget buying lottery tickets! I’d rather follow Warren Buffett and build passive income

| Ben McPoland

They say statisticians don't play the lottery for obvious reasons. Fortunately, Warren Buffett has shown us a great way of…

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Electric cars charging at a charging station
Investing Articles

Could buying NIO stock at just under $5 make me rich?

| Ben McPoland

Might investing in NIO stock at its current price make this Fool a fortune? Or are shares in this Chinese…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

3 reasons this turnaround FTSE 100 stock has further to climb

| Ben McPoland

Our writer reckons Scottish Mortgage is a recovering FTSE 100 stock that still has room to run due to these…

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Golden hand holding Number 2 foil balloon.
Investing Articles

2 of my top FTSE stocks to consider buying for passive income before April

| Ben McPoland

Here are two excellent FTSE dividend stocks this writer would like to pick up for very attractive levels of passive…

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Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

This ETF could be a smart way to buy the best cybersecurity stocks

| Ben McPoland

Our writer looks at a potentially superior way to buy stocks that are benefitting from the booming global cybersecurity industry.

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

£12,500 in cash? Here’s how I’d aim to compound that into a £8,084 annual second income

| Ben McPoland

This writer explains how he'd go about harnessing the greatest wealth-building force on earth to build a decent yearly second…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

The ISA deadline’s approaching! Here’s how I’d invest £5,000 now

| Ben McPoland

Our writer highlights one struggling FTSE 100 stalwart he'd happily snap up inside his Stocks and Shares ISA before 5…

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British Isles on nautical map
Investing Articles

If I’d put £5,000 in BAE Systems shares at the start of 2024, here’s what I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

This investor takes a look at the year-to-date performance of BAE Systems shares and says whether he’d still buy them…

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A man with Down's syndrome serves a customer a pint of beer in a pub.
Investing Articles

Is J D Wetherspoon a bargain FTSE 250 stock today?

| Ben McPoland

This Fool considers one instantly recognisable FTSE 250 stock to see if it might warrant a place in his portfolio…

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Business woman creating images with artificial intelligence inside office
Investing Articles

Could SoundHound AI be the next Nvidia-like growth stock at $8?

| Ben McPoland

This investor considers whether buying one increasingly popular AI growth stock today could be like investing in Nvidia back in…

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Aerial shot showing an aircraft shadow flying over an idyllic beach
Investing Articles

Here’s why Rolls-Royce shares are now set to fly over the £4 mark

| Ben McPoland

Once again, Rolls-Royce shares are crushing the FTSE 100. Should I add to my holding of this stock at the…

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Mature Caucasian woman sat at a table with coffee and laptop while making notes on paper
Investing Articles

Down 75% and on a 41% discount! Could this trust be a hidden gem for my SIPP?

| Ben McPoland

This Fool is wondering whether he should add to one badly underperforming investment in his self-invested personal pension (SIPP).

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

I’d invest £515 a month in this FTSE 100 stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

This Fool thinks one high-yield Footsie dividend share offers exceptional growth and passive income prospects over the next couple of…

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A front-view shot of a multi-ethnic family with two children walking down a city street on a cold December night.
Investing Articles

If I invest £10,000 in Greggs shares, how much passive income could I get?

| Ben McPoland

Greggs shares offer investors the chance to bag some dividends in their portfolios. But are they worth buying today?

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Rear View Of Woman Holding Man Hand during travel in cappadocia
Investing Articles

£20,000 in savings? Here’s how I’d aim to turn that into a £46,738 annual second income

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains how he'd go about investing £20,000 in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target an eye-catching second…

Read more »

A young Asian woman holding up her index finger
Investing Articles

1 artificial intelligence (AI) growth stock to buy while it is still in stealth mode?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland reckons this stealthy AI growth share is a hidden gem and has now made it a high-priority stock…

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Finger clicking a button marked 'Buy' on a keyboard
Investing Articles

Here’s a quality FTSE 100 stock I’d buy and hold for the next decade

| Ben McPoland

This investor plans to increase his holding in one world-class FTSE 100 stock that's taken a bit of a recent…

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Red briefcase with the words Budget HM Treasury embossed in gold
Investing Articles

If I invest £10,000 in NatWest shares, how much passive income would I receive?

| Ben McPoland

The government has announced a sale of NatWest shares to the general public. Is this dividend stock a good fit…

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Businessman use electronic pen writing rising colorful graph from 2023 to 2024 year of business planning and stock investment growth concept.
Investing Articles

Up 61% in a year! Should I buy this FTSE 250 growth stock as it rides the AI wave?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer considers soaring FTSE 250 stock Darktrace and asks whether now's the time for him to invest in this…

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