Member Login
  1. Authors
    2. /
  2. Ben McPoland
    3. /

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

Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

£10 a day invested in cheap LSE shares could create a second income of £31,750 a year!

| Ben McPoland

Investing a tenner a day in dirt cheap UK stocks could lock in high returns and secure a very attractive…

Read more »

Shot of a young Black woman doing some paperwork in a modern office
Investing Articles

2 FTSE 100 stocks that look tempting as they fall!

| Ben McPoland

FTSE 100 stocks are out of favour and valuations appear extremely cheap. Here are two Footsie shares that look enticing…

Read more »

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

This elite asset manager just gave up on small-cap UK shares! Should I too?

| Ben McPoland

One of Britain's top institutional investors recently closed down a long-running UK Shares fund after years of poor performance.

Read more »

Sunrise over Earth
Investing Articles

1 extraordinary penny stock I’d buy today at 29p

| Ben McPoland

This intriguing penny stock has fallen 37% this year and now looks significantly undervalued. Here's why it might prove to…

Read more »

Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

If I’d put £10k into this unique FTSE 250 share 15 years ago, I’d have over £1m today

| Ben McPoland

This outstanding FTSE 250 share has made investors an absolute fortune over the past decade and a half. But is…

Read more »

Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

How many Persimmon shares would I need to give up work and live on the passive income?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explores how much he’d need to invest in shares of one of the UK’s leading housebuilders to live…

Read more »

Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim for £5,000 a year in passive income from FTSE 100 shares

| Ben McPoland

Many FTSE 100 shares have high dividend yields at the moment. Here's how I'd try to take advantage of that…

Read more »

Young Black man sat in front of laptop while wearing headphones
Investing Articles

2 shares I’d buy instantly during a stock market crash

| Ben McPoland

Many investors keep a shopping list of shares they'd like to buy during a stock market crash. Here are the…

Read more »

The Troat Inn on River Cherwell in Oxford. England
Investing Articles

I’d buy this unloved FTSE 100 stock and hold it for 10 years

| Ben McPoland

The share price of this FTSE 100 firm is the same now as it was in 2019. Yet its fundamentals…

Read more »

Investing Articles

I’d buy 11,650 shares of this high-yield wind farm stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

Investing in dividend shares is a tried-and-tested way of generating passive income. Here’s one green energy stock that I’d buy…

Read more »

Diverse group of friends cheering sport at bar together
Investing Articles

If I’d put $5,000 in Manchester United shares at the start of last season, here’s how much I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) shares have risen strongly over the last few months as the long-running takeover saga has dragged on.

Read more »

Young mixed-race woman looking out of the window with a look of consternation on her face
Investing Articles

Up 16% in days! Should I buy Serco Group shares?

| Ben McPoland

Serco Group is still growing despite the ending of Covid-related contracts last year. The shares are trading cheaply. So is…

Read more »

Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 stock is at a 23-year high! Is it a buy?

| Ben McPoland

This FTSE 100 stock just got a huge analyst upgrade and is powering higher. Yet the price target set indicates…

Read more »

Young Asian man drinking coffee at home and looking at his phone
Investing Articles

Up 20%! Is now the time to buy Wise shares as profits triple?

| Ben McPoland

Wise shares have exploded higher after the UK payments group reported surging profits. Does this make the stock a buy…

Read more »

Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Nvidia is up 178% in 2023! So when will Scottish Mortgage shares rise too?

| Ben McPoland

Many of the AI-related stocks in Scottish Mortgage's portfolio have surged this year. Yet the trust's shares continue to go…

Read more »

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

Hostelworld: should investors buy this small-cap stock as travel recovers?

| Ben McPoland

Hostelworld (LSE:HSW) suffered in the pandemic as travel ground to a halt. But with the industry rebounding strongly, is this…

Read more »

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

Why penny share Braemar plunged 17% today

| Ben McPoland

Braemar (LSE:BMS) stock sank like a stone after announcing a delay to the release of its audited full-year results. Is…

Read more »

Investing Articles

2 rebounding stocks I’ve been buying for my ISA

| Ben McPoland

Here's why this Fool recently added a Canadian e-commerce giant and an exciting UK small-cap to his Stocks and Shares…

Read more »

Two gay men are walking through a Victorian shopping arcade
Investing Articles

What could happen if I invest £5 a day in the stock market for 25 years?

| Ben McPoland

The stock market can be a wealth-building machine if given enough time. But could just a fiver a day invested…

Read more »

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

Turning a high-yield ISA portfolio into a £35k+ yearly second income

| Ben McPoland

Investors living in the UK are able to enjoy the benefits of tax-free ISA accounts to build a sizeable second…

Read more »

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

Should I invest in a Dow Jones ETF?

| Ben McPoland

Around since the 19th century, the Dow Jones has stood the test of time. Our writer explores whether the index…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

These are 2 of the UK’s best growth stocks, according to Baillie Gifford

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland looks at the UK growth stock portfolio of one of the country's largest professional investing firms to consider…

Read more »

Young Asian man shopping in a supermarket
Investing Articles

3 high-yield stocks to consider buying to help fight inflation

| Ben McPoland

The cost of living remains extremely high as we enter the second half of 2023. Here are 3 dividend stocks…

Read more »

Smiling senior white man talking through telephone while using laptop at desk.
Investing Articles

Could the Legal & General share price be heading above 300p in 2024?

| Ben McPoland

The Legal & General share price has stagnated in recent years. But a new CEO is due to start in…

Read more »

2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

FTSE 100 shares: winners and losers so far in 2023

| Ben McPoland

The FTSE 100 may be flat so far this year, but that doesn't mean there haven't been big moves up…

Read more »

Road trip. Father and son travelling together by car
Investing Articles

If I invest £10,000 in National Grid shares, how much passive income could I receive?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explores how much passive income he could expect to generate from a £10k investment in the UK’s energy…

Read more »

Smiling family of four enjoying breakfast at sunrise while camping
Investing Articles

Here’s how I’d aim to generate £10,000 of passive income from FTSE 100 stocks

| Ben McPoland

FTSE 100 stocks have been paying investors a regular income stream for decades. Here's how I'd try to emulate that…

Read more »

Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

If I’d put £5,000 in Darktrace shares at the start of 2023, here’s how much I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

Darktrace is a fast-growing UK company using artificial intelligence to provide cybersecurity solutions. Should investors buy the shares?

Read more »

Middle-aged Caucasian woman deep in thought while looking out of the window
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 stocks I wish I’d bought during the 2020 stock market crash!

| Ben McPoland

The stock market crashed in 2020 as the pandemic unfolded. But many Footsie shares have since rebounded very strongly. Here's…

Read more »

Solar panels fields on the green hills
Investing Articles

I’d buy 13,366 shares of this FTSE 250 dividend stock for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

This FTSE 250 stock seems to have been forgotten despite specialising in an industry that is poised for major growth…

Read more »

Sunrise over Earth
Investing Articles

Should I buy Virgin Galactic stock as it rockets above $5?

| Ben McPoland

Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) stock is up 40% in pre-market trading in New York. Is now the time to invest in…

Read more »

British union jack flag and Parliament house at city of Westminster in the background
Investing Articles

New potential FTSE 100 share listing scrapped! But does it really matter?

| Ben McPoland

WE Soda has scrapped its plans for an IPO, depriving London of a possible new FTSE 100 share. Here's why…

Read more »

Two white male workmen working on site at an oil rig
Investing Articles

Should I buy Shell stock after its 15% dividend boost?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer considers whether investors should consider buying Shell stock after the oil giant's latest dividend raise and buyback announcement.

Read more »

Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

Here’s why the Games Workshop share price jumped above £100 today

| Ben McPoland

The Games Workshop (LSE:GAW) share price is rising after the figurine maker updated the market this morning. But is there…

Read more »

The Troat Inn on River Cherwell in Oxford. England
Investing Articles

Down 59%! Should investors buy Fevertree shares today?

| Ben McPoland

Fevertree shares have been on a downward trajectory over the last few years. Could now be a good time for…

Read more »

Silhouette of a bull standing on top of a landscape with the sun setting behind it
Investing Articles

The S&P 500 has entered a new bull market. Is the FTSE 100 next?

| Ben McPoland

The S&P 500 crossed over into a bull market last week. What's the likelihood of that happening to the FTSE…

Read more »

View of Tower Bridge in Autumn
Investing Articles

If I invest £10,000 in a FTSE 100 Index ETF, how much passive income would I receive?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland looks at how much passive income investors could expect to receive from a £10k investment in the UK's…

Read more »

Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Investing Articles

Should investors buy this FTSE 100 stock near 52-week lows?

| Ben McPoland

This FTSE 100 stock has lost more than half its value in one year. Is now an opportunistic time to…

Read more »

Tanker coming in to dock in calm waters and a clear sunset
Investing Articles

3 penny stocks paying rising passive income!

| Ben McPoland

Not all penny stocks are risky biotechs or junior gold miners. Some have profits and pay out dividends. Here are…

Read more »

Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

No passive income at 35? I’d follow Warren Buffett and aim for decades of dividends

| Ben McPoland

Warren Buffett has been investing for eight decades. Yet it's never too late for anyone to start building passive income…

Read more »