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Ben McPoland

Ben is an investment writer who has contributed more than 2,000 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

Why the stock market will never be boring

| Ben McPoland

The stock market is a gigantic wealth-making machine if used correctly. But it's also extremely unpredictable and entertaining.

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

How much would I need to invest in stocks to give up work and live off passive income?

| Ben McPoland

Quitting the nine-to-five grind to live off passive income from dividends sounds like the ultimate dream to many people. But…

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

Why the boohoo share price is falling 10% today

| Ben McPoland

The boohoo share price has been declining for some time now. But today it's down even further. What on earth's…

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

Should I buy Lloyds shares or avoid them like the plague?

| Ben McPoland

Lloyds shares are cheap and offer a market-beating dividend yield. But then so do many other FTSE 100 stocks. So…

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

Why I love Diageo stock

| Ben McPoland

Diageo stock is broadly flat over the last year. Yet there are many things to admire about the spirits giant…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Why I’ve just invested £1,000 in Scottish Mortgage shares

| Ben McPoland

Scottish Mortgage (LON: SMT) shares looked cheap to me months ago. Then they kept falling. Here's why I finally said…

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Tabletop model of a bear sat on desk in front of monitors showing stock charts
Investing Articles

My ISA is ready for a stock market crash

| Ben McPoland

Our writer has been repositioning his portfolio lately in preparation for a possible stock market meltdown. Here's his thinking.

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Middle-aged white male courier delivering boxes to young black lady
Investing Articles

Should I buy or sell Shopify stock after it blasted 23% higher?

| Ben McPoland

Shopify stock exploded upwards yesterday after the e-commerce giant released its latest quarterly earnings. What caused this huge surge?

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Investing Articles

2 world-class FTSE 100 shares that aren’t banks or mining stocks

| Ben McPoland

The London Stock Exchange is home to many companies with huge global operations. Here are two FTSE 100 shares that…

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

Monster 9.6% yield! Is this one of the best FTSE dividend stocks to buy today?

| Ben McPoland

There's a bewildering choice of quality FTSE shares offering investors a rising income. Here's why this one is catching my…

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Investing Articles

Turning a £20k ISA into a passive income stream of £1,200 a year!

| Ben McPoland

Here's how I'd aim to turn the £20k ISA contribution limit into average passive income of £100 a month by…

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Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

Should I buy Ocado shares at £5? Here’s what the charts say

| Ben McPoland

Ocado shares are the worst performers in the FTSE 100 over the last year. Is this unpopular stock now a…

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

Down 94%! Is there any hope for penny share Superdry?

| Ben McPoland

This penny share has lost most of its value over the last few years. But could there now be hidden…

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Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares I’d buy for a £20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

The Footsie would be my go-to index if I were starting a new Stocks and Shares ISA today. Here are…

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

Down 17% to 94%! 3 penny stocks I’m watching like a hawk

| Ben McPoland

These penny stocks have caught my eye recently. Here's why I'll be monitoring them with a view to making a…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

2 unique growth stocks Id buy in May

| Ben McPoland

Some of the best companies to invest in are those that are almost impossible to replicate. Here are two growth…

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Middle-aged white male courier delivering boxes to young black lady
Investing Articles

Can the boohoo share price rise 665% to 395p?

| Ben McPoland

The boohoo (LON:BOO) share price remains in the doldrums in 2023. But could a new company growth plan be about…

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

Here’s how many ITV shares I’d need for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

ITV is the UK's oldest commercial TV network. Here Ben McPoland considers whether he should invest in this media stock…

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Young Asian woman with head in hands at her desk
Investing Articles

Down 57%! Will Scottish Mortgage shares ever be loved again?

| Ben McPoland

Scottish Mortgage (LON:SMT) shares have reached 52-week lows recently. So should I be buying or selling this FTSE 100 stock…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Get ready for a stock market crash, says this elite investor

| Ben McPoland

One experienced investor reckons a dramatic stock market crash could due soon. Here's what I'm doing to prepare in case…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

3 top investment trusts I’d buy for a new £20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA

| Ben McPoland

Investment trusts can play an important and lucrative part in a portfolio. Here's three that are exposed to massive global…

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

For a shot at a £1,000 annual second income, I’d buy 16,000 shares of this UK property stock

| Ben McPoland

Our writer looks at one REIT that has struggled over the past year. However, this high-yield stock could still generate…

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Young female couple boarding their plane at the airport to go on holiday.
Investing Articles

3 things about Rolls-Royce shares that smart investors know

| Ben McPoland

Rolls-Royce shares are up 109% in six months. Clearly many astute investors spotted a few key reasons to buy a…

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

Warren Buffett upped his Diageo shares by 100%! Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

The Oracle of Omaha's company is now the 10th largest shareholder of the UK drinks giant. Should I load up…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

If I’d invested £2,000 in Alibaba shares 6 months ago, here’s what I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) shares have been gaining in popularity recently. But does this rise warrant me adding the e-commerce giant…

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Electric charging station symbol and inscription on a street
Investing Articles

What happened to the Tesla share price correction?

| Ben McPoland

After plunging 65% in 2022, the Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) share price has rocketed around 73% so far this year. What…

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

I’d buy 1,830 shares of National Grid for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

Investing in stocks is a simple but powerful way of generating extra passive income. Here’s what I’d buy to aim…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

2 top growth stocks to buy for the next bull market!

| Ben McPoland

Rising indexes are leading this Fool to believe that a sustained rally may be building. Here are two stock he'll…

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Mature friends at a dinner party
Investing Articles

Could investing £500 a month in the stock market make me rich?

| Ben McPoland

The stock market has created vast wealth over long periods. But could it still deliver life-changing returns if I invest…

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British Isles on nautical map
Investing Articles

Are BAE Systems shares still cheap at £10? Here’s what the charts say

| Ben McPoland

There's been a near doubling in the price of BAE Systems shares over the past two years. Do they offer…

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Black woman using loudspeaker to be heard
Investing Articles

Why is everyone talking about Glencore stock?

| Ben McPoland

Glencore stock has bounced higher recently as the Swiss miner continues to make headlines. What's going on here and should…

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The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

Should I invest in the FTSE 100 or the S&P 500?

| Ben McPoland

Both the FTSE 100 and its US counterpart offer investors a quick and easy way to diversify their portfolios. But…

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Back view of blue NIO EP9 electric vehicle
Investing Articles

Could buying NIO shares at $9 be like investing in Tesla in 2010?

| Ben McPoland

NIO shares are now back where they started in September 2018. So is this a golden opportunity to buy the…

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Young Caucasian woman at the street withdrawing money at the ATM
Investing Articles

If I’d put £1,000 into Santander shares 6 months ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Ben McPoland

Santander shares have performed extremely strongly lately. But how much would I have today if I'd invested a grand in…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

2 penny stocks under 99p that I’d buy in April

| Ben McPoland

Penny stocks have the potential to deliver exceptional returns. Here are two that I think could outperform the market over…

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Young Asian man shopping in a supermarket
Investing Articles

Should I buy Tesco shares for rising passive income?

| Ben McPoland

The UK's number-one supermarket has reigned supreme for nearly three decades. But can its shares provide me with a rising…

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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

Could FTSE 100 banks supercharge a £20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Bank stocks are much cheaper than they were a month ago. Could they deliver superior returns to a Stocks and…

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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

3 ETFs I’d buy and hold for 10 years

| Ben McPoland

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a great way to invest in mega-trends and diversify a portfolio. Here's three that I'd…

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Young woman working at modern office. Technical price graph and indicator, red and green candlestick chart and stock trading computer screen background.
Investing Articles

Here’s how many Hargreaves Lansdown shares I’d need for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Ben McPoland

Hargreaves Lansdown shares are down 53% over the last five years. Here, I look at how much I'd need to…

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Happy African American Man Hugging New Car In Auto Dealership
Investing Articles

Should I buy Ferrari or Aston Martin shares?

| Ben McPoland

It's been a tale of contrasting fortunes for Ferrari and Aston Martin shares over the last few years. Are either…

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