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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

A senior man using hiking poles, on a hike on a coastal path along the coastline of Cornwall.
Investing Articles

3 key lessons from Warren Buffett’s final letter as CEO

| Ben McPoland

Warren Buffett has minted many millionaires over the decades due to his truly legendary track record investing in the stock…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Down 17% in days, this top S&P 500 stock now looks on sale to me

| Ben McPoland

This dominant S&P 500 company has an incredible 3.54bn users logging on to at least one of its apps every…

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

ChatGPT and Gemini warn AI is a 7/10 threat to this FTSE 100 stock

| Ben McPoland

If one artificial intelligence chatbot is to be believed, this high-quality FTSE 100 stock could be set to fall much…

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

£10,000 invested in Diageo shares just last week is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Might Diageo finally be about to make long-suffering shareholders money again? Ben McPoland thinks the new CEO appointment is a…

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

I was a huge fan of Greggs shares, then this happened…

| Ben McPoland

After years of strong performance, Greggs shares have fallen off a cliff in 2025. But this writer thinks the FTSE…

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piggy bank, searching with binoculars
Investing Articles

Is the mother of all stock market crashes on the horizon?

| Ben McPoland

As AI enthusiasm keeps lifting the stock market, Ben McPoland highlights one under-the-radar UK share that might deserve investors’ attention.

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Up 95% since April! Is this ex-penny stock ready to explode at 17p?

| Ben McPoland

This high-flying rare earth stock is still trading for pennies, potentially offering an opportunity for risk-tolerant investors.

Read more »

Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

5,000 Lloyds shares could pay this much passive income…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland considers whether Lloyds shares still offer juicy passive income prospects after the huge bull run since 2020.

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Dear Rolls-Royce shareholders, mark your calendars for 13 November

| Ben McPoland

Rolls-Royce shares have been stuck in neutral recently. But there could be a big catalyst coming up soon for this…

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Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

2 growth stocks I’m backing to grow my ISA by 2030 

| Ben McPoland

These two growth shares have not set the world on fire inside Ben McPoland's ISA. In fact, one has set…

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

I asked ChatGPT if Rachel Reeves’ Budget will crash the UK stock market and it said…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland will have his eye on one FTSE 100 dividend stock later this month if the Chancellor's Budget causes…

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The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target £766 a week in passive income?

| Ben McPoland

A Stocks and Shares ISA account shields dividends from the taxman, allowing portfolio returns to compound at a far higher…

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Artillery rocket system aimed to the sky and soldiers at sunset.
Investing Articles

BAE Systems or Rolls-Royce? Here’s the City’s share price verdict 

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland checks out the Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems share price and dividend forecasts to help him decide which FTSE…

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UK coloured flags waving above large crowd on a stadium sport match.
Investing Articles

Up 699% since April, 85% of analysts still rate this FTSE 250 stock as a Buy

| Ben McPoland

This blistering-hot FTSE 250 stock has quadrupled inside four months. Interestingly though, it still remains 76% beneath its five-year high.

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Three young adults drinking cans of J20 Spritz in a pub garden
Investing Articles

Down 55%, is now the time to buy Diageo shares for my ISA?

| Ben McPoland

Now languishing at a 10-year low, bombed-out Diageo shares appear dirt-cheap and are sporting a respectable dividend yield.

Read more »

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

Michael Burry just made a big bet against Palantir stock! Time to buy?

| Ben McPoland

The famed investor portrayed in the Hollywood film The Big Short thinks Palantir stock is in an AI bubble and…

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A senior woman and young girl help out in the greenhouse at the local farm.
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a SIPP to aim for a £37,430 pension income?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland shows how investing less than £1,000 per month in a SIPP can compound to create a portfolio near…

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

I asked ChatGPT when Greggs shares will recover from the 51% crash and it said…

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland asks artificial intelligence for things to look out for that might signal a big turnaround in the shocking…

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

Amazon stock’s huge 12% jump is excellent news for these FTSE 100 shares

| Ben McPoland

For investors wanting technology exposure at a discount, these high-quality FTSE shares are well worth digging into right now.

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The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

1 UK stock to consider buying under 400p

| Ben McPoland

The FTSE 100 may be moving higher, but some sectors remain out of favour with UK stock investors, offering timely…

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

Up 14% yesterday, is it the end for this train wreck in my Stocks and Shares ISA? 

| Ben McPoland

This Nasdaq biotech in my Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio just got a shot in the arm. Here's why I'm…

Read more »

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

£5,000 invested in Santander shares just 6 months ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

The recent performance of this surging European bank stock has surprised our writer. Is it still worth considering right now?

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

Thank goodness I didn’t invest in WPP a year ago when the share price was 827p! 

| Ben McPoland

Down 16% today and 63% year to date, the shocking WPP share price is now in crisis mode. What on…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

Insiders have been selling Rolls-Royce shares at £11. Time to worry?

| Ben McPoland

A couple of Rolls-Royce executives sold some shares earlier this week. How many did they sell? And should I join…

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Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

This FTSE 250 stock is smashing the market in 2025!

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland highlights a FTSE 250 stock that has vaulted 40% higher so far in 2025. What's going on? And…

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Black father and two young daughters dancing at home
Investing Articles

£5,000 invested in NIO stock just 3 months ago is now worth…

| Ben McPoland

Despite rising sharply in recent months, NIO stock remains more than 85% down from a 2021 all-time high. Is it…

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Senior Adult Black Female Tourist Admiring London
Investing Articles

Meet the skyrocketing FTSE 250 stock that is crushing Rolls-Royce and Nvidia 

| Ben McPoland

This FTSE 250 stock has surged nearly 50% in just over a week and 200% in 12 months, wiping the…

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Friends at the bay near the village of Diabaig on the side of Loch Torridon in Wester Ross, Scotland. They are taking a break from their bike ride to relax and chat. They are laughing together.
Investing Articles

3 strategies to target passive income in an ISA

| Ben McPoland

Spare £20k in an ISA? Our writer outlines three strategies that could be pursued to target passive income, either now…

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

2 FTSE 100 stocks down 19% and 61% to consider in November 

| Ben McPoland

Hunting for high-quality FTSE 100 stocks for an ISA portfolio? Our writer thinks this pair have strong turnaround potential.

Read more »

Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

Investing just £99 a week in the stock market could build a £53,137 passive income 

| Ben McPoland

Our writer shows how modest sums of money invested regularly into the stock market could turn a portfolio into a…

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Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

After 5 years of underperforming the S&P 500, this stock could be about to surge 

| Ben McPoland

Find out why this writer thinks one high-quality S&P 500 stock looks well positioned to outperform over the next few…

Read more »

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

As the gold price dips, this FTSE 100 stock has crashed 23%!

| Ben McPoland

Is Fresnillo stock worth serious consideration after losing nearly a quarter of its value in the FTSE 100 in the…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

Down 43%, this penny share is sporting a 5.3% dividend yield

| Ben McPoland

Despite being on a downwards trajectory lately, this penny share offers strong rebound potential alongside a decent dividend yield.

Read more »

Investing Articles

Here’s what Warren Buffett says will be the biggest ‘growth industry of all time’

| Ben McPoland

Billionaire Warren Buffett warns that AI-powered scams could be set to rise dramatically. So which industry might explode higher alongside?

Read more »

Night Takeoff Of The American Space Shuttle
Investing Articles

1 rocket firm I’ll buy for my Stocks and Shares ISA in a market crash

| Ben McPoland

Our writer reveals a space company that's currently on his market crash buy list. Why is he keen to add…

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

Down 16% since July! Should I buy BT for my Stocks and Shares ISA?

| Ben McPoland

This writer weighs up the pros and cons for BT shares before deciding whether he’ll add this FTSE 100 dividend…

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Mature friends at a dinner party
Investing Articles

Could this penny stock be a millionaire-maker at 38p?

| Ben McPoland

The business behind this intriguing penny stock just announced it’s harvested a bumper crop from its English vineyards.

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

How big does an ISA need to be for someone to quit work and retire early?

| Ben McPoland

Ben McPoland explores how long it might realistically take to reach financial freedom investing regularly in a Stocks and Shares…

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Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

Should I buy growth or value stocks in 2026?

| Ben McPoland

Our writer explains why abandoning simplistic, binary concepts related to value and growth stocks can lead to market-beating returns.

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

By 2026, Greggs could be serving up annual passive income of…

| Ben McPoland

Greggs' shares have crashed nearly 50% in a little over 12 months! Do they now offer as much value as…

Read more »