Where Yield Investors Get Bold Ideas
A $220 fee keeps out the riffraff.
Most stock message boards make no distinction among the wise, the wild and the wacky. Jokes, political rants and absurd predictions often obscure thoughtful posts. Some investors, frustrated by the noise, have gravitated to more-exclusive forums that don't suffer fools gladly. One such round table is ValueForum.com.
At $220, the annual cover charge helps keep out the riffraff. Still, the site has attracted some 1,400 participants. Among them are semiretired energy consultant William Nichols, 57, who lives in Alberta's oil patch and holds forth on Canadian royalty trusts, and Glen Peterson, 49, a former computer salesman from Northfield, Minn., who digs into coal stocks.
Dividend hounds abound. They write at length about real estate investment trusts, business-development companies and other high-yield investments. The typical participant is a retiree, 55 or older, who actively manages his or her holdings, says co-founder Adam Menzel.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
ValueForum may be pricey for infrequent traders or those with small portfolios. If you're in that category, try ClearStation.com instead. It's free and, like ValueForum, it lets participants rate posters' advice. But you'll have to work harder at ClearStation to sift out the bad ideas.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Claiming the Standard Deduction? Here Are Five Tax Breaks for Retirement in 2025
Tax Tips If you’re retired and filing taxes, these five tax credits and deductions could provide thousands in relief (if you qualify).
-
QUIZ: Test Your Retirement IQ
Quiz Are you smarter than…everyone else? Test your retirement smarts with this quiz.
-
How to Invest for Rising Data Integrity Risk
Amid a broad assault on venerable institutions, President Trump has targeted agencies responsible for data critical to markets. How should investors respond?
-
What Tariffs Mean for Your Sector Exposure
New, higher and changing tariffs will ripple through the economy and into share prices for many quarters to come.
-
How to Invest for Fall Rate Cuts by the Fed
The probability the Fed cuts interest rates by 25 basis points in October is now greater than 90%.
-
Are Buffett and Berkshire About to Bail on Kraft Heinz Stock?
Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway own a lot of Kraft Heinz stock, so what happens when they decide to sell KHC?
-
How the Stock Market Performed in the First 6 Months of Trump's Second Term
Six months after President Donald Trump's inauguration, take a look at how the stock market has performed.
-
Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged: What the Experts Are Saying
Federal Reserve As widely expected, the Federal Open Market Committee took a 'wait-and-see' approach toward borrowing costs.
-
Fed Sees Fewer Rate Cuts in 2025: What the Experts Are Saying
Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected, but the future path of borrowing costs became more opaque.
-
Fed Cuts Rates Again: What the Experts Are Saying
Federal Reserve The central bank continued to ease, but a new administration in Washington clouds the outlook for future policy moves.