Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club Review: Is It Worth It?

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This CNBC Investing Club review will provide an in-depth analysis of Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club to help you determine if a subscription makes sense for you.

CNBC Investing Club

Quick Summary:

The CNBC Investing Club is a subscription-based membership that offers its members nearly real-time notifications of the Trust’s latest trading activity.

Jim Cramer created the Investing Club to help all investors build long-term wealth in the stock market, and the  CNBC Investing Club is now the official home of Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.

Overall Rating:

Stock Analysis:

Tools & Features:

Ease of Use:

Price:

Best For:

Active Traders

Momentum-oriented traders

PROS

  • Real-time investment advice
  • Monthly meetings with Jim Cramer
  • Community engagement

CONS

  • Pricey
  • Some duplicate content found on other CNBC shows
  • No personalization

Price:

$49.99/mo

$299.99/year (20% discount from monthly price)

Features:

Access to actual stock picks made by Jim Cramer

Exclusive investing articles

Access to Charitable Trust portfolio holdings

Nearly real-time trade alerts

Mobile App?

No

Current Promotions:

20% off Yearly Subscription

In this CNBC Investing Club Review, we’ll cover various topics, including the Club’s main features, pros and cons, user experience, and credibility and reliability. We will also provide performance metrics and suggest alternatives to help you make informed investment decisions.

About Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer is a seasoned investment guru best known for his role on CNBC’s “Mad Money,” offering investment advice and market insights. Capitalizing on his years of experience in the financial industry, Jim Cramer has launched the CNBC Investing Club. This platform aims to provide actionable investment strategies and exclusive insights from Cramer himself.

CNBC Investing Club

What is the CNBC Investing Club?

The CNBC Investing Club is a subscription-service membership that offers its members nearly real-time notifications of the Trust’s latest trading activity, market news and insights from Cramer and his team.

Jim Cramer created the Investing Club to help all investors build long-term wealth in the stock market, and the  CNBC Investing Club is now the official home of Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.

It’s the only place where you can see every stock pick Jim and his team make for the charitable Trust’s portfolio and get Jim’s market insights before anyone else. 

Jim Cramer plays with an open hand and wants to help investors invest smarter.

Jim established the Trust in 2005 with a personal contribution of $3 million so that he could manage a real investment portfolio within the Trust as a teaching tool for managing your own stock portfolio, having his own money at risk, and share his investment ideas and trading strategy with viewers on CNBC and subscribers to his Investing Club.

How Does CNBC Investing Club Work?

As a paid member of the Investing Club, you gain access to live virtual monthly Club meetings, daily live videos, daily news and analysis, dedicated email newsletters, and access to the Club home on CNBC.

The Club’s monthly scheduled meetings with Jim and his team are around 1 hour in length and review the holdings in the Charitable Trust and answer questions submitted by Club members. 

These live discussions are also available to members after the event.

Furthermore, members receive trade alert notifications 45 minutes before Jim makes a trade for his charitable Trust.

Key Features

Below, we explore some of the key features of the Investing Club to help you decide if it makes sense for you.

Morning Thoughts

Every morning before market opening, the Club distributes Cramer’s Morning Thoughts via email and online. The “thoughts” consist of a list covering various subjects like earnings summaries, macroeconomic updates, analyst ratings, and upcoming earnings reports.

Cramer typically adds his perspective on each topic. While the information isn’t necessarily actionable, it provides a valuable quick market snapshot each morning.

Morning Meeting

Jim Cramer and Jeff Marks host “The Morning Meeting” at 10:30 a.m. daily, a livestream about market trends and key topics. The meeting is also available for playback. I’ve watched the meeting a few times, it’s decent, but nothing life-changing.

CNBC Investing Club

Monthly Meeting

Each month, Cramer hosts a roughly two-hour, in-depth meeting to discuss:

  • The current state of the market and economy
  • Recent portfolio trades
  • Strategy for upcoming weeks

Before the meeting, the Club encourages members to submit questions for Jim to answer on air. Some members also have the opportunity to film themselves asking the question and then submit the video to be included in the live meeting.

Trade Alerts

As an investing club member, you get trade alerts with 45 minutes of advance notice and the rationale behind all the portfolio team’s decisions to buy or sell shares. If Jim discusses the stock on CNBC TV, Jim waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

Once a trade is executed, the Club informs members of the number of shares purchased, the purchase price, and the change in portfolio weighting. Plus, Jim’s reasoning for the buy or sell decision. 

This insight can help investors decide how Jim’s trading activity could help drive decisions within their portfolio.

Portfolio Access

As a member, you get full access to Jim Cramer’s charitable trust portfolio, including access to all the stocks in the charitable Trust. There are about 30 stocks in the portfolio at one time, including names like Apple and Alphabet, software firms like Nvidia and AMD, and defensive plays such as Costco.

Inside the portfolio, stocks are rated between 1 and 4:

  • “1” means stocks that they would buy right now
  • “2” means stocks that they would add on a pullback
  • “3” means stocks that they would sell on strength
  • “4” means stocks that they want to unload

There also are some stocks that are so-called “Core Holding.”

These “Core Holding” are companies that Cramer thinks should be held for the long term because, on a financial level, they have high returns on equity, strong margins, and low debt.

Exclusive Articles and News

As a member of the investing club, you can access exclusive articles related to the stock market and investing, not available anywhere else.

Membership Options and Cost

The CNBC Investing Club offers a monthly and an annual subscription. The yearly subscription allows users to save 20% versus the month-to-monthly subscription. However, there is no free trial, which can be helpful if you’re skeptical about going all-in.

  • Monthly Membership: $49.99/month. No long-term contract
  • Annual Membership: $299/year, save 20% compared to the monthly membership

By breaking down these aspects, we aim to provide you with the essential information to decide if Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club is the right investment platform for you. I like the simple pricing of the investing club. There are not 6 options like some other investing platforms, making it easy for you to decide whether you want the service.

Pros and Cons Explained

Expert Insights

  • Gain access to Jim Cramer’s decades of investing experience, offering a unique learning opportunity.

Real-Time Investment Advice

  • Receive timely alerts on buy or sell recommendations, helping you make quick and informed decisions.

Portfolio Tracker

  • Keep tabs on Jim Cramer’s portfolio, serving as a benchmark for your investment strategies.

Exclusive Content

  • Premium articles, videos, and webinars provide deep insights into various investment topics.

Community Engagement

  • The community forum allows for valuable interactions with other like-minded investors.

Cons of Joining CNBC Investing Club

Cost Factor

  • The premium and platinum membership options are Club’svely pricey, especially for novice investors.

Not for Beginners

  • The platform may not be beginner-friendly; some prior investment knowledge is recommended.

Limited Personalization

  • The platform provides generalized advice that may not align with individual investment goals or risk tolerance.

By weighing these pros and cons, you can make a more informed decision about whether the CNBC Investing Club aligns with your investment goals and needs.

Performance Metrics

Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club has a history of offering a diverse range of investment recommendations. These have spanned sectors such as technology, healthcare, and consumer goods. While some picks have outperformed the market significantly, others have been less impressive. Overall, the recommendations show a balanced approach between growth and value investing.

Notable Successes

  • Stocks like Apple and Amazon have been consistent winners, providing returns well above the market average.

Mixed Results

  • Some cyclical stocks, such as those in the energy sector, have shown volatile performance, leading to mixed outcomes.

Returns on Investment

To offer a quantitative perspective, let’s consider hypothetical ROI (Return on Investment) based on the club’s past recommendations:

  • The average ROI for the club’s stock recommendations has been around 12%, as compared to the S&P 500’s average annual returClub’spproximately 10% over the same period.

PerformaClub’smparison Against Market Indices

When compared to major market indices, the club’s portfolio has demonstrated:

  • Slight outperformance against the S&P 500.
  • Comparable performance with specialized indices like the NASDAQ Composite.
  • A higher degree of volatility, given its diverse investment strategies.

Best Alternatives

If you’re interested in learning more about how to research stocks but feel Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club isn’t right for you, don’t fret, there are a large number of alternatives available.

1. Motley Fool Stock Advisor

Motley Fool Stock Advisor
  • Why it Stands Out: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor shines with its specific stock recommendations, backed by detailed analysis and a strong track record of performance. This valuable feature aids investors of all levels in identifying potential investment opportunities in the stock market.
  • Best For: Both novice and experienced investors who appreciate guidance on stock picks and investment strategies
  • Pros: Provides specific stock recommendations, offers in-depth reports, and a solid track record of performance.
  • Cons: Requires a subscription; not all recommended stocks may suit every investor.
  • Price: $199/year
  • Current Promotions: $79 for the first year
Check Out Motley Fool

Read our complete Motley Fool Stock Advisor Review.

Final Thoughts

The concept of getting real-time, actionable insights, from Jim and his team is certainly appealing. Not only are they putting their money where their mouth is, but they also provide helpful daily and monthly commentary to help you make more educated investing decisions.

That said, a monthly price of $49.99 is certainly steep compared to some alternatives; coupled with a lack of personalization and limited investor tools, your money could probably be spent on a more insightful investment newsletter.

Adam Koprucki

Adam is the founder of realworldinvestor.com, an investing website dedicated to helping discerning individuals make the best investment decisions.

Before starting Real World Investor, he was a Senior Vice President at one of the country's largest investment banks. He has over 10 years of experience working in financial services. His experience includes working with complex derivatives while spending many years working on a trading floor.

He has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, majoring in finance.