The answer that is rarely exciting (but works)
We tested dozens of ways to pick stocks that beat the market: classic measures, famous investors, stocks after a fall, waiting for a better moment. Almost nothing worked in the 2016-2026 data. What works reliably is boring: own the whole market cheaply and do not leave out of fear.
- In the typical ten-year period since 1993, every rule that waited for "a better moment" ended with 4-7% less money than investing every month.
- Missing only the S&P 500's 10 best days from 1993 to 2026 cut the return from 10.8% to 8.1% a year.
How much?
A small amount every month (€50-300)
This is the most common and the best start. Pick one broad, EU-registered (UCITS) ETF: for example a whole-world fund (such as VWCE) or one on the 500 largest US companies (such as CSPX). Buy on the same date every month. With small amounts fees matter most: pick a broker with no or low purchase commission and a fund with a yearly fee below 0.25%.
€10,000 at once
Same rules, the mistakes just cost more:
- First keep a reserve of 3-6 months of expenses. It is not an investment.
- Spread the money in a broad fund, not in 2-3 "hot" stocks.
- Do not wait for a crash to get in. In our tests, waiting lost.
Check your own stocks Upload your portfolio or add the stocks you own: we check them every week and tell you when something changes. Open My stocks
What about single stocks?
Single stocks make sense if you want to understand the business and can hold for years. Then check three things: debt, whether profit arrives as cash, and what you pay for it. Our A-F grade does not predict winners, but it does predict risk: stocks graded A or B fell more than 30% in a year 2-3 times less often than D or F (S&P 500, 2016-2026).
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) · In our weekly check, Microsoft Corporation is graded A (A to F). Of 25 checks on debt, profit, cash flow and trend: 22 pass, warnings: 2, red flags: 1.
What people are searching for right now
- ETFs: interest rose sharply from autumn 2025; the most searched fund is VWCE.
- Brokers: Interactive Brokers and Trading 212 are the most searched in Bulgaria.
- Stocks: NVIDIA, Apple, Palantir, Meta and Coca-Cola are among the most searched companies.
You can see each of these stocks in our list, with its grade and the checks behind it.
Every stock we check More than 2,500 stocks with their A-F grade, by sector. See all stocks
Three mistakes that cost the most
- Buying a story. "The next NVIDIA" is rarely the next NVIDIA.
- Leaving out of fear. The best days come right after the worst.
- High fees. A 1.5% yearly fee instead of 0.2% eats about a third of the final amount over 30 years.
This page is educational, not personal investment advice. Decisions depend on your situation, goals and time horizon.