Andrew's Story

Tips, hunches and guesswork. My starting point was that I knew nothing - in fact, I had little more than business experience and casual interest. My first investments were scattergun; a mix of companies that fit one or more of a few criteria:

• I liked or admired the company
• I thought the company was a leader or innovator
• I thought the share price looked cheap
• It got tipped in the media

There was very little science involved. I did do some general research and even built my own spreadsheet of criteria (mainly taken from my online broker's web pages). As a relative newcomer, the benefits of Stockopedia quickly came to my attention.

It's changed my approach completely. It's the foundation now of all my investment research, education and actions. I've found the following things are of huge benefit to me:

1) Data - Stockopedia gives me structure I didn't have previously and is the #1 reason I subscribed. I can see nearly everything I might want to know about a company. Every company is ranked using Stockopedia's own algorithms - a vital metric I didn't have before. I use this data to easily identify and monitor companies that meet my investment criteria.

2) Analysis - The depth of analysis provided by Stockopedia team members, freelancers, and experienced investors is staggering. When I identify a company I might be interested in using the data tools, I don't make any decision without checking for analysis and news within Stockopedia. There's in-depth analysis at a company level and a macro level, which I appreciate for considering trends. Stockopedia's community and expertise is a real bonus.

3) Management - The portfolio management tools help me monitor performance and risk for the portfolio as a whole, and companies individually.

4) Education - I'm learning through the data provided, expert insights, helpful on-page explainers and lots of videos. I'm even reading books that I would not have heard of otherwise, which is a significant benefit.

5) Strategy - Before Stockopedia I had very little idea about the different styles of investing. Over time, it's helped me work out what I want to achieve, and how I can do it.

In summary - I now don't act without first referring to Stockopedia. Stockopedia gives me access to pre-analysed data and experienced professional expertise I could not hope to get elsewhere.

My results are improving. As a relative newcomer I still trade too often, have got into positions too late, got out of positions too late, and most definitely sold when I shouldn't. However, I think I now achieve more in less time with Stockopedia as nearly everything I need is at my fingertips. It's also a bit less stressful because I trust the data. Even taking into account a volatile market my portfolio has done well. Stockopedia has paid for many times over - to use an investing term, I'd describe my investment in Stockopedia as a significant multi-bagger!

It's all in the name - Stockopedia is the encyclopaedia for private stock investors. It's a very rich resource that can very quickly pay back. Initially I was resistant to spending money on Stockopedia that I could be spending on buying shares, but it's no longer a concern - after all, quality matters more than quantity. I've not found anything else that compares.