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AAII is an independent nonprofit corporation formed in 1978 to assist individuals in becoming effective managers of their own assets through programs of education, information and research.
Our founder, the late James B. Cloonan, Ph.D., started the Association because there was no defender and promoter of the individual investor. All publications, tools and focus went to financial managers and bankers who managed millions or billions of dollars. Those wanting to forge their own financial destiny had no one on their side.
Cloonan firmly believed that with the right education and information, individual investors have inherent advantages over their institutional counterparts and can regularly outperform the market—and the firms who spend unthinkable sums to beat it.
This is because you, as an individual investor, have the unique ability to invest where firms cannot. Large institutions generally cannot effectively invest in the stocks of smaller companies or in less-liquid issues, both of which characteristics have generally performed best in the long run. Individual investors can also focus on a broader time horizon rather than needing to meet quarterly goals for the sake of job security or bonuses.
With the right resources and mentorship, these benefits can amount to substantial extra wealth.
Cloonan's dedication to empowering individual investors defines AAII and vitalizes our commitment to you. We pride ourselves on remaining an independent voice not reliant on commissions, advertising revenue or kickbacks from large corporations.
Because of this independence, our revenue and mission align perfectly. We succeed along with our members. If our offerings lose value, we will lose membership and money. But as we stay true to our mission and supply the analysis and tools needed to achieve personal financial goals, our members will continue to stay with us and the Association will thrive. We are entirely committed to you.
AAII makes its money through membership dues. We supplement this by selling premium products and newsletters (you can learn more about them here).
This business model is not meant to bait-and-switch members. Rather, regular AAII membership gives most members everything they need to succeed in the market. But some want more: They want investment discovery tools or newsletters and model portfolios that outline a specific investing approach. We don't take this ask lightly.
We hire developers and analysts to build and run these products. To offset those costs and have dedicated resources for improving our offerings, we need to charge for premium services.
But unlike other companies, we don't create newsletters for the sake of quick revenue. Each product we put together takes years of extensive research and comes at the behest of our members. We respond to your needs and take the time to do it right.
And that's the ethos we have at AAII. We promise you no get-rich-quick schemes. There are no stock recommendations to turn you into a millionaire overnight. We will never shout into your ear the possible next Amazon or a stock that will “go to the moon.”
Instead, we believe in investing the right way, building a solid foundation of education, using tools to validate ideas and hunches, letting data and research guide decision-making and investing for the long term—not to meet quarterly goals or change your life by the time the sun again rises.
Our promise to you: We will be behind you, supporting you, giving you everything you need to succeed at each step in your investing journey. |
