Why Smart Investors Don’t Buy the S&P 500

Dear Investor, 

Hi, I’m John Bajkowski, president of AAII and lead editor of AAII Shadow Stocks and Stock Superstars Report (SSR). I hope you can take just a few minutes to read through this email because I have some

John Bajkowski 
President, AAII 

important things to share with you — things I’ve learned in the decades I’ve worked here at AAII. 

AAII doesn’t just provide information and theories. We put our money where our mouth is by offering high-quality data and tools that show members exactly how to successfully research and analyze their investments as well as find new opportunities to grow their portfolio. 

We are dedicated to teaching individual investors how to build investment wealth. This email’s purpose is to review how we think and share tools and ideas to help you outpace the market.

Our annual Fall Membership Drive is our way of offering investors like you a personal invitation.

Maybe you’ve seen AAII mentioned in a forum or article or heard about it from a friend who can’t stop talking about the AAII Journal or the Investor Sentiment Survey.

Whatever brought you here, now’s your time to find out what AAII is really about. 

We built this campaign for investors who are new to us, because the best time to get serious about your financial future isn’t January 1, it’s now — before the crowd shows up.

Think Differently About Investing 

We want investors to think differently. To put it simply, you just can’t afford to rely on the “institutional bias” of the financial media, big brokers or supposed “gurus.”  

Our members think differently because they rely on pro-level research, data and tools that help them outperform the market, rather than following the same strategy as the majority of investors who are tied to the S&P 500 index. 

And year after year, our collective success as fellow investors depends on having an independent, objective source of accurate information.  

That’s why AAII was born, and it’s why, more than 45 years and over 2,000,000 members later, it continues to be an invaluable source of investing information, resources and advice that you will not find anywhere else.  

It’s also why we’re inviting you to join as a new member during our Fall Membership Drive.  

In the desert of “me too” investing, AAII is an oasis of fresh … reliable … timely … and unbiased information tailored to support the needs of individual investors whose common goal is to outperform the market.

We’re an association of individuals who use solid research, detailed analysis and personal experience to educate each other about winning investments. Most importantly, we distill market facts, company insights and academic studies into practical, actionable guidelines that our members use to build their wealth. 

AAII Members LOVE our research and analysis tools. One look at the breadth of our tools and stock screen performance tells you exactly why … 

• Driehaus screen, with a 97.3% one-year return and six stocks currently passing 

• O’Shaughnessy Tiny Titans screen, with a 90.0% one-year return based on the 25 passing stocks with the greatest 52-week relative strength 

• Kirkpatrick Growth screen, with a 60.6% one-year return and 33 stocks currently passing 

• Value on the Move PEG With Estimated Growth screen, with a 47.4% one-year return and 28 stocks currently passing 

Performance as of August 31, 2026. 

And those are just four out of the 50+ stock screens you get with your AAII Membership. You can use these as a starting point for vetting new stock ideas for your portfolio or you can follow the screens verbatim. 

Beating the market by following one of our factor or guru predefined stock screens is just ONE of the many benefits our community of investors enjoy. 

Please read this email (and the ones you’ll receive in the days to come) and view the advantages you gain when add AAII’s numerous research and analysis tools to your arsenal for just $198. 

The four secrets I will share with you throughout these emails are just a small sampling of the many benefits you’ll receive when you accept this limited-time offer. They explain why AAII Members are so much more successful than most investors … 

AAII WEALTH SECRET #1: 

Never buy stock in the S&P 500 index 

Why? Virtually all institutions and most mutual funds invest in the companies that make up the S&P 500. But what’s good for big brokers and institutions is NOT what’s best for individual investors. 

The mentality of institutional investors is geared toward “me too” investing — keeping up with competitors and finding companies with trading volume large enough to meet their buying requirements. 

While large-cap companies can make noise when they outperform, this historically only happens about 20% to 30% of the time. I don’t know about you, but I need to be making profits much more regularly. 

Compare that to AAII’s premium data and tools, where our users “play to win.” Our goal is to help you outperform the market with less risk, and the performance of our stock screens shows that we’re meeting that goal. 

Along with our 50+ stock screens, you get countless stock ideas, custom screening tools and A–F Stock Grades that can help you analyze your investments, identify new opportunities and build your portfolio, all for just $198. 

What You Receive as an AAII Member

When you join, you will be poised to make solid profits with immediate access to our entire library of support and resources dedicated to helping you as an individual investor. 

Just take a quick look at what you’ll receive. 

• Stock Screening Tools 

• ETF Screener 

• Mutual Fund Screener 

• The brand-new Investor Hub 

• My Portfolio+ for investment monitoring and analysis 

• Proprietary AAII Stock Grading system 

• Weekly emails with screening analysis and stock ideas  

• Resources that include user guides, videos and emails 

• Additional member benefits like access to the AAII Journal, Model Shadow Stock Portfolio, investor guides, weekly emails, live webinars and more. 

But let’s break down the 3-in-1 investing solution that is included in your AAII Membership, because without knowing exactly what you get, it can be tough to know how you could really use these benefits in your daily investing life and process. 

Stock Research & Analysis Tools

• Custom Stock Screener 

• Stock Evaluator and Grades (A–F) 

• Daily Top/Bottom Stock Lists by Grade 

• Stock Insights Tool 

• Daily Screens From Dozens of Experts 

• Stock Upgrade & Downgrade Alerts 

• Strategy Power Rankings 

• 50+ Prebuilt Stock Screens 

ETF Research & Analysis Tools

• ETF Screener
• ETF Evaluator
• ETF Comparison Tool
• Lists of Consistent Performers
• Lists of Hot & Cold ETFs
• Top-Rated Daily ETF Ideas

Mutual Fund Research & Analysis Tools

• Mutual Fund Screener
• Mutual Fund Evaluator
• Mutual Fund Comparison Tool
• Risk-Adjusted Performance Analysis
• Dozens of Mutual Fund First Cut Tables to Help Generate Ideas
• Benchmarks to Gain Understanding of Recent and Long-Term Market Actions

Perhaps the most important AAII Member benefit is the peace of mind you’ll have knowing your portfolio will have much less risk … and much bigger profits! 

Your AAII Membership ensures that you will be in total control of your investments and more informed about the situations that make them profitable, with immediate access to all the critical information you need to help YOU make the best decisions that yield maximum profits.

Unbeatable Value 

We’re offering you unmatched, unbiased investing guidance and support that can mean a return more than three times higher … all for less than the price of dinner and a show. 

If you were to try to get all these benefits anywhere else, you’d have three main problems. 

Problem #1: Finding investments that align with your specific needs, preferences and goals often involves unnecessary complexity. 

AAII simplifies the process of finding investments that align with your specific needs, preferences and goals without unnecessary complexity. 

Problem #2: Many people want independence from financial advisers and planners so they can make their own financial decisions, but they’re instead met with unrealistic promises of overnight wealth. 

AAII solves this by catering to those who seek independence from financial advisers and planners, showing you how make your own financial decisions based on realistic projections of long-term wealth.

Problem #3: Investment research can be slow, complicated, and time-consuming to learn. 

AAII facilitates quick and straightforward investment research and is easy to learn within a short time frame. 

I think you’ll have to agree with Forbes Magazine, which reported, “The cost to belong is a bargain.” Just one single piece of timely advice found in our weekly emails, stock idea lists or stock screens can be worth hundreds — or more — to your portfolio.  

And with your $198 sale price during our Fall Membership Drive, we can ensure you’re getting the lowest price on our screening and analysis tools.

Invest in Your Bottom Line 

The real reason you should add AAII’s stock, ETF and mutual fund tools to your toolbox right now is your bottom line. 

Remember, that’s where AAII Membership really pays off … with our stock screens that consistently outpace those of the overall market while offering greater diversity and less risk …  

When you join, you’ll get “the best of the AAII tools,” with 50+ predefined stock screens (many which are beating the market, as you saw), AAII Stock Grades Screener, Custom Stock Screener, Custom ETF and Mutual Fund Screeners, proprietary stock grading system, and so much more. 

This week only, during our Fall Membership Drive, a select group of investors can get a one-year membership at a discounted price. We built these tools because we believe investors do best when they can research and analyze based on data, not flashy headlines or hot stock tips.  

With the right information at your fingertips, you can spot a genuine bargain instead of something that’s cheap for a reason, and recognize real momentum instead of chasing sky-high valuations. 

Not sure yet? That’s fair, we hope you try AAII’s tools for 30 days, completely risk-free. CLICK HERE or use the button below to get started right away.  

We’re confident that once you’ve had a chance to explore everything, you’ll want to stick with us for the full year. But if it’s not the right fit, just reach out within those 30 days and we’ll refund you, no hard feelings.

We’re offering this special discount this week only because we genuinely want individual investors to have the tools they need to capitalize on end-of-year market movements and get ahead of the crowd that floods in every January with new financial goals. 

That’s exactly why now is the perfect time to sign up with AAII. It gives you the next several months to find new ideas, prepare your portfolio, plan out your goals and make real progress toward new gains before the new year even begins. 

I look forward to serving your investing information and education needs. Stay tuned in the coming days for three other investing secrets ... 

Sincerely, 

John Bajkowski 
President, AAII 

The $198 AAII new member sale price is only offered in this email; it is not available via phone or the standard AAII website. Please do not forward this offer. 

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