American Association of Individual Investors

What American Association of Individual Investors does

The American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) is an independent nonprofit corporation founded in 1978 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that provides investment education, research, and analytical tools to a community of more than 2 million individual retail investors. Its product portfolio centers on the AAII Journal (a monthly publication with 40+ years of archived articles), the AAII Sentiment Survey (a weekly individual-investor sentiment index conducted continuously since July 1987), and the Shadow Stock Portfolio (a real-money model portfolio demonstrating small-cap value investing since 1993). Supporting tools include AAII Stock Grades Plus (a proprietary grading system covering over 6,000 securities across Value, Growth, Momentum, EPS Revisions, and Quality), more than 55 stock screen strategies based on methodologies from Graham, O'Neil, Buffett, Lynch, and other recognized investors, the Custom Screener Plus, and proprietary volume-based technical indicators (RCM and OBC).

The platform is built on a web-based architecture with data licensing partnerships with Morningstar (ETF and mutual fund analysis) and S&P Global Market Intelligence (Custom Stock Screener and analytical tools). AAII monetizes through a tiered freemium membership: a free Basic membership providing access to the Journal, Shadow Stock portfolio, and monthly screen updates, with paid A+ Investor and AAII Platinum subscriptions unlocking the full data suite and model portfolios. Seven specialized premium newsletters (Dividend Investing, Growth Investing, Retirement Investing, Sentiment Investing, Stock Superstars Report, VMQ Stocks, Bits and Bips) supplement the core, alongside a Video Education Suite offering individual classes ($19–$99) and the $399 Essential Investing Course. Distribution is primarily direct via aaii.com and the AAII Investor Hub, supplemented by US-based local chapters, an online community forum, and weekly email newsletters.

AAII's go-to-market is community-led and content-driven, leveraging the editorial authority of its Journal, the contrarian signal of its Sentiment Survey, and the educational credibility of named contributors including John C. Bogle, Charles Schwab, and Nobel laureate Robert Shiller. The organization maintains strict independence with no advertising and no sponsored content, a positioning that anchors brand trust and differentiates it from for-profit retail-investor platforms. Premium products start at a $2 trial membership and all paid tiers include the free basic membership, creating a low-friction entry point into the AAII ecosystem.

Name

American Association of Individual Investors

Legal name

American Association of Individual Investors

Website

https://aaii.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AAII is an independent nonprofit founded in 1978 that provides 2M+ individual retail investors with proprietary stock screening tools, weekly sentiment data, model portfolios, and educational publications via a freemium membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investor Education

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Broker-Dealers (Retail Network) (FSAAAAAC)

Keywords

• Investment education
• Stock screening tools
• Individual investor research
• Financial newsletters
• Portfolio analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Tiered membership model with Basic (free), A+ Investor, Platinum, and various premium product subscriptions. All premium products come with free basic membership.
2. Video Education Suite: Individual video classes and bundled courses including the Essential Investing (EI) Course offering certification. Classes range from $19-$399 with the EI Course at $399.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AAII is an independent nonprofit organization that provides individual investors with educational resources, proprietary stock screening and grading tools, model portfolios, sentiment data, and a tiered membership program. Its core offerings include the AAII Journal (monthly for 40+ years), the weekly Sentiment Survey (since 1987), over 55 proprietary stock screen strategies, and the Video Education Suite including the Essential Investing Course.

Product overview

AAII operates as a nonprofit investment education organization offering a multi-tiered membership platform with both free and premium subscription products. The core offering centers on the AAII Journal (published for over 40 years), the AAII Sentiment Survey (weekly contrarian market indicator since 1987), and the Shadow Stock Portfolio (real-money model portfolio since 1993). Premium subscriptions include A+ Investor for comprehensive data access, AAII Platinum for all premium services, and specialized strategies like Dividend Investing, Growth Investing, Sentiment Investing, Stock Superstars Report, and VMQ Stocks. Supporting tools include stock screens (50+ strategies), Custom Screener Plus, Stock Grades Plus (grading 6,000+ securities), ETF tools, and Mutual Fund tools. Educational offerings encompass the Video Education Suite, PRISM Wealth-Building Process, Investor Classrooms, Webinars, and Local Chapters. All products are accessible through the AAII Investor Hub, with basic membership free and premium tiers providing enhanced access and tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic Membership Free foundational membership providing access to the AAII Journal, Shadow Stock portfolio, and monthly stock screen updates. Included with all premium product purchases and targeted at individual retail investors.
• A+ Investor

Quantifiable outcome

• Members nearly 3x more profit than S&P 500 over 20-year period (Stock Superstars Report portfolio)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BetterInvestingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAII partnered with BetterInvesting for content collaboration, including joint webinars and educational content on growth investing strategies. The partnership provides additional perspective on sustainable metrics and valuation awareness for individual investors.
• MorningstarcoreTechnology or IntegrationMorningstar provides data and analytics integrated into AAII's platform. AAII website content states 'Copyright 2026 American Association of Individual Investors and Morningstar, Inc.' indicating a data licensing partnership for ETF and mutual fund analysis tools.
• S&P Global Market IntelligencecoreTechnology or IntegrationS&P Global Market Intelligence provides data source for AAII's Custom Stock Screener and other analytical tools. Website footer states 'Data source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.'
• FINRA Investor Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAII collaborated with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation on investor education content, specifically covering investment scams and investor protection topics.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Morningstar: Major investment research and data provider serving both retail and institutional investors with screeners, fund analytics, and proprietary ratings. AAII partners with Morningstar for data and serves overlapping retail investor segments with subscription research tools.
• Kiplinger: Personal finance and investment advisory publisher serving retail investors with newsletters, retirement planning content, and stock recommendations. Overlapping retail investor education and advice positioning.

Direct peers

• Seeking Alpha: Crowd-sourced investment research platform with premium subscription tiers offering quantitative ratings, author analysis, and portfolio tools. Competes for the same self-directed retail investor segment with stock screening and idea generation.
• The Motley Fool: Subscription-based investment research and stock recommendation service targeting individual investors. Operates a similar freemium/premium content model with stock picks, model portfolios, and educational content.
• TheStreet: Digital financial media company offering investment news, stock analysis, and Action Alerts PLUS portfolio subscription service. Targets the same self-directed retail investor audience with similar subscription products.
• Zacks Investment Research: Equity research firm providing proprietary stock rankings (Zacks Rank), screening tools, and investment newsletters to retail investors. Direct competitor in the stock screening and model portfolio subscription space.
• Value Line: Long-standing investment research and ranking service providing proprietary stock analysis, ratings, and model portfolios to retail investors. Closely comparable heritage research subscription model with similar longevity in the market.
• Investor's Business Daily: Financial news and investment research publication serving active retail investors with CAN SLIM methodology, stock screens, and model portfolios. Direct overlap with AAII's premium research and screening offerings.

Emerging players

• TipRanks: Investment research aggregation platform providing analyst consensus, hedge fund tracking, and smart score ratings. Competes for retail investor attention with quantitative stock analysis tools, though focused more on third-party analyst ratings.

Others

• FINRA Investor Education Foundation: Nonprofit organization focused on investor education and protection research. AAII has a partnership with FINRA Foundation on investor education content; both share nonprofit investor education missions but FINRA does not compete commercially.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AAIIVideos
• Xx.com/aaii_invest_ed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-individual-investors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Association of Individual Investors