Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A one-stop shop for everything you always wanted to know about Beating the Tide but were afraid to ask.
FAQs
1. What exactly is Beating the Tide?
2. What do I get if I subscribe?
3. How often will you blow up my inbox?
6. Can I see a sample before paying?
7. Where are you hosted? Substack, WordPress�
9. Do you invest your own money in these picks?
10. What if I canât keep up with the +5,000-word deep dives?
11. Is this investment advice?
12. How do I ask follow-up questions?
13. Any student or group discounts?
14. I forgot my password / my payment failed. Help!
16. Where did the name come from?
1. What exactly is Beating the Tide?
Itâs my investment research hub where I publish professional-level deep dives, trade alerts, and provide access to my portfolio. Think of it as the quiet corner of the internet where we turn off the hype machine, roll up our sleeves, and do the hard math and research together.
For more details about me, my investment approach and the newsletter, check out my About page.
2. What do I get if I subscribe?
As a free subscriber, you get:
The Weekly newsletter (delivered every Sunday): It includes my latest thoughts on the market, investing frameworks, and personal finance topics. The portfolioâs total return is included, but the performance of individual stocks is behind the paywall.
Occasional stock ideas: From time to time, Iâll publish a free deep dive or stock breakdown, explaining the strategy, valuation, and risks.
As a paid subscriber, you get everything above, plus:
Weekly stock performance: On Sundays, paid subscribers can see the return of every position in the portfolio.
Real-time buy/sell alerts: Youâll know the moment I add, trim, or close a position, including the thesis behind the move.
Full access to the portfolio: Available under the âPaid Membershipâ section on the homepage.
One in-depth stock idea per month: A +5,000âword deep dive featuring full valuation models and upside scenarios.
Below is a table summarizing the differences:
3. How often will you blow up my inbox?
Deep dives go out once a month, weekly notes arrive every Sunday, and trade alerts only hit your inbox when something actually happens.
No fluff. No fake urgency. Your inbox is sacred territory.
Iâll occasionally send a stock idea, a post-mortem, or a portfolio reviewâbut aside from trade alerts, you can expect no more than 2 emails per week.
4. Whatâs the track record?
Since I started investing in 2011, my portfolio has returned +8x the S&P 500âs return.
Below is my performance since I started this newsletter.
5. How much does it cost?
For the current pricing, click here. All prices are in US dollars. Taxes get added automatically if your jurisdiction insists on getting its slice.
6. Can I see a sample before paying?
Absolutely. Every so often I unlock a past deep dive as a free âtaster.â You can check them out here. Youâll also find my trade alerts here. The Weeklies are already free, and you can find them here.
7. Where are you hosted? Substack, WordPress�
Right now the newsletter lives on Substack.
8. How do trade alerts work?
You get an email the moment I execute a trade in the model portfolio. I include ticker, price, and the quick-and-dirty âwhy.â Often, I follow up with a detailed deep dive in the following days.
9. Do you invest your own money in these picks?
Yes. I eat my own cooking. My personal portfolio mirrors the model portfolio, though position sizes can vary. I have a small account set aside ($~140,000) where I buy secured puts as I explain here.
10. What if I canât keep up with the +5,000-word deep dives?
You donât have to read every word. Honestly, I write the full deep dive as part of my own research process, but I structure it so you can get value no matter how much time you have.
Each report starts with a clear elevator pitch so you can grab the big idea in under five minutes. If something catches your eye, thereâs a table of contents to help you jump straight to the sections you care about, whether thatâs valuation, risks, or strategy.
Skim it or dive deep: itâs designed to work either way.
11. Is this investment advice?
No. Iâm not your advisor and you are not hiring me to manage your money. This is educational content meant to inform your own research. Always do your own due diligence and consult a licensed professional if you need tailored advice.
12. How do I ask follow-up questions?
Youâve got a few options:
Leave a comment on the article (I actually prefer this as it usually sparks questions that benefit other members too)
Hit âreplyâ to any newsletter email
Email me directly at george@beatingthetide.com
I read every message. And if your question could help the rest of the community, I might answer it in a future weekly noteâanonymously, unless you say otherwise.
13. Any student or group discounts?
If youâre a full-time student or want licenses for an investing club or class, email me. I love helping the next generation of stock sleuths.
14. I forgot my password / my payment failed. Help!
Use the Substack âHelpâ button with the email tied to your subscription. Most issues get fixed in under a day.
15. Can I share your content?
Feel free to forward the weekly notes to friends. If they start relying on it, politely nudge them to subscribe. Copy-pasting entire deep dives to public forums is a no-go.
16. Where did the name come from?
Picture a surfer paddling against the current to catch the perfect wave. Most investors drift with the tide of popular opinion. We paddle, digging into unloved corners of the market, to catch the waves nobody else sees coming.
Still puzzled?
If your burning question didnât make the list, drop me a line. Iâll either reply directly or add it here so future readers donât have to wonder.
~ George
george@beatingthetide.com