| Class Title ▼ ▲ |
Instructor ▼ ▲ |
Description ▼ ▲ |
| Advanced Portfolio Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) Workshop |
Robin Ware |
In this session, let’s explore PERT further. Bring your laptop for this hands-on advanced session. You are required to pre-register and take a pre-requisite class scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd at 7:30pm EDT. This session will also be recorded. During the pre-requisite class, we will set up and save a portfolio of 6-10 stocks on your laptop and freeze the portfolio for BINC. The workshop will focus on how to update your data, interpret the PERT report and position the portfolio for greater total return. We will work collaboratively to analyze the sales, earnings per share and profitability of each stock and make decisions on whether to buy more, hold or sell for better portfolio management and return. |
| AI as Your Research Assistant |
Suzi Artzberger |
Artificial intelligence tools are becoming part of stock research, helping investors gather information, summarize financials, and explore company news more quickly. But how can these tools be used effectively while staying true to BetterInvesting principles? This class will show practical ways AI can support—not replace—your Stock Selection Guide studies. We’ll look at examples such as company summaries, earnings analysis, and peer comparisons, while also noting risks and limitations. A short section on writing effective chatbot prompts will give you hands-on strategies to get clearer results and make AI a helpful partner in your research process. |
| All About Bonds |
Ray Giese |
With interest rates as volatile as we have seen for years, it seems like an odd time to consider bonds as part of your investment portfolio. Yet, bonds serve a few essential functions in a diversified portfolio. Understanding the role of bonds, what they are, and how to use them effectively is critical to the long-term success of portfolio management, especially during severe market downturns and portfolio withdrawals. This session will cover the following: Differences between bonds and stocks, Role of bonds in a diversified portfolio, Types of bonds to consider for your portfolio, How to evaluate bonds – ratings, yields, issuers, etc., Risks of owning bonds, Pricing and valuing of bonds, Purchasing of bonds – individual or via ETFs and other funds, Opportunities in bond-like alternatives. |
| Are High P/Es Rational? |
Joan Loken |
Ready to ditch the messy spreadsheets and level up your investment club's game? In this dynamic, hands-on workshop, you'll transform from a spreadsheet novice into a Google Sheets guru, specifically for tracking your club's portfolios. We'll dive deep into: Portfolio Power-Ups: Learn to create stunning, real-time dashboards to monitor your club's investments with clarity and precision. Collaboration Central: Discover the magic of real-time sharing and collaborative editing. Say goodbye to platform specific incompatibilities and hello to seamless teamwork. No prior experience with advanced spreadsheets is needed – just bring your enthusiasm and your investment club's goals. We'll provide the tools, the tips, and the tricks to make your club's financial tracking not just efficient, but also engaging. |
| Beginner SSG Bootcamp Series I through V and Wrap-up |
Ken Kavula and partner |
BetterInvesting methodology and the SSG are at the heart of our long-term investment approach. This series helps those starting or continuing their learning. It focuses on BI concepts, research resources, and judgment practice using the SSG online tool. Requires pre-registration. |
| Beyond Beginner – Hands-On Investing |
Susanne Koster and Kent DeJong |
Beyond Beginner – Hands-On Investing is a workshop experience for investors looking to build confidence in stock analysis. Participants will work in small teams to study a company using BetterInvesting tools and methodology. Participants will share their findings in an open class discussion like an investment club. |
| BI Gals Talk Stock |
Kim Butcher, Mary Enright, Betsy Wills |
It was said in the book, “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus”, each of us see things differently. The BI Gals will give you stock ideas that they are interested in the current market. Our backgrounds give us experience in areas most guys may not think of. Come join the fun for stock ideas as well as; shhh, chocolate. |
| Bridging the Gap: Using Options to Power Your SSG for Income, Flexibility, and Control |
Pat Donnelly |
This dynamic, one‑time workshop is for experienced BetterInvesting practitioners who want to move from simply understanding options to confidently applying Covered Calls and Cash-Secured Puts alongside the Stock Selection Guide—unlocking new ways to generate income, enhance flexibility, and maintain control over portfolio outcomes. |
| Can You Invest in AI? A BetterInvesting Approach |
Suzi Artzberger |
Artificial intelligence is one of today's most talked-about themes, but how can long-term investors separate durable opportunities from the hype? In this class, we'll take a practical look at using the Stock Selection Guide (SSG) to study AI-related companies. Rather than covering the entire AI landscape, we'll focus on a handful of representative examples, such as a chipmaker, a software firm, and a company that incorporates AI into its business model. Together, we'll examine how growth assumptions, profitability, and valuation are presented in the SSG and what to look out for when analyzing AI companies. The goal isn't to predict winners, but to give you confidence applying BetterInvesting principles to this fast-moving sector. |
| Dividends and Total Return |
Miles Putnam |
About 1/3 of stock market returns have come from dividends historically, but dividend investing has fallen out of favor. Does that make it fertile ground for overlooked opportunities? What are the risks? Join Miles Putnam, a co-author of Yield Signs and a contributor to the Dividend Informer newsletter, for a class about what works and what doesn’t in the world of dividends. |
| Economic MOATS |
Allen Holdsworth |
This class is based on Morningstar’s ideas that some companies have an economic moat that helps them be good investments longer than those with no moats. Allen will describe what makes a moat, the types of moats and how to recognize them. Many examples will be provided about companies with moats. |
| Essentials of Estate Planning |
Ray Giese |
Congratulations! You have become a successful investor and amassed some wealth with the help of the BI principles. Yet, your job is incomplete without considering estate planning. Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy—it’s about making sure your wishes are honored, and your loved ones are cared for, no matter your stage of life. In this course, we will break down the essentials in a simple, approachable way. You will learn what estate planning is, why it matters, and the key documents that make it work—like wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives. We will also talk about letters of instruction, choosing an executor, and how trustees help manage assets. Along the way, you will be encouraged to reflect on your own needs and start thinking about who you can rely on for guidance. By the end, you will feel more confident about putting a plan in place that protects your future and the people you care about most. |
| Finding Great Stocks |
Robin Ware |
The most important step in becoming a better investor is finding great businesses to invest in. But where should you look? Who should you listen to? The answers are right at your fingertips on the BI Website. You can find great stocks to research and evaluate. Learn how to dig into the SSGPlus® and CoreSSG® tools to allow you to set up your own customized screens, use pre-defined screens, and understand heat maps. There are so many high-quality stocks out there waiting for you. Learn how to screen and use 5 in 5 Ticker Talk, the BI Magazine, Weekly Stock Screens and First Cut to find even more. Join this session and let’s find those high quality, high growth, winning stocks. |
| Finding the Industry Leader: Smart Stock Selection |
Carol Theine |
Ready to take your investing strategy to the next level? This dynamic class empowers you to confidently evaluate which companies are well-managed, financially sound, and positioned as leaders within their industries. You'll learn how to assess long-term growth potential and make informed investment decisions using BetterInvesting's powerful Stock Comparison Guide (SCG). The SCG tool allows you to compare multiple companies side by side across key financial metrics-revealing which ones stand out in terms of performance, valuation. |
| Gain an Edge in Your Portfolio with Small Company Stocks |
Doug Gerlach |
BetterInvesting recommends that individuals and investment clubs diversify their portfolios by holding companies of all sizes. But many investors find the process of finding, researching, and analyzing small company stocks to be challenging. In this session, Doug Gerlach, founder and editor of the SmallCap Informer stock newsletter, shares his tips for investing in small stocks for long-term investors. He will show you how to find candidates, better understand a company’s potential if it is not widely followed by analysts, what’s different about small company stocks compared to large, and his “secret weapons” for understanding a company’s operations and prospects. |
| Hands-On with the Stock Comparison Guide |
Carol Theine |
This hands-on session introduces BetterInvesting's Stock Comparison Guide-a powerful, beginner-friendly tool that helps you evaluate and compare up to five companies side by side. Through guided practice and real-time examples, participants will learn how to access and launch the Stock Comparison Guide from the BetterInvesting website. use the guide to identify high-quality growth stocks for long-term investing and build confidence in making data-driven decisions using BetterInvesting's methodology. Must be pre-registered and follow pre-load SSGs into your account with provided instructions. |
| Healthcare |
Miles Putnam |
The healthcare sector has fallen on hard times. Healthcare represents about 18% of U.S. GDP, while healthcare stocks have come to represent just 10% of the S&P 500’s capitalization. That’s down from 15% a few years ago. What has happened to this sector which was once such an important staple of growth portfolios? Have the days of healthcare growth investing come and gone, or is this simply a pause? Join healthcare sector analyst Miles Putnam for a class about the history, and the future, of healthcare investing. |
| High Net Worth Conversation |
Christi Powell |
Those with portfolios over $1,000,000 find tax planning, estate planning, asset location, and concentration risks loom large in how assets are managed. This discussion driven class is designed to explore ways to deal with these issues. How can you manage volatility, lower your tax burden, simplify your estate settlement, deal with your heirs, and enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of successful investing? Please SUBMIT the 3 things that worry you the most about your wealth prior to December, 2025, to: cpowell@falconfinancialok.com. We will start our conversation with these concerns. 3 Sessions. Must Pre-Register. |
| Investing in Stocks for 2031 |
Doug Gerlach |
Did you know that long-term investing is really a risk-management technique? Learn the importance of defensive portfolio positioning and understand how to handle short-term market or economic challenges by learning about historical recessions and bear markets. Hear about the SSG’s past and why it considers 10 years of history and looks 5 years into the future. Doug explores the concept of beta and what volatility means in an all-stock portfolio. |
| Is the Cash Flow Statement That Important – Yes It Is! |
Craig Braemer |
Come to learn why many feel the cash flow statement is the most important of the financial statements that companies report. Why are cash flow statements so important? As Willie Sutton said why he robbed banks “That is where the cash is”. This financial statement allows you to understand where the cash is going. We will also discuss and learn about the three parts of a financial statement and how to use it. We will explain each part and what to look for in each segment. |
| Jumpstart Stock Selection with Investor Advisory Service (IAS) |
Dan Boyle |
The Investor Advisory Service is one of the nation’s top investment newsletters. Published since 1973, IAS has been garnering awards and uses the BetterInvesting methodology. Stock selections from the newsletter have handily outperformed the market. Join Dan Boyle, one of the newsletter’s authors, as he shares the secrets of IAS. The audience is encouraged to ask questions. |
| Know when Sell, Wait, Hold, or Buy: Five Levels of Stock Valuation |
Doug Gerlach |
How many of your stocks languish in the “maybe” zone? Are you sitting on the fence, and doing nothing? Sound familiar? These stocks are the Achilles’ heel of your portfolio. The SSG makes it possible to determine "optimal" buy and sell prices. But the problem is that these “optimal” prices don’t convince you to make a buy or sell decision, leaving you in limbo. Weak company fundamentals make a stock look cheap. Stocks that have had significant price increases, approaching their sell price, possibly should not be sold. With a better understanding of the five levels of stock valuation, you may be able to make better decisions. Learn the difference between “busted,” “under,” “fairly,” “over,” or “hyper-valued” stocks. This is the first step in getting off the fence! |
| Learn the keys about Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds |
Craig Braemer |
Come learn about Mutual Funds (MFs) and exchange traded funds (ETFs) which are similar, but there are key differences to understand. ETFs have seen significant growth due to those differences. We will discuss the reasons why they might interest you as an investor. At the same time, mutual funds are an important component of retirement accounts and why that might not change for a while. Learn how to use these investments as an addition to your stock portfolio or in building a stand-alone asset allocation strategy. Both can be used to add significant diversification to your individual stock portfolio. Come and learn about these investment vehicles. |
| Let's Talk Stocks |
Ken Kavula and panel |
Opening the convention on Thursday night, this fun and engaging panel discussion gives you some new and interesting stock ideas. Always do your own research! |
| Live Repair Shop |
Dan Boyle |
Have you ever wondered about the thought process that goes into analyzing an entire portfolio? Attend the Live Repair Shop to see Dan Boyle dissect and assess a club portfolio stock-by-stock. You’re sure to learn professional tips that can help improve your own investing. |
| Mastering the BetterInvesting Website: Tools, Tips & Resources |
Carol Theine |
Unlock the full potential of BetterInvesting.org with this walkthrough designed for new and experienced investors alike. This session will cover the layout, features, and hidden gems of the BetterInvesting website. Learn to access archived webinars, publications, and club support materials. The goal is for you to confidently navigate the site to support stock studies, club meetings, and personal investing goals. |
| Portfolio Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) |
Robin Ware |
PERT is a great tool to quickly review your personal or club portfolio and determine if your stocks are staying the course for growth and great total return. In this session, you will learn how to generate and interpret the Portfolio Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) report. We will use a sample PERT report to identify companies with robust or deteriorating fundamentals and how you can potentially increase your portfolio return. Also, bring your laptop and join us at the PERT Workshop where we will dig deeper. Note: you should understand how to create a portfolio and add companies to it in SSGPlus. If not, please watch the session at this link prior to attending: https://sites.google.com/view/biscc-bod-website/dashboard and try to set up your own portfolio. |
| Preferred Procedure |
Cy Lynch |
In this class, Cy debunks worries over the “complexity” of the Preferred Procedure, briefly looks at the logic behind the process and shows how simple it is to apply. After introducing the concept, he demonstrates ways to increase your confidence in your sales growth and pretax profit margin projections. We will then examine ways to project future income tax rates and shares outstanding. Then Cy pulls it all together to demonstrate using the Preferred Procedure to project future EPS for actual companies. |
| Rare Earths, Rockets & Reactors: Small Stocks Powering the Future |
Betsy Wills |
Want to add some future-focused power to your portfolio? This class introduces small stocks in rare earths, space exploration, and clean energy — industries with big growth potential. We’ll spotlight companies flying under the radar today but aiming to shape tomorrow. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned investor looking for new ideas, you’ll leave with fresh picks and unique strategies to help diversify your investments for the long haul. |
| Reading an Annual Report |
Sofia Bitela |
In this course, we will review the key elements of a company's annual report, or 10-K. We will take a deep dive into specific words or phrases to identify and explore how to map different parts of the annual report to Preferred Procedure metrics. Learners will learn leading practices for the use of AI in helping to yield further insights from the company's annual report. |
| Reflections of a Lifelong Better Investor |
Cy Lynch |
Cy starts this session with a brief review of BetterInvesting’s four principles, how they’ve impacted his life and how he applies them as he invests. We’ll then shift to the Stock Selection Guide (SSG), starting with the proposition that not all sections of the SSG are equally important. We will explore various ways to project a low price. Then Cy will review SSG stock selection criteria (potential return, PE ratios, U/D ratios, price zones) sharing how his use of these has evolved over more than 40 years of using the form. |
| Roundtable at BINC |
Ken Kavula and panel |
The Knights of the Mid-Michigan Roundtable present an online monthly discussion centered on creating a portfolio that will beat the market indexes by at least five percentage points. They aim for at least 50% of their picks to beat the market as well! Each month they examine the progress toward these goals and then make picks to add to the tracking portfolio. Occasionally they even jettison a position! Along the way the Knights answer many questions about investing, talk about topics such as technical indicators, fundamental stock evaluation and analysis, and much more. |
| Sheets for Sharers: Your Investment Club's Digital Command Center |
Dave Roberts |
Ready to ditch the messy spreadsheets and level up your investment club's game? In this dynamic, hands-on workshop, you'll transform from a spreadsheet novice into a Google Sheets guru, specifically for tracking your club's portfolios. We'll dive deep into: Portfolio Power-Ups: Learn to create stunning, real-time dashboards to monitor your club's investments with clarity and precision. Collaboration Central: Discover the magic of real-time sharing and collaborative editing. Say goodbye to platform specific incompatibilities and hello to seamless teamwork. No prior experience with advanced spreadsheets is needed – just bring your enthusiasm and your investment club's goals. We'll provide the tools, the tips, and the tricks to make your club's financial tracking not just efficient, but also engaging. |
| Strategic Selling |
Cy Lynch |
Many followers of BetterInvesting methodology confidently use its tools to find stocks to buy but are far less sure of when to sell stocks. And while we are long-term buy and hold investors, that doesn’t mean “buy and forget” and never selling. We will survey some reasons for selling, including fulfilling personal goals and seeking to make your portfolio better by improving its quality or value. Against this background, Cy will use real-life examples to help you develop a strategy for selling all or part of your holdings in particular stocks to improve your overall portfolio performance. |
| Strategies for Analyzing Speculative Stocks |
Joan Loken |
Experience next-level investing with AI-powered tools designed for bold investors. Skip tedious data searches and unlock actionable insights instantly—perfect for anyone curious about speculative stocks or seeking a sharper investment strategy. At BINC’s Let’s Talk Stocks, some speculative stock ideas are presented. Learn how high-risk, high-reward picks like Palantir Technologies can deliver dramatic returns. Dive into emerging market leaders, rare earth mineral companies, and disruptive technologies where conventional analysis falls short. Our session reveals six proven evaluation methods—modified fundamentals, technical, sentiment, and peer comparison—tailored for speculation and clearly presented for quick decisions. AI-driven analysis automates every step, from crunching numbers to visualizing strengths, risks, and recommendations for four rare earth stocks. Discover untapped opportunities and invest confidently, even in today’s dynamic sectors. Expand your investing horizons with modern strategies—no experience required, just curiosity and a competitive edge. |
| Tariffs and Your SSG |
Sofia Bitela |
In this course, we will review the history of tariffs within the United States. After establishing the foundation and context, we will examine the development of tariffs in the current economic cycle and how they get reflected in the company's public filings and earnings calls. Learners will learn how to apply the story of the tariffs for a given company to their quantitative analysis within the SSG. |
| Tax Planning Opportunities in the 2025 Tax Reconciliation Bill |
Christi Powell |
We will discuss the personal and business tax implications of the 2025 bill. Many of them are short term opportunities you should consider this year. |
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Club Portfolios |
Allen Holdsworth |
Does your club’s portfolio need a little help to get to the next level? This class is based on 110 club portfolio reviews that Allen has performed. He will discuss how he does a review and the common problems he sees and offer suggestions on how to make improvements. Many examples will be given. |
| The Great 401-K Clean-up |
Jackie Koski |
Your 401(k) or someone you know is probably a mess... But it’s not your fault because 401(k)s (and similar employer-sponsored plans) can be confusing, hard to understand and unfriendly to navigate for the average employee. Many people just give up, stick with the employer defaults and hope that it works out ok. But that’s not in your best interest. Your 401(k) is likely the primary resource for retirement funding since pensions have all but disappeared. This session will give you the most valuable education around fixing and cleaning up current and old 401(k)s. If you’re already savvy in this area, come join this session to get some valuable tips on how to help others. |
| The Psychology of Investment Clubs |
Matt Spielman |
Investment Clubs have been the foundation of BetterInvesting since the beginning. Psychology research has shed light on how groups make decisions, for better or worse. We will look at these factors and discuss the strengths and dangers of typical investment club structure, as well as ways you can improve the decision-making of your club. If you are an individual investor, you will learn why joining a club can help you improve your investing skills. If you are a current club member, you can decide is your club suffers from “The Madness of Crowds” or possesses “The Wisdom of Crowds.” |
| The Psychology of the Stock Selection Guide |
Matt Spielman |
The Stock Selection Guide is the cornerstone of the BetterInvesting methodology, guiding our investment decisions. Conceived in the early days of the organization in the 1950’s, many principles of the SSG have been upheld by research into behavioral finance and decision-making, which began in the 1970’s and continues today. We will take a tour of the SSG, highlighting the significance of each component, and providing a way to view them through a psychological lens. Our goal will be to better apply the tool to our investment decisions, and to be able to interpret conditions that may seem contradictory at first glance. |
| Trim or Sell - Which is Better for Your Portfolio? |
Craig Braemer |
You have a winning stock. Should you sell your whole position or just trim it? This is a tough decision. We will explore the logic and factors of trimming a long-term holding versus selling out of a high-quality company. If the concept of trimming is new to you, learn why this approach could help your financial wealth. Come and learn more about dealing with this difficult topic. |
| Two Guys Talk Stock |
Ken Kavula, Mark Robertson |
Two Guys is a classic no-holds-barred stock discussion with Mark Robertson and Ken Kavula. They’ve presented this show all across the country and at many BINC conventions and it never seems to disappoint. Nothing is off limits in their stock discussion and the audience drives the direction of the discussion. It’s lively and quick and the chemistry between the two guys is wicked fun! |
| Understanding Growth & How to Apply It to Your Judgment on the SSG (How Growth is Revealed) |
Kevin Gillogly |
We want growth of sales and earnings. But before you can set your judgments you should understand what is driving the company’s growth. Learn how to find the company’s target audience and its total addressable market. Understanding how a company is growing and when it isn’t is crucial to becoming a BetterInvestor. This class will focus on the drivers of growth and how to apply it to your judgments on the SSG. |
| Using Savvy Judgment Part 1 |
Kathleen Richards |
As BetterInvesting investors, our goal is to create a rational SSG. We will use benchmarks to estimate the Forecasted 5-year EPS, explain the role of the "blue diamond" as the “connector,” and identify Section 3 “hiccups” to eliminate P/E outliers. Learn the importance of setting ceiling and floor prices. This creates benchmarks for both your Forecasted 5-year High Price and Forecasted 5-year Low Price. We will address the "high price problem” and how to solve it! Learn how to create a High Price floor. Join us for Using Savvy Judgment Part 2 to learn more! |
| Using Savvy Judgment Part 2 |
Kathleen Richards |
As BetterInvesting investors, our goal is to create a rational SSG. We will use benchmarks to estimate the Forecasted 5-year EPS, explain the role of the "blue diamond" as the “connector,” and identify Section 3 “hiccups” to eliminate P/E outliers. Learn the importance of setting ceiling and floor prices. This creates benchmarks for both your Forecasted 5-year High Price and Forecasted 5-year Low Price. We will address the "high price problem” and how to solve it! Learn how to create a High Price floor. |
| Value Line Checklist |
Kim Butcher |
The SSG tells us a wealth of information about a stock. Why is it that every time you buy a stock the price then seems to go down? You don’t think you overlooked anything in your evaluation, did you miss something? The lowly checklist can help us not overlook items in a stock review that can lead to loss of our hard-earned money! Even Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger used a checklist! |
| Visualizing Growth on the SSG (Looking at Growth in the Visual Analysis of Sec. 1) |
Kevin Gillogly |
We train ourselves to look for up, straight and parallel lines in Sec. 1. Can you distinguish between a steady grower and explosive one? Can you recognize the visual signs of when a company makes an acquisition? Can you recognize when the competition begins to have an impact? This class will show you how to understand the different types of growth a company exhibits by looking at the Visual Analysis of Section 1 of the SSG. |
| What's New in BI Online Tools? |
Suzi Artzberger |
This fast-paced class provides an overview of the most recent updates to BetterInvesting’s online stock tools, including CoreSSG, SSGPlus, the Stock Comparison Guide, and Studies and Portfolios. We’ll highlight the newest features, improvements, and shortcuts designed to make your stock studies more efficient and insightful. Whether you’re a regular user or just getting started, you’ll see how to take full advantage of these tools to support better decision-making and long-term investing success. Come ready to explore what’s new and how it can benefit your research. |
| What's Wrong with Wall Street Wisdom? As It Turns Out, Lots! |
Doug Gerlach |
"Wall Street wisdom" often sounds authoritative, but does it truly serve your financial interests? In this class, Doug will uncover the pervasive myths promulgated by the financial industry that frequently work against individual investors, such as selling to "lock in profits," following the "smart money," or "buying what you know." Doug will expose the pitfalls that arise from following these rules, and demonstrate how individual investors and investment clubs can profit from the disciplined approach of the Stock Selection Guide if they are truly committed to finding financial independence and stock market success. |
| Why Your Kid's Investing Looks Very Different Than Yours |
Jackie Koski |
Gone are the days when pension plans took all the investment risks, so employees didn’t have to. Generations ago, not many people found the need, or had the wealth it used to take to invest on their own (besides savvy BetterInvesting members via investment clubs). Now, there’s an evolving landscape of investing that you may have noticed over the years, many of which are absolute game changers. This session will highlight the modern approaches that is shaping your children's and grandchildren’s financial future. Learn about the impact of technology, artificial intelligence, social media, new asset classes, and new investment vehicles that are redefining how the next generation is building wealth. |
